Latest news with #AngelCabrera
USA Today
3 days ago
- General
- USA Today
Father's Day Gift Guide, Titleist alignment aids, TaylorMade zero-torque putters and more
Father's Day Gift Guide, Titleist alignment aids, TaylorMade zero-torque putters and more In this Get Equipped, we bring you Golfweek's 2025 Father's Day Gift Guide, new Titleist alignment aid balls and zero-torque TaylorMade putters. Not to look past this week's RBC Canadian Open, but next week, the game's best male players — along with some hearty souls who went through qualifying — will descend on Oakmont Country Club for the 125th U.S. Open. The course is insanely hard. It's long, the rough is thick, and the greens are diabolically fast. In case you've forgotten, Dustin Johnson won at Oakmont in 2016 with a score of 4 under, and Angel Cabrera won at Oakmont in 2007 at 5 over. Distance off the tee and driving accuracy will be important, but everyone in the field is going to miss greens, which means that wedge play will be critical. Pros often put new wedges in play at the Masters, having played a practice round of two with them to make sure they like the bounce and sole configuration while keeping the grooves sharp. While summer is just arriving in many parts of the United States, given the amount of time elite golfers put into their short game, many will repeat the exercise before they arrive and compete at the U.S. Open. In two months, grooves wear down, spin rates on chip shots and pitches can decrease, and control can be sacrificed. If you want to win a U.S. Open, that can't happen. On the other hand, some recreational golfers will use the same sand wedge and lob wedge for years and wonder why they can't make a chip shot spin or check up quickly at their local course. If you play 25 to 30 rounds a year and don't practice often, you can probably get two seasons out of a sand wedge or lob wedge before groove deterioration will rob you of enough spin to lower performance. The more you play and the more you use those clubs, however, the quicker the grooves can wear out. There are lots of great wedges out there now, from brands like Callaway, Cleveland, Cobra, Mizuno, PXG, Ping, TaylorMade, Titleist, Tour Edge and Wilson. If you're still carrying a 56, 58 or 60-degree wedge that was in your bag before the COVID-19 pandemic started, talk with a good custom fitter about new wedges and get ready to see your short game come back to life.
Daily Record
5 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Record
What 18 elite golf stars think of Oakmont as brutal 125th US Open venue set to be nastier than ever
Commentary past and present offers insight into brutal test of the 125th US Open Brutal. Arduous and the toughest test in golf. The 125th US Open at Oakmont promises to be another week to break games and minds. Sam Snead once quipped that he tried to mark his ball with a coin on one of the course's infamous marble-top greens and it slid off. No first cut from tightened fairways into juicy rough as high as five inches where a shoe could be lost and a track which has been lengthened again make for a typically-imposing test at the 10th staging of the event at the course. Angel Cabrera's winning score at the 2007 US Open at Oakmont was five-over par and, although Dustin Johnston finished at four-under when coming out on top the last time, course alterations made ahead of this year's showpiece mean that's highly-unlikely to be bettered in 2025. It takes an exceptional talent to get it done. Since the Second World War, all six champions at Oakmont, Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus, Johnny Miller, Larry Nelson, Ernie Els and Angel Cabrera, have won more than a single Major with a combined total of 34. At the 2016 US Open, 14 of the 18 holes averaged over par. Oakmont's par-three eighth is being lined-up to play at over 300 yards. It's a daunting test and, from the past and the present, the biggest names in the game haven't hidden their feelings on the severity of the challenge and Record Sport has taken a look at some of the best. Open champion Xander Schauffele has heard this year's whispers: 'I've heard Oakmont is, from several players, the hardest course they've ever played. "Just it's long and the rough is impossible and you can end up hitting 50-yard pitches trying to get up-and-down for par on every hole, something of that nature.' Masters winner Bubba Watson during the 2007 slog: 'It's a real test of golf, all the way through. Just walking through the parking lot is tough.' Viktor Hovland on the par three eighth hole in 2025: 'I just think all the best par threes are under 200. As soon as you start to take head covers off on par threes, I just think it gets a little silly.' Rory McIlroy on his feelings ahead 2016 challenge: 'It's definitely not excitement. You know you're going to be put under a lot of pressure on basically every single shot. You have to be prepared for how mentally demanding it's going to be, how much concentration you're going to need out there. It's the toughest test in golf and you know that.' Ian Poulter after a gruesome Friday in 2007: 'There is no point bitching and moaning that it is a difficult golf course because it is a tough golf course and it is not supposed to be easy.' Former US Open champ Jordan Spieth: 'I know that if you win a US Open at Oakmont, you can go ahead and say that you've conquered the hardest test in all of golf because this is arguably the hardest course in America day-to-day,' Ryder Cup star and McIlroy's putting coach Brad Faxon: 'I always say the three hardest courses in America start with Oak. Oakmont, Oakland Hills and Oak Hill. But Oakmont is above and beyond the hardest course I've ever played.' Lee Trevino past statement on the brutal nature of the test: 'There's only one course in the country where you could step out right now, right now, and play the US Open and that's Oakmont.' Justin Thomas after a visit for a 2025 practice round: 'I actually went to Oakmont. It's still tough. I would say all of the rumours and everything are pretty on point.' Tiger Woods ahead of his task in 2007: 'That golf course is going to be one of the toughest tests that we've ever played in a US Open, especially if it's dry, it will be unreal because those greens are so severe. It's a great test. Overall, I'd say it's a lot harder than Augusta National.' Phil Mickelson ahead of his 2016 bid: 'I love a quote that Stephen Hawking says: Intelligence is the ability to adapt to change. The hardest course we've ever played.' Shane Lowry recounts his first visit: 'My coach was with me and we teed off on the 10th. We got around to the 14th, which is up beside the clubhouse, and I walked in. And I sat there in the locker room going, I have no idea how I'm going to play golf around this place.' Jack Nicklaus on the par three eighth in 2025: 'Well that's crazy. But that's what they do. I think it's a very difficult thing to have a hole where you're standing back hitting a wood at a par three.'Sergio Garcia during his title chase nine years ago: 'It's definitely the toughest golf course I've ever played. There's no doubt about that. We know how difficult the US Open is and, here at Oakmont, it's even tougher. Physically, at the end, I could feel my legs tightening up a little bit.' Bryson DeChambeau on the length of the track: 'It's a bomber's paradise, so, hopefully, I can drive it well again and putt well and give myself a good chance.' Justin Rose on his last visit to Oakmont US Open: 'I remember it being a classic old course, incredibly difficult, bunkers being amazingly deep. Ball striking is at a premium like most US Opens. Obviously there has been some varying set ups of late in the US Open, but this is back to the traditional type golf course.' Colin Montgomerie, who lost an Oakmont play-off in 1994, gave his assessment to Sky in 2016: 'This place is probably the most difficult ofthe US Open courses and the USGA pride themselves in making this the hardest test of them all. We have to remember that, when Angel Cabrera won here last time, the winning score was five over and only six players broke 10 over all week.' Ernie Els, who won in 1994 win at Oakmont: 'It's a magnificent golf course, definitely in my all-time top three in the world. But it's incredibly tough, it's the ultimate examination of your game.'
Newsweek
27-05-2025
- Sport
- Newsweek
The Irony of Angel Cabrera's Jailbird Win at Sr PGA Championship is Unreal
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Angel Cabrera's return to professional golf has been nothing short of legendary. In less than two years since his release from prison, he has become a two-time Senior Major Champion and a three-time winner on the PGA Tour Champions. However, the Argentine has much more to add to his legend. He achieved both victories at the Regions Tradition and the Senior PGA Championship using an Odyssey Jailbird putter. The analogy to his history with law enforcement is impossible not to draw. Angel Cabrera has won back-to-back senior majors putting with the Odyssey Jailbird. You can't make this stuff up! — Adam Schupak (@AdamSchupak) May 26, 2025 The truth is, the evocative putter has worked wonders for Cabrera. He averages 1.7 putts per green reached within regulations (5th on the Senior Tour) and 1.3 (3rd) for all holes, during the 2025 season. He also averages 28.81 putts per round (26th). The two-time major and senior major champion won the Regions Tradition with a score of 20-under and the Senior PGA Championship with a score of 8-under, just one week later. This made him the first player to win senior major championships in consecutive weeks. The Odyssey Jailbird putter has become one of the most talked-about clubs in golf, thanks to its breakout success on the PGA Tour and its unique design. Known for its extra-long grip (up to 38-40 inches) and counterbalanced stability, the Jailbird is said to help golfers maintain a smooth, pendulum-like stroke. The original Jailbird gained fame after being used by tour pros like Wyndham Clark (2023 U.S. Open winner) and Rickie Fowler, leading to high demand for retail versions. Odyssey later released updated models, including the Jailbird 380 and Jailbird Ai-One, incorporating AI-driven face technology for even better performance. Angel Cabrera of Argentina hits a putt on the 14th hole during the final round of the Senior PGA Championship 2025 at Congressional Country Club on May 25, 2025 in Bethesda, Maryland. Angel Cabrera of Argentina hits a putt on the 14th hole during the final round of the Senior PGA Championship 2025 at Congressional Country Club on May 25, 2025 in Bethesda, Cabrera doesn't talk much about the subject, he hasn't shied away from discussing his time in prison. After his victory at the Senior PGA Championship, he indirectly referenced the matter, sharing how he felt at the time. "I feel very emotional," he said. "Maybe you cannot see but I'm very, very emotional inside, especially after all the things that I went through. I can't believe that I made it but I'm here and very happy of myself." Angel Cabrera served a prison sentence in his native Argentina for domestic violence. His legal situation worsened before his trial, when he left the country without authorization and was arrested abroad by Interpol. The 55-year-old was released at the end of 2023 and managed to return to the PGA Tour Champions just a few months later. After a modest 2024, his extraordinary talent has fully blossomed this season. More Golf: US Open Champ Drops a Bomb, Claims Players Cheat USGA Driver Tests
Independent Singapore
27-05-2025
- General
- Independent Singapore
From prison to victories: Angel Cabrera wins Senior PGA Championship for his second major title in a week
Angel Cabrera impressively won two senior major golf tournaments in a span of one week. The 55-year-old athlete pulled ahead at the 85th Senior PGA Championship by shooting a 3-under 69 at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Maryland. He won by one shot over Padraig Harrington and Thomas Bjorn. Moreover, Cabrera also picked up his first senior major by winning the rain-delayed Regions Tradition in Alabama. He is now the fifth player since 1990 to win the first two senior majors of the year, and he was the first one to achieve it back-to-back. With his success, the athlete said, 'I feel very emotional. Maybe you cannot see, but I'm very, very emotional inside, especially after all the things that I went through… I can't believe that I made it, but I'm here and very happy [with] myself.' Highlights of Cabrera's game Cabrera was tied for the lead after three rounds at the Senior PGA Championship. During the final round, he fell two shots behind when Harrington made a birdie on the 14th hole to reach 7 under. The momentum then shifted when Harrington made a double bogey on the 15th hole, giving Cabrera an advantage. Harrington bogeyed the par-4 18th after missing a short 3-foot par putt, and this mistake gave Cabrera a two-shot lead, which let him afford a bogey on the final hole and secured the win. Cabrera finished the match with a total score of 8-under 280 over four rounds. Harrington and Thomas Bjorn tied for second place. Golfers Retief Goosen, club pro Jason Caron, and Stewart Cink were one shot behind them. Cabrera's comeback The athlete spent 30 months in prison, and he had missed the prime years of her golfing career. He was released in August 2023 after serving over two years for gender violence cases involving two of his ex-girlfriends. ' I thought that I was going to fail, especially after sitting without touching a club for a while. But I've been working very, very hard, and I feel that all the hard work pays off, and this is what I'm having right now, like winning this tournament.' See also Big holes in pockets for World Cup Qatar fans In a social media post by PGA Tour Champions, it stated: 'Ángel Cabrera does it again! He's won back-to-back senior majors @SeniorPGAChamp 🏆🏆' Netizens showered praise on the player's recent win, celebrating his comeback. 'A prime example of making the most of a second chance. He deserves it 👏' one commented, while another wrote, 'Bro is undeniable. Golf runs through his veins 🤘🏻'
Irish Times
27-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
‘I was doing handstands': Pádraig Harrington blames overconfidence for Senior PGA setback
Pádraig Harrington gets straight back to business after narrowly missing out on the US Senior PGA Championship, where Argentinian Angel Cabrera scooped his second seniors Major in back-to-back weeks. The Dubliner blamed overconfidence – which included a double-bogey on the 15th and a missed putt for par on the last – in his failure to get over the line at Congressional Country Club where he ultimately finished one shy of Cabrera. Harrington – who remains on the Champions Tour for this week's Principal Charity Classic in Des Moines, Idaho – was, as he put it, 'doing handstands' in the final round where he covered the opening 12 holes in seven under to move two shots clear, only for his late stumble which denied him a second seniors Major (he won the US Senior Open in 2022). 'It's always plagued me my whole life since I've been a kid. Just get over confident and just don't [commit fully],' explained Harrington of a hooked 5-wood tee shot to the 15th which lead to a costly double bogey and halted his momentum. READ MORE 'I'm much better off in with nerves and tension,' said Harrington, adding: 'If you start off with doubt, when you feel doubt over the ball it doesn't feel so bad. If you start off confident then you feel doubt it's like a blow-up. I was just too confident. It happens,' said Harrington, who won $264,00 for sharing runner-up with Thomas Bjorn. Rory McIlroy skips Memorial tournament on PGA Tour No Rory McIlroy this week at the Memorial tournament, the latest of the $20 million signature events on the PGA Tour. McIlroy has opted to skip the Jack Nicklaus-hosted tournament at Muirfield Village – where he has played 13 times, with a best finish of tied-fourth in 2016 – and, instead, will return to action at the RBC Canada Open next week ahead of the following week's US Open at Oakmont Country Club in Pittsburgh. Shane Lowry is the sole Irish player in the field at the Memorial, while Leona Maguire is the only Irish player in the field for the US Women's Open, the second Major of the year on the LPGA Tour, which takes place at Erin Hills in Wisconsin. Maguire is looking to bounce back from a missed cut in the Mexico Open. Conor Purcell – who finished tied-49th in the Soudal Open – is also the only Irish player in the field in this week's tour stop on the DP World Tour, the Austrian Open. Word of Mouth Ben Griffin at Colonial. Photograph: Raj Mehta/Getty 'It's crazy how fast things can change in this game. Even going back to when I didn't have any status on any sort of tours, getting on to the Korn Ferry Tour. I mean, it's a bunch of stepping stones that kind of gets you to the next part of your career. Now I'm at the point where I feel like I'm starting to show that I am an elite golfer. I can compete against the best' – Ben Griffin , now a multiple winner on the PGA Tour, on turning his career around. By the Numbers: 8 There are no fewer than eight players in the field for this week's US Women's Open at Erin Hills who share the same Lee surname: Australian Minjee Lee and Americans Andrea, Jude and Sophia Lee along with four South Koreans further complicated by that fact that two of them also have the same first names. Mi Hyang Lee and Ihee Lee form the quartet of Koreans along with Jeougeun Lee5 and Jeougeun Lee6, the addition of the numbers at the end of their respective surnames differentiating the two players. On this day ... May 27th, 1979 Tom Watson in 1979. Photograph: Getty Tom Watson donned winter wooly headgear and dressed as if for an Arctic expedition in battling his way to victory in the Memorial tournament at Muirfield Village in Dublin, Ohio, for his 17th career win on the PGA Tour. A cold front hung around the area through the tournament at Jack Nicklaus's signature design course, to the point that even the Golden Bear himself figured conditions to be 'impossible' with greens reading over 17 on the stimpmeter. 'It got out of control,' admitted tournament host Nicklaus. The 36-hole cut fell at 13-over-par and, when the time came for the handing over of the trophy some Sunday, only one man – Watson – was under par. Watson defied the conditions with rounds of 73-69-71-71 for a three-under-par winning total of 285. That second round 69 was considered one of the best bad weather rounds ever played on the PGA Tour, on a day where the field averaged 78.7 and 42 of the 105 starters shot 80 or worse. 'I got out to a good start, and held on for dear life,' said Watson. Social Swing Unfortunately after failing on Monday by one shot, looks like my run of 25 consecutive US Open Championships might come to an end this year, unless a little miracle happens. Very proud of this amazing run that I had at this great Major! – Sergio Garcia now relying on a special invite from the USGA if he is to make it to the US Open at Oakmont. Good morning everyone – former mortgage broker Ben Griffin on completing his second win of the season on the PGA Tour in adding the Charles Schwab Challenge to the Zurich Classic, his second win in five starts. Course record First win on Tour Sundays don't get much better @KristofferR_98 – the DP World Tour's social media salutes Norwegian Kristoffer Reitan 's win at the Soudal Open in Belgium, his breakthrough win on the European circuit. Know the Rules Q: In stroke play, a player has interference to their stance from an immovable obstruction. They determine their nearest point of complete relief using a five iron (as that is the club he would have used had the immovable obstruction not been there) and drop the ball within one club-length of that point, no nearer the hole. The ball settles down in the rough, so the player changes club and plays the ball out on to the fairway with a sand wedge. What is the ruling? A: There is no penalty. Once the ball is dropped, it is back in play. The player must then decide what type of stroke they will make. This stroke, which includes the choice of club, may be different from the one that would have been made from the ball's original spot had the condition not been there. (Clarification Nearest Point of Complete Relief/4). In the Bag Ben Griffin – Charles Schwab Challenge Driver: Ping G430 Max 10K (9 degrees) 3-wood: TaylorMade Qi35 (15 degrees) Irons: Mizuno JPX 923 (3) , Mizuno Pro S3 (4-PW) Wedges: Mizuno Pro T1 (50 and 56 degrees) , TaylorMade MG4 (60 degrees) Putter: Scotty Cameron Concept 2 Tour Prototype Ball: Maxfli Tour X
