Ex-con Angel Cabrera set for comeback with PGA Tour Champions, granted visa
Angel Cabrera was arrested in Rio de Janeiro in 2021, after which he spent 30 months in the jails of Brazil and Argentina on the charges of domestic violence and other lesser charges. Later, Cabrera was released on August 4th, 2023, and was allowed to play in PGA Tour events in December 2023.
Since being released, the Argentine has not played on US Soil yet. However, his coach Charlie Epps believes that the situation is about to change as Cabrera secured his US visa last week and will be moving to Houston permanently. Cabrera will be making his comeback with the PGA Tour Champions.
In an interview, Epps also detailed the delay in Angel Cabrera's comeback and what prevented him from playing at the Masters in April. He said:
"That was the delay. It prevented him from competing in April in the Masters, where he is eligible as the 2009 champion, but it should pave the way for his return next year."
Further in the interview, Epps mentioned that Cabrera is dedicated to golf and is focused on making a comeback. The veteran coach pointed out that he wants his pupil to win the U.S. Senior Open. While that is a great ambition to have, it will have to wait until next year since the deadline for this year's edition has passed.
Fred Ridley called Angel Cabrera a great champion earlier this year
On the golf course, Angel Cabrera proved himself as a player on multiple occasions. While he holds 53 professional wins in total, Cabrera's biggest wins came at the 2007 US Open and the 2009 Masters Tournament. The 54-year-old announced himself with these victories.
In January 2024, Masters chairman Fred Ridley spoke about Angel Cabrera in a press conference and called him a 'great champion'. At the time, Ridley also added that Cabrera would be welcomed again if he could straighten out the legal issues that prevented him from competing.
Fred Ridley said:
"Angel certainly is one of our great champions. 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 Angel’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."
You can check out highlights of the final round of Cabrera's victory at the 2007 US Open in the video below:
Now that Angel Cabrera has received his Visa, golf fans can see him compete again. The last time Cabrera played in the United States of America was at the Pure Insurance Championship at Pebble Beach in 2020.