Ángel Cabrera Opens Up on Prison Struggles: ‘Sleeping on Cement Was Hell”

Ángel Cabrera has finally opened up on his struggles in prison for the first time since he was released from jail in August 2023. The 2007 U.S. Open winner was sentenced to two-and-half-years in jail in 2021 after he was convicted of domestic abuse and intimidation..

The 55-year-old returned to the Masters after he secured an invitation with a play-off victory in 2019. This would be his first appearance at the Masters since 2019 after a U.S. Visa issue prevented him from competing last year.

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Cabrera was accused of domestic violence by his former partners, Micaela Escudero, Cecilia Torres Mana, and Silver Rivadero. Mana alleged that the Argentine threw her phone at her head and injured her scalp. Cabrera admitted he did it. Rivadero also accused the major champion of physically assaulting her and verbally threatening her. She and Cabrera have two children together. The 2007 US Open winner was placed on Interpol’s red list and was eventually arrested by police in Rio de Janeiro.

Cabrera Regrets Everything He Did Wrongfully

“Brazil was probably the worst part and the most difficult one for me. Pretty much all the time, I was locked down. There was not much walking or moving or anything like that. I was sleeping in some pieces of cloth on a bed that was basically cement,” Cabrera said. “I was locked in with someone else, so we were two locked down there, and the cell was like two meters by two meters.”

Cabrera was held in Placido de Sa Carvalho prison until his trial. He spent his sentence in jails in Brazil and Argentina after his conviction. However, the majority of his jail term was spent in Argentina at the Carcel de Bouwer. The prison is widely known as the ‘prison from hell’.

“When I was sent over to Argentina that was much better (than Brazil). The people in prison with me, they were mostly older people and educated and so it was a relatively okay environment. It wasn’t a dangerous one,” he explained.

Second chance? Cabrera added: “Right now I’m fine. But I regret everything that I have done wrongly in my past.” The Argentine was transferred to a minimum-security facility for the final months of his jail term where he improvised and used a broom handle to practice his golf swing.

A Second Chance at Life and Golf

“I am also frustrated that I wasted very, very important years of my life. I made mistakes. It is one of the worst things that can happen to a human being–not being able to have freedom. The lack of freedom is something really difficult, really hard. And on the other hand, you know, I can tell you that the most important thing I feel right now is having a second chance, the opportunity to get back on the right track.’

Main Photo Credit: © Ray Carlin-Imagn Images