A massive talking point leading into this year’s Masters was Rory McIlroy finally joining the Champions Dinner.
On Tuesday evening, he hosted 33 attendees for the famous annual dinner in the Augusta National clubhouse.
What happens at the most exclusive dinner in sport typically stays within the room.
But every so often stories escape the dining room’s four walls and it has happened once again this year.
It turned out that Australia’s Adam Scott took the liberty of officially welcoming McIlroy to the most sought after club in world sport.
The 2013 champion is a leader within the sport in as role as a player director for the PGA Tour.
And it turns out he is clearly held in high regard among his green jacket peers too.
“As a matter of fact, unplanned, Adam Scott stood up to address the room to talk about Rory McIlroy,” Golf Central’s Todd Lewis said on Live from the Masters.
“He talked about the first time they played together which was on the DP World Tour in 2007, when Rory was an amateur.
“And he was so impressed with him as a player and a person then.
“He also talked about watching Rory in that second nine on Sunday trying to win the Masters finally and how Adam had, quote, ‘his heart in his throat’.”
The gesture, as well as the evening itself, clearly meant a lot to the career Grand Slam winner.
“It’s not lost on me,” McIlroy told Lewis during the Par 3 contest.
“I said in the room last night, but all of us in that room were the envy of the sport’s world.
“Everyone else would love to be in that room and I certainly don’t ever want to take it for granted.
“I tried to treat it as if it was the only time I’d host the dinner.
“Hopefully it’s not, but if it is, I tried to do it the right way and I just hope everyone had a great night.”
Originally published as Aussie icon impresses with classy Rory McIlroy gesture on eve of Masters
