Angel Cabrera hadn’t won a PGA Tour-sanctioned event in 3,927 days. However, it felt even longer than that.
That’s because the 2007 U.S. Open and 2009 Masters champion spent over two years in prison, beginning in 2021, after being convicted of domestic violence in his native Argentina.
Released in August 2023 on parole, Cabrera was cleared to play on the PGA Tour Champions later that year. And Sunday at the inaugural James Hardie Pro Football Hall of Fame Invitational in Boca Raton, Fla., he returned to the winner’s circle.
“It’s very emotional after everything that I’ve gone through the last couple years,” the 55-year-old said afterward, “so being here to have these chances again and win again for me is very emotional. And obviously it was a hard battle out there.”
Cabrera, whose last victory came at the Greenbrier Classic in July 2014, edged K.J. Choi by two strokes, breaking a tie with a birdie on the 17th hole en route to a final-round 71. Cabrera finished the tournament at 11 under par.
What a response by Ángel Cabrera!
— PGA TOUR Champions (@ChampionsTour) April 6, 2025
He leads by one with one to play. pic.twitter.com/sJm7WbkZT3
Having only played two senior tour events this season, Cabrera got into the field when Mark Hensby withdrew. The triumph earned him $330,000 and an exemption on the PGA Tour Champions through 2026.
Cabrera’s longtime coach, Charlie Epps, recently told Sports Illustrated that Cabrera “has said prison was good for him. It helped him in many different ways.”
Now, Cabrera returns to Augusta National next week as a past champion and will apparently be welcomed back with open arms by his fellow Masters champions.
“I can’t wait to see him,” said Adam Scott, who Cabrera lost in a playoff to at the 2013 Masters, according to the Associated Press. “It’s a happy thing for me. We’ve got a fairly long history. I first met him on the European Tour before we both were on the PGA Tour. We’ve played Presidents Cups, we’ve been partners.”
Cabrera, however, wants to revel in his most recent victory before heading up to Augusta.
“Right now,” he said, “I want to enjoy this.”
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Former Masters Champion Angel Cabrera Wins for First Time Since Prison Release.
