After 2 Years in Prison, Angel Cabrera Quietly Returned to The Masters

When Angel Cabrera finished the second round of The Masters in 2019, he almost certainly never imagined where the next few years would lead him. He didn't envision 2 years in prison in Argentina. He didn't envision he would become someone other than a beloved golf legend.

Cabrera's personal mistakes caught up with him though, and all the things he couldn't have imagined became real. And after those five years away from Augusta National, he was back this week, with a new outlook on who he needs to be.

"Life has given me another opportunity. I got to take advantage of that," Cabrera said, speaking in Spanish during a media gathering earlier this week. "There was a stage in my life of five years - four, five years - that they weren't the right things I should have done. Before that, I was OK."

Cabrera won the Masters in 2009, and his home nation celebrated "El Pato" for weeks. But 12 years later, Cabrera was accused of threatening a former partner, and landed himself in prison. An ex-girlfriend accused him of threatening her as well, and he pleaded guilty to those charges. That left him with a sentence of just under 4 years.

"Obviously I regret things that happened and you learn from them," Cabrera said, "but at the same time, those are in the past and we have to look forward to what’s coming."

Golf was still his love, and he worked his way back to the Champions Tour, and ultimately back to this year's Masters. Augusta National Chairman Fred Ridley said Cabrera has served his time, and as a past champion still had his invitation.

"We certainly abhor domestic violence of any type," Ridley said this week. "As it relates to Angel, Angel has served the sentence that was prescribed by the Argentine courts and he was a past champion, so he was invited."

At 55 years old, Cabrera certainly isn't the same golfer he was in his heyday. He shot a respectable 75 on Thursday, before struggling to an 80 on Friday. He won't make the cut for the weekend.

But his trademark waddle felt like it belonged on the course this week.