Former Masters winner cards strong round in first tournament since jail release

15 December 2023 , 16:18

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Angel Cabrera has made a return to Golf after being released from prison this year (Image: Ezra Shaw)

Two-time major winner Angel Cabrera has returned to competitive golf after being released from jail.

The Argentinian golfer spent 30 months in prison in Brazil and Argentina after being given a four-year sentence for multiple crimes, including domestic violence following allegations of assault, threats and abuse by his ex-wife and two ex-girlfriends. Cabrera, 54, who won the 2009 Masters and the 2007 US Open, was granted an early release in August, but had not played golf competitively until this weekend.

He made his comeback at the Abierto del Litoral, also known as the Coastal Open, shooting an opening-round 71 at Rosario Golf Club in his homeland. In his first 72-hole tournament since the 2020 Bridgestone Senior Players Championship, Cabrera shot three birdies and three bogeys in his first round.

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By Thursday evening, he ended day two on five-under par, having shot four birdies and an eagle on the final eight holes to comfortably make the cut. According to Golf Digest, the two-time major champion must ask for permission to leave his homeland. Earlier this year, he said: "I just want to go home, be with my family and start a new phase of my life."

Cabrera, who first turned pro in 1989, has 41 tournament wins - including three on the PGA tour. His career earnings total close to £18 million across nearly 300 career events. On Thursday at the Rosario tournament, Cabrera birdied the 11th, 13th, and 15th holes to quickly get him to 3-under after a slow start in his first tournament back. The two-time major winner then birdied the par-4 17th and topped his round off with an eagle at the par-5 18th heading into Friday.

Cabrera, who won this event in 1995 before he joined the PGA Tour, is no stranger to the Coastal Open. The golf tournament has been a fixture in Rosario, Sante Fe, Argentina, since 1932, with him regularly making appearances. It's still up in the air whether Cabrera will be back on the Champions Tour in the United States in 2024. It is also unclear whether Cabrera will be allowed to play in future golfing majors.

Charlie Wilson