Former Masters champion Angel Cabrera is heading back to Augusta National in 2025, marking a dramatic return after serving prison time for domestic violence.
The 54-year-old Argentine, nicknamed ‘El Pato’ (The Duck), hasn’t played at the Masters since 2019. What happened in between is a story of personal downfall and, now, potential redemption.
Cabrera spent two and a half years behind bars after being convicted of assaulting and intimidating two former partners. The charges dated back to 2016, but it wasn’t until 2021 that he was finally arrested in Rio de Janeiro.
His time was split between three prisons, including one nicknamed “The Prison From Hell.” But Cabrera says it wasn’t as bad as it sounds.
“The people in prison with me were mostly older and educated,” he told the Daily Mail. “It was a relatively okay environment.”
Now he’s got a second chance at Augusta, where he made history in 2009 as the first South American to win the Green Jacket. That victory came in dramatic fashion, with Cabrera winning a three-way playoff against Chad Campbell and Kenny Perry.
Augusta National’s chairman Fred Ridley has welcomed Cabrera’s return. “Angel is one of our great champions,” Ridley said last year, noting that only visa issues kept Cabrera from competing in 2024.
Those visa problems are now sorted out, clearing the way for his comeback.
“Right now, I’m fine,” Cabrera says. “But I regret everything that I have done wrongly in my past. I dumped very, very important years of my life. I made mistakes.”
He’s already showing signs of getting his game back. Since his release, Cabrera has played well on the senior circuit, including:
– 5th place at the Senior Open Championship
– 4th at the SAS Championship
– 9th at PGA Tour Champions Q-School
He even won a Legends Tour event in Europe last summer, beating James Kingston in match play.
“The most important thing I feel right now is the second chance,” Cabrera says. “The opportunity to get back on the right track.”
His return to Augusta next year will be his 21st Masters appearance – and perhaps his most meaningful yet.
