Angel Cabrera, former Masters & U.S. Open champion, to be released from prison after 2.5 years

After spending 30 months in three different prisons, two-time major champion Angel Cabrera will be released on Friday, per Golf Digest.

Dating back to 2016, Cabrera has been dealing with his legal troubles. The 53-year-old has served a sentence for domestic violence against his ex-wife and other lesser charges. Ex-wife Silva Rivadero alleged that Cabrera physically assaulted her accompanied with verbal threats.

Two other ex-girlfriends, Micaela Escudero and Cecilia Torres Mana, accused him of domestic violence and verbal and physical abuse as well. Those three accusations stacked against Cabrera, but the final straw came in 2020.

The 2009 Masters champion flew to Akron, Ohio, for the Senior Players Championship without giving his local authorities notice.

A Red Notice issued by Interpol was triggered, and that alerted police worldwide about an international fugitive. On Jan. 14, 2021, the former U.S. Open champion returned to South America and was swarmed by Brazilian federal officers.

That incident caused him to spend almost five months in the Plácido de Sá Carvalho prison outside of Rio. Cabrera was extradited to Argentina in June 2021, and after delays from COVID-19, he went to Cordoba’s Bouwer prison on domestic violence, intimidation and theft charges.

He maintained his innocence throughout the trial but was ultimately found guilty on two counts of assault against Torres Mana. That began a two-year sentence. Cabrera spent the next 18 months in one of Argentina’s most violent prisons, Carcel de Bouwer. The locals gave it the nickname, ‘The Prison from Hell.’

In November 2022, the former Presidents Cup member went to court again for more assault charges, but this time from Escudero. He was convicted and sentenced to another two years and four months. His sentences were to be served concurrently.

At the end of 2022, Cabrera was transferred to Monte Cristo, where he will be released on Friday. He still has a pending case with Rivadero.

“I just want to go home, be with my family, and start a new phase of my life,” he said through his longtime manager, Manuel Tagle.

Savannah Leigh Richardson is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. You can follow her on Twitter @SportsGirlSL and on Instagram @savannah_leigh_sports for more golf coverage. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough too.