Masters chairman responds to Angel Cabrera controversy
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Angel Cabrera’s invite to the Masters has raised eyebrows. Now, the tournament’s chairman, Fred Ridley, has replied to questions about those concerns.
Augusta National chairman Fred Ridley has addressed the Angel Cabrera-shaped elephant in the room at the 89th Masters.
The competition committee has been criticized for inviting the Argentine, who has lifetime exemption to the tournament as a past champion, after he served a prison term for various domestic abuse charges.
An ex-girlfriend of Cabrera’s, Cecilia Torres, told the court how he “physically, psychologically, and sexually abused” her during their relationship, while another, Micaela Escudero, was another of the victim of the two-time major champion. He spent a total of two years and four months behind bars.
He was released August 2023 and cleared to play in PGA Tour-sanctioned events later that year. This, though, will be Cabrera’s first return to Augusta since his return to action.
Prior to the tournament, Ridley had described the 2009 winner as “one of our great champions”, adding: “He has been unable to participate in the Masters the last couple of years due to legal issues.
“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.”
Cabrera, meanwhile, told Golf Digest that he is “repentant and embarrassed”.
“I made serious mistakes,” he added. “I refused to listen to anyone and did what I wanted, how I wanted and when I wanted. I wasn’t the devil, but I did bad things.”
Last week, Cabrera, now 55, won his first title in more than 10 years at the James Hardie Pro Football Hall of Fame Invitational on the Champions Tour.
“Everything I’ve gone through the last few years, being here, having a chance to win, is very emotional,” he said after that win. “The Masters I’m going to be walking hole by hole, but I want to enjoy this right now.”
At the tournament he was asked how he would respond to people criticizing the decision to invite him to return to Augusta.
“I won the Masters, why not?” he replied. “Everybody has their own opinion and I respect that.
“Life has given me another opportunity, I got to take advantage of that and I want to do the right things in this second opportunity.
“Obviously I regret things that happened and you learn from them, but at the same time those are in the past and we have to look forward what’s coming.”
And while Cabrera said that Gary Player is the only other Masters champion he had spoken to – “he is always by my side” – there was also a few words of support from Adam Scott, who denied Cabrera a second Green Jacket in a playoff in 2013.
“I’m thrilled he’s going to be back joining us this year,” the Australian said. “I can’t wait to see him. It’s a happy thing for me.”
With all the negativity surrounding Cabrera’s invite this week, it was only natural that Ridley would be asked about it in his traditional pre-tournament press conference.
“Well, we certainly abhor domestic violence of any type,” he said.
“Angel has served the sentence that was prescribed by the Argentine courts, and he is the past champion, and so he was invited.”
Cabrera will get underway at 10.59am on Thursday alongside American Adam Schenk and England’s Laurie Canter.
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Angel Cabrera is playing in his first Masters since serving two years in prison.
