Schwartzel's menu a hit for Masters champions

Two-time Masters Tournament champion Ben Crenshaw, who served as the master of ceremonies for Tuesday’s Champions Dinner, said Charl Schwartzel’s South African fare was a hit.

“It was wonderful,” Crenshaw said of the menu, which featured South African barbecued filet mignon, lamb chops and chicken, along with something called monkey gland sauce, of which some of the champions were wary.

“He said don’t worry, ‘It doesn’t have have any monkey parts in it,’ ” Crenshaw said. “It was good. Everything was good.”

Schwartzel also made a speech as the defending champion and dinner host.

“He made a great talk,” Crenshaw said. “He’s very humble. He said, ‘I’m nervous.’ We said, ‘Don’t worry, everybody is nervous in here.’ ”

Crenshaw said Schwartzel’s fellow countrymen and Masters champions Gary Player and Trevor Immelman made comments about the newest member of their exclusive club.

Crenshaw said that as the dinner was ending, Spain’s Jose Maria Olazabal got his attention and they closed “by saying how much they missed” Seve Ballesteros, the Spaniard and two-time Masters champion who died in May.

“I told them, ‘Those who didn’t see him play missed something special,’ ” Crenshaw said.