Angel Cabrera hasn’t been seen at the Masters since 2019, his absence due to serious legal troubles stemming from domestic assault and intimidation charges involving two former partners. This past August, Cabrera walked free after serving a 30-month sentence in Brazilian and Argentine prisons. A visa issue kept him from the 2024 Masters, but this year, the 2009 champion is finally returning to the prestigious tournament in 2025. Following his conviction back in 2021, the PGA Tour placed him on suspension; however, they reinstated him upon his release from prison.
In a candid chat with the Daily Mail as he readies himself for Augusta National, Cabrera opened up about his prison experience and his comeback to the golfing stage.
“At the moment, I’m doing alright,” Cabrera shared. “However, I deeply regret the wrongdoings of my past. I feel the weight of having squandered very significant years of my life. I made mistakes.”
He went on to speak about his time behind bars, expressing, “Losing your freedom is one of the harshest experiences. It’s incredibly trying. On the flip side, what energizes me now is this second chance, the opportunity to set things right.”
Cabrera’s legal woes date back to 2016, kicked off with accusations from his ex-wife, Silva Rivadero, alleging he physically abused and threatened her. Other allegations followed from past girlfriends, accusing him of domestic and verbal abuse. The situation escalated dramatically in 2020 when, on the eve of a court appearance in Argentina, Cabrera chose instead to fly to Akron, Ohio, for a PGA Tour Champions event, without notifying authorities. This act led to an Interpol red notice against him. Brazilian authorities apprehended him in Rio de Janeiro in January 2021. Cabrera then endured a taxing four and a half months in the notorious Plácido de Sá Carvalho prison. His extradition came in June 2021, and he faced charges of domestic violence, intimidation, and theft in Argentina.
Found guilty on two counts of assaulting his ex-girlfriend, Cecilia Torres Mana, he spent the next 18 months imprisoned at Carcel de Bouwer, notorious for its brutal conditions. Cabrera described his time at Carcel de Bouwer to the Daily Mail as a slightly more tolerable experience than what he faced in Brazil, saying, “Most inmates were older and well-educated, providing a somewhat decent atmosphere. It wasn’t dangerous.”
In November 2022, Cabrera faced court once again and was convicted of assaulting another former girlfriend, Micaela Escudero, earning an additional sentence of two years and four months to run concurrently. By the close of 2022, Cabrera found himself in Monte Cristo, a minimum-security prison where he could cook, use a cell phone, and even obtain day passes to leave. Despite other pending cases, he secured an early release, yet required permission to exit Argentina.
In 2023, Cabrera spoke with Golf Digest, expressing remorse. “I feel repentant and ashamed,” Cabrera admitted to Luis Fernando Llosa. “I committed grave errors, ignored reason, and acted on impulse. That was wrong. I ask Micaela for forgiveness. I ask Celia for forgiveness. They met me at my lowest. I wasn’t the devil but did bad things.”
Over recent years, the Masters has had its share of absentees, such as Phil Mickelson in 2022 and Greg Norman in 2023, due to LIV Golf’s influence. Concerns hover over Cabrera’s return following his past, yet Masters chairman Fred Ridley expressed that Cabrera remains welcome, citing him as one of the tournament’s “great champions.”
Describing his forthcoming appearance at Augusta National, Cabrera told the Daily Mail, “It’s the place every golfer dreams of.”
