MASTERS boss Fred Ridley has defended inviting former champion Angel Cabrera to compete following the golfer’s time in prison.

The putter, 55, will play at Augusta this week for the first time since 2019.

The Masters chair has defended inviting Angel Cabrera for this year’s event


Cabrera, pictured at the Masters Champions Dinner, served jail time for domestic abuse

Cabrera, who won the Masters in 2013, spent more than two years in an Argentine prison for “sexually, psychologically and physically abusing” his wife, girlfriend, and another woman.

Cabrera’s latest golf appearance, which comes after he attended Scottie Scheffler’s Masters Champions Dinner, has infuriated women’s rights groups.

But Ridley, the Masters chair, has now defended his decision to invite Cabrera back.

He said: “We certainly abhor domestic violence of any type.

“As it relates to Angel, Angel has served the sentence that was prescribed by the Argentine courts, he is the past champion and so he was invited.”

Last year, Ridley caused outrage when he declared that Augusta will eventually “welcome” Cabrera back with open arms.

He said in January 2024: “Angel certainly is one of our great champions.

“As we all know, he has been unable to participate in the Masters the last couple of years due to legal issues. 

“Presently we have been in constant contact with Angel’s representatives. He presently is not able to enter the United States. He doesn’t have a visa and I know that process is being worked through. 

“We certainly wish him the best of luck with that, and we’ll definitely welcome him back if he’s able to straighten out those legal issues.”

Cabrera won the Masters in 2013


Fred Ridley admitted last year he was ready to welcome Cabrera back

Cabrera himself is delighted to be back at the Masters.

He said: “I’m very grateful and obviously the people of the golf world are very great with me and I just appreciated the way they treated me.

“Everybody has their own opinion and I respect that. Life has given me another opportunity. I have got to take advantage of that and I want to do the right things in this second opportunity. 

“There was a stage in my life of four, five years, that I wasn’t doing the right things I should have done. Before that I was OK, so I just have to keep doing what I know I can do right.”