A second high-profile golf figure after Tiger Woods will miss the pre-Masters Champions Dinner hosted by Rory McIlroy
There will be two notable absentees from the pre-Masters dinner hosted by Rory McIlroy(Image: Al Bello, Getty Images)
Rory McIlroy is poised to host the most significant dinner of his professional golf career at Augusta. But sadly, the occasion he spent years pursuing will take place without two of the Masters’ most distinguished champions.
For the first time since 1994, neither Tiger Woods nor Phil Mickelson will attend the Masters Champions Dinner on April 7, representing both a personal and symbolic setback ahead of the tournament, which begins on April 9.
McIlroy secured hosting responsibilities after finally completing the career Grand Slam with his long-awaited triumph last year. The breakthrough came after 11 years of striving to complete golf’s holy grail.
Augusta National has officially confirmed that Woods will neither compete in nor attend the event. He is McIlroy’s childhood hero and a longstanding friend.
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The pair are founders of the TGL golf league, while both have been influential figures in the PGA Tour’s ongoing discussions with the Public Investment Fund and LIV Golf. Woods will miss the dinner as he takes time away from golf to concentrate on his health and treatment following his car crash and subsequent arrest for driving under the influence.
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Prior to the crash, Woods indicated that he would be at Augusta regardless of whether he competed in the tournament to attend McIlroy’s Champions dinner and to experience his new nine-hole layout on the property called The Loop first-hand.
Woods also missed the 2025 dinner for Scottie Scheffler while recovering from a ruptured Achilles and ongoing back problems. Beyond his absence from the Champions Dinner, Woods is reportedly also facing a breakdown in his relationship with Vanessa Trump.
McIlroy is good pals with Tiger Woods(Image: 2024 TGL)
Mickelson’s no-show stems from his decision to withdraw from the 2026 tournament due to a family health matter. Woods and Mickelson, between them, hold eight Green Jackets and have been familiar faces at Augusta for decades. Woods remains the tournament’s youngest ever winner, while Mickelson holds the record for the most total scores of 280 or better at the venue.
Around 32 former champions are expected to be in attendance, including legends such as Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Tom Watson, as well as more recent winners such as Scheffler, Jon Rahm and Hideki Matsuyama.
Phil Mickelson will miss the Masters for personal reasons(Image: 2010 Getty Images)
McIlroy’s specially curated menu was priced at $318 per plate, and both Woods and Mickelson will miss out on starters such as grilled elk sliders, bacon-wrapped dates inspired by his mother, rock shrimp tempura, and a Georgia peach-and-ricotta flatbread.
A yellowfin tuna carpaccio, inspired by New York’s Le Bernardin, will also feature as the main course. Diners can then choose between Wagyu filet mignon and seared salmon. Traditional Irish champ, Brussels sprouts, glazed carrots and crispy Vidalia onion rings round off the accompaniments, with sticky toffee pudding for dessert alongside a 1990 Château Lafite Rothschild and a 1989 Château d’Yquem.
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