ANGEL CABRERA is a two time major champion – but now finds himself locked away in an Argentine prison known as ‘The Prison of Hell’.
He was affectionally known as ‘El Pato’ or ‘The Duck’ for his waddling gait when walking around the golf course.
GettyAngel Cabrera beat Tiger Woods to the US Open in 2007[/caption]
AFPHis chain-smoking ways and signature waddle meant he was a fan’s favourite[/caption]
The winner of the US Open in 2007 and The Masters in 2009, he was rarely seen on the golf course without a trademark cigarette when walking between holes.
He nearly added a third major in 2013 when he lost a sudden death Masters play-off with Australian Adam Scott by one putt.
Dreams of green jackets will seem far away for Cabrera now as he gets used to living with inmates in orange.
Cabrera was convicted of assault against ex-girlfriend Cecilia Torres Mana in July 2021.
Torres Mana described how Cabrera had made her life a living hell when they dated and accused her of intimidating her, assaulting her, and causing injury.
She wrote in a letter: “Angel always believed I was going to be with another man. He followed me and took my cell phone.
“He made me do very kinky things and hit me if I refused. If Angel was with his friends in a meeting, I had to be in the bedroom without an Internet connection. It was very humiliating.
‘”Angel always said that if I reported him, it would hurt his career and told me about all the political contacts he had.
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“But one afternoon, I gained the courage to report him anyway.
“From that moment forward, I saw a light at the end of the tunnel.”
AFPCabrera is now an inmate in “The Prison of Hell”[/caption]
Her account was soon backed up by further accusations made by Cabrera’s ex-wife Silva Rivadero and former partner Micaela Escudero.
Cabrera initially denied the allegations and after playing in five tournaments in the US in the summer of 2020, went on the run.
He was finally arrested by Brazilian federal police in January 2021 which saw him spend six months in a Brazil prison before being extradited to Argentina.
His former swing coach Charlie Epps told Golfweek in 2021 that his time in Brazilian prison was rough.
He said: “He spent six months there. Bad place. He got beat up.
“They didn’t care that he was Angel Cabrera. I had a lot of people approach me that they could get him out for $100,000 or this and that.”
Cabrera was then extradited to Argentina where he was found guilty of assault against ex-girlfriend Torres Mana and sentenced to two years in Carcel de Bouwer – known as The Prison of Hell.
The lock-up in Cordoba is run by gangs and subject to overcrowding, with violence between inmates commonplace.
It means Cabrera now finds himself sharing four walls with murderers and rapists.
A UN report in 2018 said detainees were “shackled or handcuffed by their feet and/or hands for periods between several hours and three days.”
While Cabrera was sentenced to an initial two years, his time in prison was extended after he was found guilty of assaulting former partner Escudero in November 2022.
His time in Carcel De Bouwer was then extended by a further 28 months.
Speaking at his second trial, Cabrera said his stint in prison had been useful for him and allowed him to work on his alcohol problems.
He said: “Many say prison is bad, but it’s not the case, prison has done me good”
Cabrera is set to be released in March 2025.