Cabrera will miss a return to Augusta
It’s official: Tiger Woods is entered in the 2024 Masters in the category of past champions, the Masters reported Wednesday.
Angel Cabrera, the 2009 Masters champion, is out because he was unable to obtain a U.S. visa. Cabrera hasn’t competed in the Masters since 2019, before he was sentenced to prison time in his native Argentina on domestic charges. He has been released and is back to competing.
According to Golfweek:
“The 54-year-old Argentine, who also won the 2007 U.S. Open, was sentenced in July 2021 to two years in prison for threats and harassment to his partner, but was released late last year and last month competed in his first PGA Tour Champions event in Morocco, finishing T-27.
“He has been listed on the tournament website as ‘a past champion, not playing,’ though he is eligible to compete in the field as is custom to past champions.”
Although Augusta National says he is welcome to play, Cabrera has been unable to obtain a U.S. visa, which would likely take several weeks – more time than is available. The Masters will be played April 11-14 and broadcast on CBS.
Tiger Woods fans get good news from Augusta
Meanwhile, the world of golf is breathing easier now that Tiger Woods is in the field.
From Golf Digest:
“Woods is coming off an abbreviated 2023 season, where he made only two appearances before undergoing ankle surgery following the Masters, where he made the cut but withdrew on the weekend. He has played all four rounds of an official tournament just twice in the last four years.
“It should be noted that Woods’ name in the field does not signal he’s officially playing, but—given his limited sightings after his proclamation in December that he planned on playing once a month in 2024 — it’s a promising sign for Tiger fans.”
Since his last Masters victory in 2019, which came before the car crash during the 2021 Genesis Invitational that nearly cost him his leg, Woods has seen extremely limited action on the PGA Tour.
From Deadspin:
“Tiger Woods is coming off an abbreviated 2023 season, where he made only two appearances before undergoing ankle surgery following the Masters, where he made the cut but withdrew on the weekend.”
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Featured image courtesy of the PGA Tour
