When the delectable Tapas y Pintxos is served at The Champions Dinner at Augusta on Tuesday evening, Spaniard Jon Rahm can be toasted by an elite group of champions.
A convention began by Ben Hogan in 1952 at Augusta, the previous Masters winners in attendance will take pleasure in a alternative of ham and cured pork loin, cheese and black truffle, a Spanish omelette, a spicy Basque chorizo and potato dish, Mama Rahm’s basic lentil stew and creamy hen fritters.
And that’s earlier than the primary course arrives. Rahm’s Spanish-influenced menu carries a variety of dishes match for a King however not, as a result of discretion of US immigration officers, for a convict.
However duck will not be on Rahm’s menu and nor will the Spaniard be dealing with Angel “The Duck” Cabrera in his Masters defence.
Of the 17 former champions who opted in opposition to taking on an exemption to play within the 2024 Masters starting on Thursday, 2009 winner Cabrera had no alternative within the matter.
Simply over eight months after being launched from an Argentinian jail, it’s sure Cabrera would like to be tucking into the crab salad, ribeye and asparagus on provide as mains on Tuesday evening.
However the 54-year-old, who earned his nickname for the way in which he waddled across the hyperlinks, is at the moment barred from getting into the US as he bids to relaunch his profession.
He was determined to play at Augusta. However a fortnight earlier than The Masters, his long-serving agent Manuel Tagle confirmed that his bid for a brief visa had been denied.
It’s probably Angel will want a miracle to ever play within the USA once more until there’s a drastic change to the laborious line border insurance policies the nation applies to convicted criminals.
AUSSIES AT THE MASTERS: Warren Smith, Paul Gow and Geoff Ogilvy preview EVERY Aussie competing at Augusta and extra in a bumper preview present on Monday eighth April 7pm (AEDT) on Fox Sports activities 503.
HOW DID CABRERA BECOME A FALLEN ANGEL?
The golf world was shocked when, in January 2021, information broke that Cabrera had been arrested in Brazil after triggering an Interpol warrant for leaving Argentina with out authorisation.
He spent six months in a Brazilian jail earlier than being extradited to Argentina to face expenses of assault, theft and authorized intimidation.
He was convicted a month later after which once more in 2022 on a separate assault cost, with the sentence served concurrently together with his preliminary sanction.
Cabrera, who was crushed in an exciting playoff at Augusta by Australian Adam Scott in 2013, was convicted of assaulting and stealing the cell phone of former companion Cecilia Torres within the first legal case. The second conviction was for assaulting one other former companion named Micaela Escudero.
Throughout the second trial in Cordoba, ‘El Pato’ (the duck) mentioned his time in jail had straightened him out, in accordance with native newspaper reviews.
“Many say jail is unhealthy, however it’s not the case. Jail has performed me good,” he mentioned.
Cabrera fathered a child boy with Yamila Alvarez whereas imprisoned and the couple married two months after his launch from jail final October.
In an interview with Golf Digest late final yr, he begged his former companions for forgiveness whereas on the similar time plotting a return to America’s most well-known golf course.
“I refused to hearken to anybody and did what I needed, how I needed and once I needed,” he mentioned.
“That was fallacious. I ask Micaela for forgiveness. I ask Celia for forgiveness. They’d the unhealthy luck of being with me once I was at my worst. I wasn’t the satan, however I did unhealthy issues.
“I’m deeply embarrassed as a result of I dissatisfied the individuals closest to me and everybody who loves me via golf. Golf gave me every thing and I do know I’ll by no means be capable to repay the debt I owe this sport.”
A COMEBACK BEGINS
Charlie Epps acted as a father-figure to Cabrera when the Argentinian, who was raised by his grandmother, started caddying whereas nonetheless a boy at a membership in Cordoba.
He took a shine to the stocky teenager, who was a prolific smoker throughout his time on the tour, and assisted him with teaching as his world-beating expertise on the hyperlinks grew to become clear.
4 many years on and the Houston-based Epps returned to Cordoba final November to spend time with Cabrera, whose grownup sons Federico and Angel Jnr are additionally skilled golfers.
It’s tough to think about that point within the ‘clink’ is conducive to good golf however Cabrera reportedly stripped weight from his hefty body whereas serving laborious time and was placing the ball nicely solely a few months after his launch from jail.
“He demonstrated his expertise and drive remains to be there,” Epps advised USA At present’s GolfWeek.
“We performed 5 rounds of golf at Cordoba Golf Membership, the place we each grew up enjoying, and he was all the time underneath par. Proper now he’s simply making an attempt to get his life in form and observe and stuff like that and get right here to the US.
“He’s humbled and says, ‘It’s all as much as him.’ He is aware of what he must do and he mentioned he’s prepared for a second likelihood. He prays to God he doesn’t take one other drink. And he’s so headstrong. When he places his thoughts to doing one thing, he’ll do it identical to that.”
Along with his sentences served, golf authorities quickly made it clear he can be allowed to take part once more … however flagged the prospect that he would face visa points.
The US PGA tour wrote to Cabrera in December to say he can be allowed to compete on affiliated excursions, although it implicitly mentioned any related conduct would see his tour rights suspended.
Masters chairman Fred Ridley, who will attend the Champions Dinner on Tuesday evening at Augusta, mentioned in Panama on the Latin America Novice Championships in January that Cabrera’s greatest hurdle to enjoying once more was the USA’s strict entry circumstances.
“Angel definitely is one in every of our nice champions. As everyone knows, he has been unable to take part within the Masters (for) the final couple of years on account of authorized points,” he mentioned.
“Presently we’ve been in fixed distinction with Angel’s representatives. He presently will not be in a position to enter the US. He doesn’t have a visa and I do know that that course of is being labored via.
“We definitely want him one of the best of luck with that and we’ll undoubtedly welcome him again if he’s in a position to straighten out these authorized points.”
Champions Tour president Miller Brady additionally flagged the visa situation as a possible hindrance however mentioned he believed his former colleagues can be positive with sharing a tee with Cabrera.
“He’s been gone for 3 years and served time in jail and had time for private reflection,” he mentioned.
“It’s a bit like Jim Thorpe, who frolicked in jail (for tax evasion) and was welcomed again. (This) is a bit of completely different. I don’t know if he can journey in the US as a result of he wants a visa.
“I feel the fellows will forgive (him). I’m unsure if (the) spouses will forgive. That’s the larger query. However he has the correct to play.”
SHAKING OFF THE RUST
“The Duck” has performed a handful of occasions this yr on a few completely different excursions and proven indicators of the shape that noticed him win eight instances on the PGA, European and Asian Excursions, together with 47 match successes at decrease ranges.
Ranked as excessive as No.9 on this planet, he’s constructing confidence at decrease ranges, together with his greatest consequence to this point coming within the South Open at Mar del Plata Golf Membership in an occasion that includes present and former Korn Ferry Tour members. He completed third at 8-under.
He then performed within the Trophy Hassan II in Rabat on the PGA Champions Tour in late February when ending twenty seventh behind fellow Argentinian Ricardo Gonzalez at 2-over.
Jose Maria Olazabel, Colin Montgomerie and Australian Rod Pampling have been amongst these to complete on the identical mark in a area that additionally included Aussies Stuart Appleby, Richard Inexperienced and Mark Hensby, who completed third within the match in Morocco.
Cabrera then performed the Argentinian Open on the Korn Ferry Tour, which is the US PGA Tour’s secondary circuit, however did not make the reduce when ending 2-under.
It appears unlikely, however the Cabrera group has earmarked the Areas Custom match on the Champions Tour in Could in Alabama and the US Senior Open Championship in June on the Newport Nation Membership as his subsequent targets.
However the visa situation is a giant bridge to cross given theft and assault convictions function on a listing of felonies which fall underneath the “inadmissable to the US” part for foreigners.
‘El Pato’ has since advised reporters in Argentina that he’s searching for to offer extra paperwork for US immigration officers and is hopeful his subsequent bid for a brief visa is profitable, stating he believes the method will take eight to 10 weeks.
MEMORIES … MAYBE ALL CABRERA NOW HAS OF THE US
Even when Cabrera fails to play on American soil once more, he produced a profession that might place him inside vary of Corridor of Fame standing, bar for his legal convictions.
Arguably one of the best demonstration of his self-discipline when at his greatest got here on a testing format on the Oakmont Golf Membership in 2007 when Cabrera lead an all-star solid after two rounds within the US Open, reaching the midway mark even with the cardboard.
As a sign of how difficult the circumstances have been, the typical rating for the second day was 76.93, whereas solely eight rounds underneath par have been shot all through the match.
The third day noticed an Australian come to the fore, with Aaron Baddeley taking the lead after 54 holes at 2-over, two pictures in entrance of Tiger Woods, whereas Cabrera shot a six-over card 76 to slide to a tie for seventh.
In a exceptional profession, Woods was searching for a primary. He had by no means received a serious to this stage of his profession when trailing going into the ultimate spherical.
This continued, with the American celebrity capturing a 72 on the ultimate day, whereas Cabrera scored a one-under the cardboard 69 to turn into the one participant to shoot underneath par twice within the match.
He was within the clubhouse when Woods and Jim Furyk did not birdie the final to power a playoff. Baddeley opened the day with a triple-bogey and completed with an 80 to overlook the highest 10.
“I beat all people right here, not solely Tiger Woods. However I wasn’t in a position to beat the golf course. The golf course beat me,” Cabrera mentioned.
Just below two years later at Augusta, Cabrera began nicely and sat in equal sixth in a gaggle that included Baddeley at 4-under, three pictures behind Chad Campbell after the opening day.
He closed to inside one shot of Cambell and Kenny Perry on the midway mark after a second consecutive 68 after which shared the lead with Perry at 11-under going into the ultimate day.
Phil Mickelson set Augusta alight on the ultimate day when capturing 30 for the entrance 9, whereas the 48-year-old Perry led for a lot of the day earlier than bogeying the final two holes. Cabrera was in a position to roll a 90cm putt in to power a playoff with Perry and Campbell, who was eradicated on the primary playoff gap.
‘The Duck’ was lucky to remain alive when a restoration shot after a sloppy drive ricocheted off a tree and completed in the course of the golf green on 18.
Aged 39, he was in a position to rise up and down from 104 metres to remain alive and when Perry did not do the identical on the following playoff gap, the Argentinian two-putted for victory.
“I’m so emotional I can barely speak. This second, and the win in Oakmont, are the best moments of my life,” Cabrera mentioned via an interpreter.
“It’s unbelievable. I nonetheless can’t consider it. I felt that when Tiger and Phil have been making birdies and have been making a transfer, I needed to make a transfer myself so as to be the winner. This can be a nice second for any golfer, to win the Masters.”
From an Australian perspective, it marked the final Masters for three-time runner-up Greg Norman, who missed the reduce on the age of 54 and performed just one extra main match after that.
Cabrera, in the meantime, formed because the villain on the course in 2013 when forcing a play-off with Adam Scott, who grew to become the primary Australian to win the Masters. Nevertheless it was a near-run factor.
Enjoying within the group behind the 2009 champion, Scott drained an eight metre putt on the 72nd to maneuver one shot in entrance, just for Cabrera to reply quickly after when placing his strategy shot to inside one metre of the pin.
On the primary playoff gap, Cabrera practically chipped in from off the inexperienced however on the second, which was the tenth gap, the Queenslander was in a position to make a 4.6 metre putt to win in fading gentle. It was the closest Cabrera got here to securing a 3rd main championship.
Cabrera received the Greenbrier Traditional in West Virginia a yr later however then pale badly to complete a hundred and seventieth within the cash order in 2015.