19 December 2023 , 15:06
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Former Masters champion Angel Cabrera has set his sights on making a return to the iconic opening major of the year at Augusta National, after being released from prison in August.
Cabrera's time behind bars came to an end in the summer, after the Argentine served two-and-a-half years for charges relating to domestic violence. For the first time since his release the 54-year-old made a return to competitive golf at last week's Abierto del Litoral on the PGA Tour Latinoamerica Developmental Series.
Having clearly got the bug back for competing back out on the golf course, Cabrera has now set his sights on hopefully teeing up at Augusta at some point, having earned a lifetime exemption after winning the green jacket in 2009.
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“It’s my dream to return to that prestigious place [Augusta National] and walk the course that gave me so much joy and satisfaction,” he told Golf Digest. “It would be a great privilege to return and to attend the Champions Dinner with so many of the golf world’s greatest players."
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Cabrera's return in Sante Fe last weekend was a positive one for the Argentine, as he finished in a tie for 10th after 72 holes. It remains to be seen what future holds for the two-time major champion, but he is hoping he can head back to the United States to compete on the PGA Tour's Champions Tour, as well as at Augusta.
"I thought about making a comeback the entire time I was in prison,” Cabrera added. “My goal is to prepare and play on the Champions Tour. When I’m out there competing, that’s when I’ll truly know if I can handle it physically at that level.
Angel Cabrera was released from prison in the summer (Nicolas Aguilera/AP/REX/Shutterstock)“Mentally, I’m already there. Golf is everything to me. It’s my life. I have to continue.” Question marks surrounding his chances of playing PGA Tour and Masters golf remain amid his previous convictions, but Cabrera believes a comeback is one he is entitled to after serving his time.
After showing remorse for his 'serious mistakes', the former PGA Tour star commented: "I’ve also paid my debts. I’m going to work as hard as I can to clean up my image. I want to recover the stature I had as an athlete.”
Cabrera went on: "I don’t look for people to blame anymore. While I was detained, I realised that if I had still been out — and been behaving the way I had been — I would probably not be alive now. There were nights I lay in my cell thanking God for my imprisonment. What I had been doing was so crazy.
“I did all this to myself. But it’s done. I can’t erase how I acted. All I can do is move forward and do something different.” Cabrera earned his lifetime Masters exemption at Augusta after defeating Chad Campbell and Kenny Perry via a two-hole playoff 14 years ago.
* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story.