Rory McIlroy was involved in an awkward moment just days before his Masters triumph last year.The defending champion finally secured his long-awaited career Grand Slam at Augusta National 12 months ago.McIlroy has recalled an awkward moment prior to his 2025 Masters victoryGettyMcIlroy cut an emotional figure after defeating Justin Rose in a nervy play-off as he finally got his hands on the fabled green jacket.Ahead of this year’s tournament, the Northern Irishman hosted his fellow former winners at the traditional champions dinner on Tuesday.McIlroy’s awkward encounterPrior to the evening, McIlroy revealed an embarrassing incident from last year’s event during a press conference.The 36-year-old explained how he and Rose had gone for dinner at Augusta on the Tuesday of Masters week in 2025.View Tweet: https://twitter.com/hashtag/themasters?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5EtfwHowever, he had arrived at the course during the champions dinner’s cocktail hour.Recalling his accidental mishap, McIlroy told reporters: “It was weird.“I was pulling up Magnolia Lane, and you get to the [Founders Circle], and I’m like, well, do I go and park way over at the parking lot? Because I’m not going to park in the champions parking lot.“Then at that specific moment, the champions were having their cocktails out on the balcony.“I’m like, I don’t want to valet, get out, they’re going to see me and it’s going to be weird.“So I had this really awkward moment with it all last year. Thankfully that was the last time that I needed to do that.”McIlroy arrived at Augusta during last year’s champions dinner cocktail hourReutersMcIlroy’s Champions DinnerMcIlroy had no such concerns this time around as he hosted his champions dinner.Curating the menu himself, the dinner was the most expensive ever featuring £1,000 wine as well as an Irish twist.However, McIlroy admitted he had to limit how much influence his homeland had on the meal.He explained: “It was a fun process to go through. I was trying to achieve something that I would enjoy but also something that ties back to experiences that I’ve had, but also wanted it to be something that all the other people in that room would enjoy as well.“People keep asking me, ‘Why didn’t you go more Irish?’ And I said, ‘because I want to enjoy the dinner as well.’”Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson were the only two of the 35 living former champions not to attend the dinner, with neither involved at Augusta this week.Tuesday’s champions dinner menu was the most expensive ever as McIlroy hosted former winnersX / @TheMastersRival reunionOf those who were present, though, was 2018 winner Patrick Reed, who shares a storied rivalry with McIlroy.The pair’s history stems from a heated singles match at Hazeltine during the 2016 Ryder Cup.Meanwhile, they have since clashed over McIlroy’s stance on LIV Golf, which Reed defected too before returning to the PGA Tour this year.McIlroy previously argued LIV Golf players should not be able to play at DP World Tour events at the 2022 BMW PGA Championship.Reed’s lawyer, Larry Klayman, even served McIlroy with legal papers on Christmas Eve later in the same year.Although Klayman had subpoenaed McIlroy in a civil anti-trust lawsuit against the PGA Tour, commissioner Jay Monahan and the DP World Tour, Reed was not involved and has never sued the five-time major winner.McIlroy’s rival Reed attended his champions dinner ahead of the tournamentGettyWhen does McIlroy tee off at the Masters?McIlroy will be hoping to avoid a recent curse for defending Masters champions at Augusta.Since 2016, only Scottie Scheffler has finished in the top 10 the year after winning the tournament.The world No.1 finished tied-10th in 2023 before finishing fourth as reigning champion last year.Dustin Johnson, Sergio Garcia and Danny Willett have all missed the cut a year after winning the green jacket during the period in question.McIlroy, meanwhile, has not missed the cut since 2023, but also did so in 2010 and 2021.He tees off for his opening round at 3.31pm BST on Thursday alongside Cameron Young and US Amateur champion Mason Howell.