The Masters: Should Angel Cabrera be given a second chance?

While all eyes at the Masters may be on an ensuing battle between Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy, the reappearance of former Argentine champion Angel Cabrera at Augusta National has raised eyebrows.

Cabrera was convicted in 2021 for domestic abuse and served about two years in prison after pleading guilty. The Cordoba native, 55, is walking on Augusta’s hallowed grounds for the first time since 2019.

Who is Angel Cabrera?

Cabrera is a two-time Major champion, having won the 2007 US Open and 2009 Masters. He quickly gained acclaim for his habit of smoking on the golf course and a powerful swing helped by his stocky frame.

What was he convicted for?

In July 2021, Cabrera was sentenced to two years in prison for threats and harassment towards his then-partner Cecillia Torres Mana from 2016 to 2018. In November 2022, he went on trial again for similar allegations against another ex-girlfriend Micaela Escudero.

After Cabrera pleaded guilty, the judge sentenced him to three years and 10 months in prison, making both sentences concurrent.

In August 2023, Cabrera was released early on parole and was back playing on the PGA Tour Champions later that year.

Why is Cabrera’s return to the Masters controversial?

As a past winner of the Masters, Cabrera is entitled to enter the field whenever he wishes to.

But Augusta National is renowned as a flawless course which demands the same from its golfers and spectators; expected to abide by notoriously strict rules like no cellphones on the course, no loud talking and no cheering mistakes.

The same revered principles do not seem to apply to Cabrera, who has been warmly welcomed back by Augusta National chair Fred Ridley. This has resulted in pushback from women’s rights groups.

Jamie Klingler, co-founder of the Reclaim These Streets campaign group, told The Guardian: “It seems as long as male athletes can excel at hitting a ball, we excuse those same men hitting women.”

However, Cabrera has expressed remorse for his action in an exclusive interview with Golf Digest immediately following his release.

“The lowest moment I can recall is throwing a cellphone at my partner’s head,” he said in 2023.

“Although I deeply regret all of my wrongdoings and harming the people I care for the most, I can’t rewind time and make amends.”

In the same interview, he also claimed he “thanked God for his imprisonment” and over time “realised he was the guilty one”.

But Cecilia Torres Mana published a scathing first-person article in 2021 on news website Orato titled “I was abused by a PGA Tour golfer and I’m still afraid”.

She wrote that she was sexually abused, hit and locked in a closet, adding: “What started as a normal relationship quickly turned into physical and psychological submission.”

Till today, Cabrera denies the more gruesome details in his convictions although he admits he was guilty of assaulting both women.

When asked on Tuesday after a practice round at Augusta about those who claim he does not belong at the Masters, Cabrera said via an interpreter: “I won the Masters, why not?”

What about similar cases?

We have been here before. Just last Summer during the 2024 Olympics, a Dutch beach volleyball player – and convicted child rapist – reached the quarter-finals in Paris, prompting widespread controversy.

Steven van de Velde was found guilty of raping a 12-year-old girl when he was 19. Having served his prison sentence, he returned to professional sport and, nearly a decade after the crime, was selected to represent the Netherlands on the world stage.

His appearance at the pinnacle of international competition reignited debate over the reintegration of athletes with serious criminal records into elite sport.

There were calls from victim advocates, lawmakers, and fans for Van de Velde to be barred from the Games. But the International Olympic Committee stated it had no authority to stop the Netherlands from selecting an athlete who had qualified.

What’s more, he served his time.

“I’m not the person I was 10 years ago,” Van de Velde was reported as saying by the Guardian.

“I cannot reverse it, so I will have to bear the consequences. It has been the biggest mistake of my life.”

By the letter of the law, Van de Velde pleaded guilty, was sentenced, placed on the UK sex offender registry – where his name remains – and was later released. Criminal rehabilitation is a core principle of many justice systems, allowing individuals who have served their time to re-enter society.

Still, his return to the Olympic stage was met with widespread discomfort and unease—raising difficult questions about redemption, accountability, and the limits of second chances in elite sport.

What do we think?

Whether an offender is capable of returning to society and function as a law-abiding member of the community is a practice that has divided justice systems across the world. But when it comes to sports, should sporting institutions play judge and jury?

In many ways, they already are.

Mason Greenwood was suspended by Manchester United in early 2022 after allegations relating to a young woman surfaced in online images and videos.

United waited in the wings as he faced charges including attempted rape and assault. However, the Crown Prosecution Service announced in February last year that the case had been dropped.

United in line with the UK justice system tested the possibility of reinstating Greenwood, but were met with a fiercer, and in some cases, more influential force than the British justice system: the court of public opinion.

Rocked by backlash, the Manchester club quickly U-turned.

The impact of public opinion when determining guilt has always existed. But with the growth of social media there has been a shift. The power to decide now resides with the people more than ever.

Yesterday it was Greenwood, today it is Cabrera. Tomorrow it will be someone else. But the question remains, how will we determine who is worthy of a second chance?