Past Champion Angel Cabrera Not Listed In Masters Field After Prison Release

Since Angel Cabrera was released from prison last year after serving a sentence for domestic assault, theft and illegal intimidation towards a previous partner he has been keen to get his career back on track.

He was spotted back on the course in late August and returned to competitive action in December at Abierto del Litoral, where he finished T10. The Argentine was cleared to make his PGA Tour return in the same month, too, while he is also eligible for April’s Masters thanks to his victory at the Major in 2009.

However, any hopes we will see the 54-year-old take his place in the field for the Augusta National tournament may be dashed. As first noted by Bob Harig at Sports Illustrated, in the latest Masters update to its invitation list, Cabrera is named in the category of Past Champions Not Playing.

The reason could be related to his struggle to secure a visa to return to the US, with the possibility that his status at the tournament could change if the issue is resolved.

While there are plenty of past winners in the field for the 2024 Masters, Cabrera is among 17 not playing. That includes Larry Mize, who won in 1987 but announced in February last year that the 2023 tournament would be his last due to ongoing back issues.

Another former champion who has said his farewell to competitive action at the Masters is 65-year-old Sandy Lyle after he announced his retirement from the event. The 1988 winner appeared for the last time 2023 in what was an eventful two days that included him snapping a club a then being denied an emotional farewell when poor weather intervened when facing just a 12-foot putt to complete his second round.

Cabrera’s most recent appearance at the tournament came in 2019, when he missed the cut, while the last time he reached the weekend was in 2016, when he finished T24.

While there is every chance we will see more of Cabrera at the tournament in the coming years, for now at least, it appears he will join the likes of Mize and Lyle on the sidelines for the 2024 tournament, albeit for a very different reason.