Former Masters Champion Details Prison Life, Letters from Gary Player

As always, the upcoming edition of The Masters Tournament will have plenty of attractions beyond what happens inside the ropes. From the interesting Champions Dinner offered by Scottie Scheffler to Bernhard Langer’s farewell, fans will have no shortage of storylines to follow.

From this point of view, the controversial case of Angel Cabrera stands out.

The Argentinean, who won at Augusta National in 2009, is returning to the event for the first time after serving 30 months in prison for domestic violence. Cabrera was convicted by a court in his country for assaulting several women with whom he had a sentimental relationship at the time.

With the first major of the season less than two weeks away, the 55-year-old broke his silence about his time in prison and shared his thoughts on the events that landed him behind bars.

“Right now, I’m fine,” Cabrera said in an interview for the Daily Mail. “But I regret everything that I have done wrongly in my past. I am also frustrated that I dumped very, very important years of my life. I made mistakes.”

“It is one of the worst things that can happen to a human being,” he added, “not being able to have freedom. The lack of freedom is something really difficult, really hard.”

“And on the other hand, you know, I can tell you that the most important thing I feel right now is the second chance, the opportunity to get back on the right track.”

Cabrera also revealed that some legends among his colleagues kept in touch with him during his time in prison.

“Gary Player sent me a letter and that was very nice of him. And also Ernie Els sent me his best several times through acquaintances that I know.”

During his interview with the Daily Mail, Cabrera also claimed to have apologized to the women who were victims of his violent behavior. He also said he has had the opportunity to get up to speed on what is happening in the world of golf.

The three-time PGA Tour winner was cleared to play in events under the umbrella of the American-based circuit shortly after his release in 2023. However, he was unable to play in the 2024 edition of the Masters due to problems with his visa to enter the United States.

Cabrera quickly resolved his visa issues and was able to begin playing on U.S. soil in June 2024. He played in several PGA Tour Champions events last season and has been already in the field for two tournaments in 2025, including the Chubb Classic in Florida last February.

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