Latest news with #ÁngelCabrera
Epoch Times
26-05-2025
- Climate
- Epoch Times
Cabrera Conquers Congressional, Wins Second Major Championship in 6 Days
BETHESDA, Md.—Ángel Cabrera took home the trophy from the Senior PGA Championship at Congressional Country Club outside of Washington on May 25, becoming the first golfer to win two major tournaments in the same week. 'I'm just so proud and so happy,' Cabrera told The Epoch Times after he won. 'Honestly, this really means a lot to me.' He also emerged victorious on Monday at the Regions Traditions—one of the five recognized majors on the Champions Tour—at Greystone Golf and Country Club in Alabama. The most recent tournament came down to the wire, with Cabrera, in the last grouping, clinching the win on his final putt. Holding a two-shot lead on the final hole, the par-four 18th, his drive drifted right and landed beyond the cart path with a poor lie that was half grass, half mud. A tree obstructed Cabrera's line of flight, the long, undulating green was guarded by a water hazard on the left and bunkers on the right, and the hole was cut in the back, making the approach perilous. Related Stories 5/23/2025 5/20/2025 Without a moment of hesitation, he surveyed the situation, staring down the most consequential shot of the tournament, swung his club, and lofted the ball high over the tree, landing it safely on the front of the green. Three putts later, he was lofting the trophy. Cabrera battled rough conditions all four days, with rain on Thursday and windy conditions throughout the tournament. 'It was tough out there,' he said. 'The course played hard.' Several players told The Epoch Times over the course of the week that the greens were challenging, the course was difficult, and the weather made it even harder to score low. 'It was really coming down out there,' Clark Dennis, a longtime professional now on the Legends Tour with seven wins worldwide, said of the heavy rains that fell as he was playing the 12th hole on Thursday. 'I was trying to put my gear on to stay dry and warm, and the wind was just howling.' Four golfers, including Cabrera, began the final day with a share of the lead at five-under par. The 55-year-old from Argentina—winner of the 2007 U.S. Open and the Masters in 2009—had a rocky start, bogeying the second and fourth holes, but he sandwiched the two with a birdie on the third. Ángel Cabrera considers his options before taking his second shot on the 18th hole at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Md., during the final round of the Senior PGA Championship, on May 25, 2025. Travis Gillmore/The Epoch Times He then blasted a driver on the par-five sixth hole, while his playing partner Retief Goosen and many other golfers opted for a safer three-wood off the tee to take a hazard out of play. The decision set Cabrera up to reach the green in two shots, and he made the putt for eagle. He then drove the green on the par-four sixth hole and made birdie. Cabrera finished with a three-under 69 on Sunday, taking his total to eight-under for the week and notching his third win of the season. Padraig Harrington and Thomas Bjorn tied for second, one stroke behind. Harrington was cruising at seven-under for the day and held a three-shot lead with four holes to play. But he ran into trouble on the par-five 15th hole and carded a double bogey after hitting his drive into thick fescue. A four-foot putt for par on the 18th green that he missed after lingering over for several minutes proved his undoing. The 380-acre setting for the drama, the historic Congressional Club, is known as one of the most prestigious in the country, renowned for its history and elite membership. It was founded in 1921 by Indiana Republican congressmen Oscar E. Bland and O.R. Luhring. Former Presidents Herbert Hoover, William H. Taft, Woodrow Wilson, Warren G. Harding, and Calvin Coolidge were all founding members, as were John D. Rockefeller and Walter Chrysler, among others. In the past, the club was seen as a nexus of prestige and Built in the style of a Spanish Colonial villa, the expansive clubhouse is the largest in the nation, with an indoor pool, bowling alley, ballroom, guest rooms, and multiple dining venues. The clubhouse at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Md., as seen during the second round of the Senior PGA Championship on May 23, 2025. Travis Gillmore/The Epoch Times Outdoor pools and terraces sport views overlooking the immaculately kept grounds. The hallowed halls, lined with memorabilia and historical documents, double as a national museum. Autographed photos of Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, and other golfers are interspersed with presidential signatures from Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, and Gerald Ford. Five more professional tournaments are planned for the venue, including the women's PGA Championship in 2027 and the men's PGA Championship in 2029. The Ryder Cup is coming to Congressional in 2036.
Washington Post
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Washington Post
Padraig Harrington, a mental blip and the maddening game of golf
When it comes to the Senior PGA Championship, which concluded on a gorgeous Sunday at brawny Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Maryland, let's concentrate on a topic that relates to the everyman and steer clear of the unthinkable. Let's consider the words of Padraig Harrington, the three-time major champion who played beautiful golf until it turned ugly. Let's focus less on Ángel Cabrera, the two-time major champion who won the event but is a multiple-time domestic violence offender who spent 30 months in prison.
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
How a Masters champion returned from South American prison to play at Augusta National again
AUGUSTA, Ga. — Sixteen years after reaping the benefit of the most fortunate ricochet ever to occur in the Masters, Ángel Cabrera is back in Augusta. No player in Masters history has had a more circuitous — or more controversial — route from his green jacket ceremony back to the first tee, a route that's included violent crime, arrests, imprisonment and, now, a plea for redemption. Born in 1969 to a blue-collar family in Argentina, Cabrera learned the game of golf on public courses, joining the European Tour in 1996. During the decade of the 2000s, he ascended to golf's summit, reaching No. 9 in the world in 2005 and defeating Tiger Woods and Jim Furyk by a shot to win the 2007 U.S. Open. Advertisement Dubbed 'El Pato' — 'the duck' — for his distinctive walk and swing, Cabrera's defining moment on the course came at the Masters in 2009, when he and Kenny Perry dueled in a sudden-death playoff. Cabrera's second shot on the first playoff hole screamed into the trees … and ricocheted back into the middle of the fairway. He would go on to defeat Perry on the very next playoff hole, claiming his second major and first green jacket. Cabrera fought his way into another Masters playoff four years later, but fell to Adam Scott. He struggled to follow up his Masters triumph, winning only once more — in 2014 at the Greenbrier — before his demons consumed him. Advertisement 'I struggled to compete with the younger players on the PGA Tour, and a nagging shoulder injury made it difficult for me to play the way I wanted to,' Cabrera told Golf Digest in 2023. 'When I realized I couldn't win, I started to lose interest. I was OK while I was competing, but whenever I returned to Cordoba, my life would unravel, and I'd end up hanging out in the wrong places with the wrong people.' In 2016, his ex-wife Silva Rivadero charged that Cabrera had attacked her both physically and verbally; two other ex-girlfriends later leveled the same charge. Four years later, while facing a mandatory court appearance in Argentina, Cabrera instead left the country and traveled to Akron, Ohio, for a PGA Tour Champions tournament. Angel Cabrera of Argentina celebrates during the green jacket presentation after defeating Kenny Perry on the second sudden death playoff hole to win the 2009 Masters Tournament. () (David Cannon via Getty Images) That unwise move triggered Interpol's 'Red Notice,' making him an international fugitive, and in January 2021 Brazilian officials arrested him in Rio de Janeiro. Brazil imprisoned him in Plácido de Sá Carvalho penitentiary for nearly five months due to COVID-related processing delays. Advertisement 'Bad place,' Cabrera's former swing coach Charlie Epps told Golfweek in 2021. 'He got beat up. They didn't care that he was Ángel Cabrera. I had a lot of people approach me that they could get him out for $100,000 or this and that.' After holding him for several month, Brazil extradited Cabrera to Argentina, where he faced charges of assault against his former girlfriend Cecilia Torres Mana, theft, illegal intimidation and repeated disrespect to authorities. Cabrera remained a hero to many in Argentina; his supporters protested in support of his release in his hometown of Villa Allende, and noted his substantial contributions to charity were evidence of his true character. During his trial in Argentina, Cabrera wore pandemic-era masks inscribed with his initials, as well as a jacket with a Presidents Cup logo, a not-so-subtle reminder that he wasn't just an everyday defendant. Advertisement None of the efforts on Cabrera's behalf were enough to sway the court. He was found guilty of assault against Torres Mana, and immediately began serving a two-year sentence in Argentina's gang-ridden Carcel de Bouwer. Throughout the trial and beyond, Cabrera professed his innocence, but prosecutors at the time contended that Torres Mana was only one of Cabrera's victims. 'His situation is much more complex than this, he has other charges for which there are arrest warrants too,' prosecutor Laura Battistelli said shortly after the verdict was rendered. 'There are other victims.' Once Cabrera was behind bars, Torres Mana published a dramatic account of her relationship with Cabrera, which lasted from 2016 to 2018. During that time, Torres Mana wrote, Cabrera 'physically, psychologically and sexually abused' her. Their relationship transformed from one of jealousy to possession, and from there to criminal misconduct. Advertisement 'I couldn't go to the supermarket or the gym. Ángel always believed I was going to be with another man. He followed me and took my cell phone,' Torres Mana wrote. 'He made me do very kinky things and hit me if I refused. If Ángel was with his friends in a meeting, I had to be in the bedroom without an internet connection. It was very humiliating.' Angel Cabrera is seen during a hearing as part of his trial for "gender violence and theft" in Cordoba, Argentina on July 7, 2021. () (DIEGO LIMA via Getty Images) Torres Mana escaped from Cabrera while they were on a trip to Houston; as he slept, she snuck out of their room and caught a flight back to Argentina. He had threatened her with reprisals if she reported him, Torres Mana said, but her escape gave her the strength she needed to come forward. Cabrera would spend 18 months in Carcel de Bouwer. Although Bouwer has a reputation as 'The Prison from Hell,' Cabrera later indicated that he had a better experience there than in Brazil. 'The people in prison with me, they were mostly older people and educated and so it was a relatively OK environment. It wasn't a dangerous one.' Gary Player, John Daly, Ernie Els, Retief Goosen, K.J. Choi and Pat Perez all reached out to Cabrera, and he occasionally spent his days practicing his golf swing with a broomstick. Advertisement In November 2022, he again stood trial, this time for the assault of another former girlfriend, Micaela Escudero. However, at the Escudero trial Cabrera was penitent and reflective, saying 'Many say prison is bad, but it's not the case, prison has done me good.' He was sentenced to another two-year, four-month term, to be served concurrently with his existing sentence. Soon afterward, after months of therapy and good behavior, Cabrera was transferred to Monte Cristo, a minimum-security prison, for the final seven months of his sentence. There, he was permitted the use of a cell phone, and even received day passes to leave the prison for short stints. He was released in August 2023, and his only statement was a single line to Golf Digest through his manager: 'I just want to go home, be with my family and start a new phase of my life.' Cabrera began preparing for a return to professional golf, even intending to play the 2024 Masters, as is the right of all past champions. He spoke infrequently, but when he did, he expressed remorse for his past actions. 'I am repentant and embarrassed,' Cabrera told Golf Digest in 2023. 'I made serious mistakes. I refused to listen to anyone and did what I wanted, how I wanted and when I wanted. That was wrong. I ask Micaela for forgiveness. I ask Celia for forgiveness. They had the bad luck of crossing paths with me when I was at my worst. I wasn't the devil, but I did bad things.' Advertisement Several past major champions have been notable by their absence from Augusta National in recent years, including Phil Mickelson in 2022 and Greg Norman in 2023. But once Cabrera paid his debt to Argentine society, Augusta National indicated its doors remained open to him. In January 2024, during the Latin America Amateur Championship in Panama, Masters chairman Fred Ridley expressed support for Cabrera. 'Ángel certainly is one of our great champions,' Ridley said. 'As we all know, he has been unable to participate in the Masters the last couple of years due to legal issues. Presently, we have been in constant contact with Ángel's representatives. He presently is not able to enter the United States. He doesn't have a visa, and I know that that process is being worked through. We certainly wish him the best of luck with that, and we'll definitely welcome him back if he's able to straighten out those legal issues.' For 2024, Cabrera was not able to secure the necessary approvals in time to obtain a visa to play in the Masters. However, he did manage to compete in 12 Champions events, notching two top-5 finishes and winnings of $391,823. After an unspectacular start to 2025 — two events, total earnings of $35,068.33 — Cabrera stunned the golf world Sunday with a two-stroke victory in the inaugural James Hardie Pro Football Hall of Fame Invitational in Boca Raton, Florida. The victory marked Cabrera's first win anywhere in the world in 11 years. Ángel Cabrera holds the James Hardie Pro-Football Hall of Fame Invitational 2025 Trophy after winning the event in Boca Raton, Florida. () (Rich Storry via Getty Images) 'I regret everything that I have done wrongly in my past,' Cabrera recently told the Daily Mail. ' 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, not being able to have freedom. The lack of freedom is something really difficult, really hard.' Advertisement So far, no players have spoken up against Cabrera's return to the course, and there have been no public protests about his return. He told the Daily Mail that he experienced a warm welcome from his contemporaries when he returned to the Champions tour. 'I can tell you that the most important thing I feel right now is the second chance,' Cabrera said, 'the opportunity to get back on the right track.' Cabrera will likely be present at the Champions Dinner on Tuesday night for the first time since 2019. And from there, he'll have the opportunity for at least two more tee times at the course that once embraced him.
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Ángel Cabrera wins for the first time after release from prison on the PGA Tour Champions, ending 10-year drought
After almost 4,000 days, and a stint in an Argentine prison, Ángel Cabrera is back in the winner's circle in a PGA Tour-sanctioned event. Cabrera posted a 1-under 71 to win the inaugural James Hardie Pro Football Hall of Fame Invitational by two strokes on Sunday in Boca Raton, Florida. The win on the PGA Tour Champions marks Cabrera's first anywhere in nearly 11 years. Ángel Cabrera's winning moment 🏆The 2-time major champion now has full status through 2026.@JamesHardieInv — PGA TOUR Champions (@ChampionsTour) April 6, 2025 Cabrera won three times in his career on the PGA Tour, including at the 2007 U.S. Open when he edged out Tiger Woods and Jim Furyk at Oakmont. He won the Masters two years later in a playoff, and his last win came at The Greenbrier Classic in 2014. Cabrera's career, however, was completely derailed after horrific allegations of domestic violence were levied against him by former girlfriends. He spent time in prison in Brazil before he was extradited to his native Argentina, where he stood trial and was sentenced to nearly four years in prison on domestic violence charges. Cabrera was then sent to Argentina's infamous Carcel de Bouwer prison, which has earned the nickname, "El Penal del Infierno," or "the prison of hell." He was released on parole in August 2023, and he was cleared to return to PGA Tour-sanctioned events later that year. "I refused to listen to anyone and did what I wanted, how I wanted and when I wanted," Cabrera told Golf Digest shortly after he was released. "That was wrong. I ask Micaela for forgiveness. I ask Celia for forgiveness. They had the bad luck of being with me when I was at my worst. I wasn't the devil, but I did bad things. "I am deeply embarrassed because I disappointed the people closest to me — and everyone who loves me through golf. Golf gave me everything, and I know I will never be able to repay the debt I owe this sport." Cabrera, now 55, has made 26 starts on the Tour's senior circuit. He only made it into the event this week, which is just his second of the season, after Mark Hensby withdrew. His win on Sunday now gives him full status on the PGA Tour Champions through 2026. Cabrera will now head to Augusta National next week to play in what will be his first Masters since 2019. Though he lost in a playoff in 2013, Cabrera has missed the cut in four of his last six starts at that major. Still, with a win under his belt again, Cabrera is headed back to the Masters on a career high note he's not experienced in more than a decade.
Boston Globe
07-04-2025
- Sport
- Boston Globe
Two-time golf major champion Angel Cabrera wins for the first time since spending two years in prison
'Everything I've gone through the last few years, being here, having a chance to win, is very emotional,' Cabrera said after he won. Advertisement What a response by Ángel Cabrera! He leads by one with one to play. — PGA TOUR Champions (@ChampionsTour) Cabrera, who won the 2007 US Open at Oakmont and the 2009 Masters in a playoff, was sentenced in July 2021 to two years in prison for threats and harassment of Cecilia Torres Mana, his partner between 2016 and 2018. In November 2022, he also was on trial for threats and harassment against Micaela Escudero, another of his ex-girlfriends. Cabrera pleaded guilty; the court made the two sentences concurrent and gave him three years and 10 months in prison. In a lengthy interview with Golf Digest in the months after he was released on parole, Cabrera said he was embarrassed by his behavior and asked his former partners for forgiveness. 'I am repentant and embarrassed,' Cabrera said. 'I made serious mistakes. I refused to listen to anyone and did what I wanted, how I wanted and when I wanted. That was wrong. I ask Micaela for forgiveness. I ask Celia for forgiveness. They had the bad luck of crossing paths with me when I was at my worst. I wasn't the devil, but I did bad things.' Advertisement The victory means Cabrera is fully exempt on the 50-and-older circuit through 2026, and he goes to the Masters on a high note. 'I can't wait to see him,' Adam Scott said Sunday at Augusta National. 'It's a happy thing for me. We've got a fairly long history. I first met him on the European Tour before we both were on the PGA Tour. We've played Presidents Cups, we've been partners.' Scott won the 2013 Masters in a playoff against Cabrera. 'I'm thrilled he's going to be back joining us this year,' he said. Cabrera had played only twice on the PGA Tour Champions this year and got in this tournament at the last minute when Mark Hensby withdrew. He was tied with K.J. Choi until a birdie on the 17th hole, and he safely found the 18th green for a two-putt par from 18 feet as Choi finished with a double bogey. Cabrera won $330,000 for the victory, his first on the PGA Tour Champions. Cabrera 'The lack of freedom is something really difficult, really hard,' he said. '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.' Advertisement
