AUGUSTA, Ga. — Fred Ridley’s shortest answer in an hour-long news conference Wednesday checked in at 37 words. The Augusta National chairman was asked about the club’s decision to allow 2009 winner Ángel Cabrera back to compete as a past champion.
Ridley knew the question was coming, and knew his answer before he said it.
“Well, we certainly abhor domestic violence of any type,” he replied. “As it relates to Ángel, Ángel has served the sentence that was prescribed by the Argentine courts, and he is the past champion, and so he was invited.”
Unfettered by awkward air or outside criticism, Augusta National is welcoming Cabrera back for the 2025 Masters. He attended Tuesday night’s past champion’s dinner on the second floor of the Augusta National clubhouse, wearing a yellow tie with his green jacket and standing between Mike Weir and Hideki Matsuyama for a group portrait. He participated in Wednesday’s family-oriented Par-3 Contest, shooting a 4-over 31 on nine holes. He will tee off in Thursday’s first round at 10:59 a.m. ET with Adam Schenk and Laurie Canter.
The return is a long time coming for Cabrera. It’s also open to interpretation and attack.
Sixteen years ago, Cabrera was the paunchy Argentinian plodding around Augusta, smiling, throwing carefree fist pumps through the air, erasing a two-shot deficit with four holes to go. In a playoff with Kenny Perry and Chad Campbell, the 39-year-old Cabrera watched wide-eyed as a punch shot from the woods found a heaven-sent ricochet off a tree and into the fairway. He won the playoff and slipped on a 46 regular green jacket.
Today, Cabrera is 55 years old and 20 months removed from a 30-month prison stint. The two-time major champion spent time in three different jails for domestic violence.
Among the original charges, his ex-wife detailed physical assault and verbal threats occurring between 2016 and 2018. In subsequent charges, two ex-girlfriends made similar claims, including one saying Cabrera locked her in a closet and struck her with a cell phone. At trial in 2021, Cabrera adamantly denied allegations against him.
Cabrera’s messaging changed after being released from an Argentine prison in August 2023. In a lengthy, revealing Q&A with Golf Digest, Cabrera detailed lifelong issues with alcoholism, admitted to abusing ex-partners and apologized.
“I am repentant and embarrassed,” Cabrera told Golf Digest. “I made serious mistakes. I refused to listen to anyone and did what I wanted, how I wanted and when I wanted. That was wrong. I ask Micaela for forgiveness. I ask Celia for forgiveness. They had the bad luck of crossing paths with me when I was at my worst. I wasn’t the devil, but I did bad things.”
Angel Cabrera spent 30 months in prison for domestic violence. (Harry How / Getty Images)
Cabrera was cleared to play in PGA Tour-sanctioned events in December 2023. Ever since, he’s continued his professional playing career inconspicuously on the senior tours in the U.S. and Europe, earning nearly $400,000 on the PGA Tour Champions. Last week, three events into his 2025 season, Cabrera won the James Hardie Pro Football Hall of Fame Invitational, edging out K.J. Choi and Retief Goosen.
Coming to Augusta, however, is anything but inconspicuous.
The Masters is an invitational tournament. While all past champions are exempt from qualifying, it’s always at Augusta National’s discretion who competes. Some past champions have been lightly nudged to discontinue playing when they can no longer reasonably make it around the course with an appropriate score. In March, Fred Couples said he was blissfully relieved to hear Steve Ethun, the Masters Chief Tournament Officer, tell him the club wants him to continue playing.
In no way is Augusta morally or contractually obligated to allow Cabrera to play. It is a choice. In January 2024, Ridley called Cabrera “one of our great champions.” He didn’t play in the 2024 Masters because of visa issues.
Some will say Cabrera served his time. Others will argue Cabrera surrendered his right to be honored — which is the entire point of allowing past champions to play — once he committed acts of domestic violence.
Cabrera? He half-shrugged.
It was after a Tuesday practice round. Cabrera, wearing a graying beard, addressed reporters behind the Augusta clubhouse. When asked, what would you say to the people that maybe think you shouldn’t be here? Cabrera pushed his shoulders up and responded, “I respect their opinion and everybody has their own opinion and I respect that.”
Cabrera fielded 16 questions in English, answering via a Spanish interpreter. Short, simple answers.
“Life has given me another opportunity,” he said. “I got to take advantage of that and I want to do the right things in this second opportunity.”
“There was a stage in my life of five years, four, five years, that they weren’t the right things I should have done,” he said. “Before that I was okay, so I just have to keep doing what I know I can do right.”
On Wednesday, The Athletic asked Augusta National if any policy or behavioral standard exists that could exclude a past champion from competing. The club had no comment, referring only to Ridley’s quote earlier in the day.
On the outside, criticism will persist. It remains to be seen how Augusta National’s broadcast partners handle the storyline, whether ESPN and CBS delve into the circumstances surrounding Cabrera’s return. CBS color commentator Trevor Immelman, the 2008 Masters champion, was the man who slipped the green jacket upon Cabrera’s shoulders after the 2009 tournament. Neither network responded to requests for comment on the matter.
All that’s known for sure is Thursday will assuredly come with a pleasant round of applause when Cabrera is introduced on the opening tee. Just like all of the 19 past champions in the field.
(Top photo: Richard Heathcote / Getty Images)