From jail to history: Cabrera wins two majors in a week
Months after resuming his career following a prison stint for domestic violence, Angel Cabrera has achieved the rare feat of winning two major golf championships within six days.
A play-off runner-up to Adam Scott at the Australian's iconic 2013 Masters triumph, Cabrera backed up his Regions Tradition victory last week with a one-shot win at the Senior PGA Championship in Maryland.
Cabrera's final-round three-under-par 69 pushed him to eight-under 280 and earned the Argentine a one-shot victory over Irishman Padraig Harrington and Denmark's Thomas Bjorn.
Cabrera resumed his career this year after spending time in jail between 2021 and 2023 on assault charges, including threatening two of his former girlfriends.
Sweet sweet victory 🏆#SrPGAChamp pic.twitter.com/9ze1mNQw5d
— Senior PGA Champ (@seniorpgachamp) May 25, 2025
The 55-year-old showed he'd lost little of his class and desire while behind bars when he won the James Hardie Pro Football Hall of Fame Invitational in April.
Now, incredibly, the 2007 US Open and 2009 Masters champion is a dual major winner at both professionals and seniors level.
"I'm extremely happy after winning two tournaments in a row, and also three tournaments within a year," Cabrera told NBC through a translator.
"I'm extremely happy, especially after everything that happened."
Cabrera shared the 54-hole lead with South African triple major winner Retief Goosen, England's Phillip Archer and American Jason Caron.
He was one over through five holes on Sunday, but the turning point came with an eagle at the par-5 sixth. Adding birdies at eight, 11 and 15 gradually pushed the South American ahead.
His main competition on Sunday was not any of his third-round co-leaders, who fell off the pace, but rather Harrington, who got off to a blazing start with seven birdies through 14 holes to reach 10 under for the championship.
But a double bogey at the par-4 15th knocked the Irishman off that perch and opened the door for Cabrera.
Harrington and Bjorn both shot 68, and their seven-under 281 were the clubhouse lead when Cabrera came down No.18.
A closing bogey did not keep Cabrera from victory.
"I didn't know that it was going to happen this quickly, winning two tournaments in a row, especially with all these great players around this tour," Cabrera said.
"I feel very emotional and proud."
Caron and Goosen both shot a final-round 71 and tied Stewart Cink (70) for fourth at six under.
Australian Cameron Percy rallied after a poor third round while well in contention to finish outright seventh, just three shots behind Cabrera, after shooting a final-round 69.
With Reuters
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