Out of prison, Angel Cabrera playing Tour-sanctioned event, but Masters unclear due to…

Angel Cabrera is scheduled to play this week on the PGA Tour Champions circuit.

He’s also reportedly been extended an invitation to play in a Korn Ferry Tour event next week.

But whether the 2009 Masters winner, who was recently released from prison, will be at this year’s tournament at Augusta National remains unclear.

Cabrera’s schedule is taking shape after he was released from a prison in his home county of Argentina in early August. He had been sentenced in July 2021 for threats and harassment of his partner, a case that was joined by another former partner.

This week, Cabrera is included among the participants in the Champions’ Trophy Hassan II event in Morocco, which will be his first appearance in a PGA Tour-sanctioned event since being released.

According to a report by Golf Digest’s Joel Beall in December, Cabrera was informed that he had been allowed to return to the PGA Tour and the PGA Tour Champions for players aged 50 and over after serving a suspension.

Last month, Miller Brady, the president of the Champions tour, informed Golfweek’s Adam Schupak that Cabrera is entitled to participate in the tournament.

“He’s been gone for three years and served time in jail and had time for personal reflection,” Brady said. “It’s a bit like Jim Thorpe, who spent time in jail [for tax evasion] and was welcomed back. It’s a little different. I don’t know if he can travel in the United States because he needs a visa. I think guys forgive. I’m not sure if spouses will forgive, that’s the bigger question. But he has the right to play.”

Next week, as first reported by Schupak, Cabrera is expected to play in the Korn Ferry Tour’s Argentina Open, another PGA Tour-backed tournament. Golf Channel’s Brentley Romine reported Tuesday that Cabrera would play under a sponsor’s invitation from the Argentina Golf Association, and, notably, the winner of the event will receive a spot in this year’s Open Championship.

His status for the Masters, set for April 11 to 14, remains unclear. Cabrera’s 2009 victory granted him an exemption into the major, but as of Tuesday afternoon, he was listed under “past champions not playing” on the Masters website.

Last month, during a press conference at the Latin America Amateur Championship in Panama, Masters chairman Fred Ridley said Cabrera would “definitely” be welcomed back to this year’s tournament, on the condition that he obtains a visa to travel.

Ridley expressed admiration for Angel, acknowledging him as a strong competitor.

He mentioned that Angel had missed out on the Masters in recent years due to legal troubles.

Ridley confirmed ongoing communication with Angel’s team, revealing that he is currently unable to travel to the US because he does not have a visa.

Ridley assured that efforts are being made to resolve this issue.

“We hope for the best for him in dealing with his legal problems and we will be happy to have him return if he resolves them successfully.”

In December, Cabrera placed 10th at the Abierto del Litoral in Argentina, marking his first tournament after his release from prison.

The following month, he achieved a third-place finish at the Abierto del Sur, another tournament held in Argentina. “He desires to compete, he has understood the consequences, and he is eager to move forward with his life,” stated Charlie Epps, Cabrera’s coach for many years, in an article that appeared in Golfweek’s Schupak in November.

“I believe he is mentally prepared considering everything he has gone through.”