AUGUSTA, GEORGIA | Tiger Woods was one of the first professionals to reach out to Ángel Cabrera when the Argentinian returned to the Masters this year for the first time since 2019. As is well known, Cabrera, who won the 2007 U.S. Open and the 2009 Masters, had been in prison between 2021 and 2023 for domestic abuse.
“Tiger’s reaction meant a lot to him,” said Cabrera’s elder son, Federico, who was among a contingent watching Ángel practice at Augusta National on Wednesday. “Tiger respects him and he respects Tiger.”
It is not too difficult to understand why.
In the wake of Woods’ 2009 infidelity scandal, GGP asked Donald Trump for his views on what needed to happen for this multi-major winner to put his world to rights.
“Tiger’s had big problems,” the future U.S. president said. “He had a charmed existence for a long time but I think he could get that back.”
“How?” he was asked.
“He needs to win. That’s what he has to do.”
Which is what Woods ultimately did, most famously at the 2019 Masters.
Cabrera, now 55, has followed suit. Not to the extent of winning another major but by bagging his first PGA Tour Champions title, the James Hardie Pro Football Hall of Fame Invitational, the Sunday before the Masters.
Tiger’s wasn’t the only warm reaction. Though there were complaints about Cabrera being invited back to this Masters, one fellow professional after another – and they included Brooks Koepka and Bernhard Langer – paused to welcome him home. And why wouldn’t they when they themselves would have known tough times of one sort or another in what is a difficult way of life.
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