Campeón por partida doble (SPA-ENG)

Double champion

As I've been commenting for some time now, Angel Cabrera has been playing golf again for just over a year, having just been released from prison for domestic violence.

At first, it took him a while to get back into the swing of things. "Touch," as professionals refer to the unique ability they have to hit a 4.26-centimeter diameter ball however they want and however they see fit, with short, long, or special clubs for the tricky situations that always arise on the various courses.

He began practicing several hours a day, something that was never his strong suit. He was always known for his innate talent, which allowed him to achieve significant results with little effort, some astonishing, like when he won his two major tournaments: the US Open on a course considered one of the toughest on the tour (Oakmont) and the Masters at Augusta on the most beautiful links on the planet. Others trained many more hours than he did and were never able to achieve those victories.

Perhaps because it didn't cost him significant sacrifices to win them, nor did he give them enough importance when he did what he did with his partner, and that's how he paid for it.

He played some important tournaments in our country that, of course, aren't nearly as demanding as those organized by the PGA, but they helped him get into the swing of things and compete.

He tried to participate in the Masters again—all winners retain the right to play for life—but he couldn't do so in 2024 because the United States immigration agency wouldn't grant him the necessary work visa. He persisted this year and was able to play, although, of course, his 55 years of age didn't allow him to compete at the same level as the younger players; he didn't cut after the first two days.

From that moment on, he focused on the PGA Champions Tour, which is reserved for players over 50 years of age, and soon won his first tournament. In April, he won the James Hardie Pro Football Hall of Fame Invitational, and this month he pulled off a major upset by winning the first major tournament of the year, the Regions Tradition, a week ago. This weekend, just six days after that memorable triumph, his star shone brightly again, winning the Senior PGA Championship, his second major of the season, creating a record that is difficult to match.

He defeated high-caliber players such as South African Retief Goosen, a two-time US Open winner in 2001 and 2004 and elected to the Golf Hall of Fame in 2019, and Pádraig Harrington, an Irish player who won three majors, the British Open, and the PGA Championship twice, all between 2007 and 2008.

Cabrera took the lead in the final round and never relinquished it until he secured a one-stroke lead over his closest rivals.

His son served as his caddie, and the tears of both moved many, including me. I've said this on several occasions. The Argentine golfer has said he regrets what he did and that from now on he will focus solely on golf and his family, trying to recover some of what he lost. He's on the right path, and I hope it continues that way.