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Augusta National has been spared a visit from past champion Angel Cabrera at next month’s Masters after he was denied a visa to enter the United States following his time spent in prison for domestic violence.
The 54-year-old was released last August after more than two years of incarceration, most recently in Monte Cristo, the minimum security institution near his home city of Cordoba in Argentina.
Despite his crimes, the two-time major winner immediately signalled his intent to return to competition and played in a US Seniors Tour event in Morocco last months ago, where he finished 27th.
The next target for Cabrera – who won the 2007 US Open before donning the green jacket two years later – was Augusta, with the club’s chairman, Fred Ridley saying he would be warmly greeted at the Champion’s Dinner on the Tuesday and then in tournament.
“Angel 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.
“He presently is not able to enter the United States. He doesn’t have a visa, and… we certainly wish him the best of luck with that. We’ll definitely welcome him back if he’s able to straighten out those legal issues.”
In truth, there would have been a sharp inhale of breath at the National when the powers-that-be turned down his application. “He will not be at The Masters,” Cabrera’s longtime agent, Manuel Tagle, told Golfweek on Wednesday. The final decision on the visa will take no less than 8 to 10 weeks.”
Cabrera’s legal troubles date back to 2016. Over a period of about four years, allegations by ex-wife Silva Rivadero of physical assault and verbal threats, and by two ex-girlfriends – Micaela Escudero, of domestic violence, and Cecilia Torres Mana, who accused Cabrera of being verbally and physically abusive – led to apprehension to police before being bailed to appear in court.
But in August 2020, Cabrera flew to the Senior Players Championship in Akron, Ohio, without giving authorities notice. This triggered a Red Notice issued by Interpol and he was arrested in Brazil in January 2021. Cabrera then served nearly five months in the notorious Plácido de Sá Carvalho prison in Rio before being extradited to Argentina.
Tiger Woods is listed in the field – currently standing at 85 players – but the five-time winner has yet to commit officially.
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