Ángel Cabrera

Ángel Cabrera
Cabrera in 2007
Personal information
Full name Ángel Cabrera
Nickname El Pato (The Duck)
Born (1969-09-12) 12 September 1969
Córdoba, Argentina
Height 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight 210 lb (95 kg; 15 st)
Nationality  Argentina
Residence Córdoba, Argentina
Children Federico, Ángel
Career
Turned professional 1989
Current tour(s) PGA Tour (past champion status; joined 2007)
Former tour(s) European Tour (joined 1996)
Professional wins 52
Number of wins by tour
PGA Tour 3
European Tour 5
Asian Tour 1
Other 46
Best results in major championships
(wins: 2)
Masters Tournament Won: 2009
U.S. Open Won: 2007
The Open Championship T4: 1999
PGA Championship T19: 2000

Ángel Cabrera (pronounced [ˈaŋxel kaˈβɾeɾa]; born 12 September 1969) is an Argentine professional golfer who plays on both the European Tour and PGA Tour. He is known affectionately as "El Pato" in Spanish ("The Duck") for his waddling gait. He is a two-time major champion, with wins at the U.S. Open in 2007 and the Masters in 2009; he was the first (and only) Argentine to win either.[1] He also lost in a sudden death playoff at the Masters in 2013.

Background

Born in Córdoba, Argentina, Cabrera's father, Miguel, was a handyman, and his mother worked as a maid. He was three or four when his parents split up and was left in the care of his paternal grandmother. Cabrera stayed with her until he was 16, when he moved in a few feet away, to the house of Silvia,[2] twelve years his senior, and a mother of four boys. They had a son, Federico, followed by another, Ángel.

When Cabrera was 10, he became a caddy at the Córdoba Country Club, which he says almost became his home. He learned golf playing against other caddies for money. His fierce determination and powerful swing soon caught the eye of members, one of whom, Juan Cruz Molina, a local real estate magnate, bought him his first set of clubs when he was 16.

With his stocky figure and habit of smoking at every hole, Cabrera cut a distinctive figure on the course. He is also acknowledged as having one of the biggest swings in the game. His son Federico became a professional golfer in 2008 and entered the PGA Tour's qualifying school in 2011, but was eliminated in the second stage. His other son, Ángel, became a professional in 2012 and joined the Canadian Tour. The elder Ángel and his sons also compete on PGA Tour Latinoamérica.

Professional career

Early career

Cabrera turned professional at age twenty and his first three visits to the European Tour Qualifying School were unsuccessful. On his fourth trip in 1995, made with Molina's financial assistance, he qualified for membership of the European Tour in 1996. Cabrera retained his card comfortably in his first three seasons and improved substantially to tenth on the Order of Merit in 1999. He has since finished in the top 15 of the Order of Merit on seven occasions, with a best placing of fifth in 2005.

European Tour wins

Cabrera's first European Tour win was the 2001 Argentine Open, which was sanctioned by the European Tour on a one-time basis that year. In 2005, he won the BMW Championship, the most prestigious event on the European Tour outside the majors and the World Golf Championships. However, it was only his third European Tour win, a tally which was perhaps disappointing given his consistent form on the tour. At that point, Cabrera had also won seven non-European Tour events in Latin America, where the standard of play is much lower than on the European Tour.[3]

Cabrera featured a highest of 9th in the Official World Golf Ranking[4][5] on 2 October 2005. He was the top-ranked Latin American player for a number of years before the emerging pair of Andrés Romero and Camilo Villegas won PGA Tour tournaments in 2008. Cabrera earned enough money ($623,504) on the PGA Tour in 2006 playing as a non-member to earn a tour card for 2007. He has played almost full-time in 2007, 2008, and 2009.

In 2009, Cabrera announced partnership with Gary Player Design to collaborate on a golf course design business with a focus in Latin America.[6] This coincides with golf, the Olympics and Brazil coming together in 2016.

2007 U.S. Open win

Cabrera won his first major championship at the 2007 U.S. Open at Oakmont near Pittsburgh. He finished the tournament at 5-over, topping runners-up Tiger Woods and Jim Furyk by one stroke. Cabrera entered the third round as the leader at even par, after finishing the first round at 1-under, and shooting 1-over on the second day. He struggled during the third round, finishing 6 strokes over par, putting him 4 strokes behind Aaron Baddeley and two behind Woods. Cabrera rebounded and came back strong on the last day. He birdied one of the longest par-3 holes in major championship history when he sunk a 20-foot (6 m) putt at the 8th hole, which played at a lengthy 300 yards (274 m) on Sunday. Cabrera finished one stroke under par, bringing him down to 5-over (285) for the championship, just enough to secure his first career major victory. At a post-round interview Cabrera said "Well, there are some players that have psychologists, some have sportologists, I smoke."[7]

Cabrera became the first Argentine player to win the U.S. Open and the second to win a major, joining Roberto De Vicenzo, who won the British Open in 1967 at Royal Liverpool (Hoylake). Cabrera received the 2007 Olimpia de Oro ("Golden Olympia") as Argentina's sportsperson of the year.[8]

2009 Masters win

Cabrera won the Masters Tournament in 2009 in a three-way sudden-death playoff, seeing off Chad Campbell after the first playoff hole, and defeating Kenny Perry on the second. On the first playoff hole, the 18th, Cabrera missed right of the fairway, leaving his ball stymied directly behind a tree. On his second shot, he hit a shot right of the tree that would have sent the golf ball onto the 10th hole fairway, but ended up hitting another tree about 30 yards (27 m) ahead, bouncing left and settling in the center of the 18th fairway. He and Perry both got up-and-down for par, while Campbell missed his 4-foot (1.2 m) par putt and was eliminated. On the second playoff hole, the 10th, Cabrera made par to defeat Perry, becoming the first Argentine to win the Masters.[9] He was the lowest-ranked golfer to win the Masters, having been ranked 69th before the tournament.

Cabrera is one of three active PGA Tour members who have won both the U.S. Open and the Masters as of 2015; the others are Tiger Woods and Jordan Spieth.

Cabrera struggled with injuries throughout most of the 2010 season and was forced to miss a number of events after undergoing surgery.

2011

In 2011, Cabrera was in the mix to win a second Green Jacket at Augusta when he was in the final pairing on Sunday, four strokes behind leader Rory McIlroy. Cabrera started the round solidly and even tied for the lead at one point during the afternoon, but bogeys on 12 and 16 derailed his chances. He posted a final round 71 which placed him in sole seventh, five strokes behind the South African Charl Schwartzel. This was however Cabrera's best finish in a major tournament since his win back in 2009. He missed the cut in the years other three major championships and failed to qualify for the season ending FedEx Cup playoffs, finishing 154th in the standings. His best finish of the season was a T6 in the fall season at the McGladrey Classic.

2013

At the Masters in 2013, Cabrera was again in the final pairing on Sunday. After taking a two shot lead on the front nine, Cabrera proceeded to lose the lead and after failing to birdie the par-5 15th and was two shots behind leader Jason Day. Day then bogeyed two holes in succession and when Cabrera made a 20-foot putt for birdie at the 16th he tied Adam Scott and Day briefly for the lead. As Cabrera stood on the 18th fairway, up ahead on the green and playing in the penultimate group, Scott holed a birdie putt to take the lead. Cabrera hit a 163-yard (149 m) 7-iron to 3 feet (0.9 m) and knocked in the putt to force a playoff. On the first playoff hole, Scott's second shot was 160 yards (146 m) out, but rolled back off the front of the green. Cabrera's second shot also came up short, rolling back off the green and coming to rest behind Scott's ball. Cabrera's chip just slid by the hole. Both players then made par sending them onto the 10th for the second playoff hole. Scott and Cabrera hit their tee shots in the fairway and matched each other with approach shots which landed on the green giving both birdie chances, Cabrera with 18 feet (5 m) uphill and Scott a downhill right to left 12 footer. Cabrera's putt was a turn away from dropping in, giving Scott a chance to win with his putt. Scott made the putt defeating Cabrera and bringing Australia their first ever green jacket.

Although Cabrera was fully exempt on the PGA Tour, he occasionally competed in Argentinian events on PGA Tour Latinoamérica, a developmental tour in Latin America whose 2013 members included former PGA Tour winners Carlos Franco and Ted Purdy. Cabrera won the 2012 Visa Open de Argentina and the 2013 Abierto del Centro.

2014

Cabrera won the Greenbrier Classic in West Virginia on 6 July 2014, his first PGA Tour victory since claiming the green jacket in 2009. It was his third win in the United States, but his first non-major win on the PGA Tour. Cabrera shot a six-under-par 64 on both Saturday and Sunday to secure the title, winning $1.17 million[10]

2015

Cabrera had a down year on the 2015 PGA Tour season. He finished in the top-25 only twice and wound up 170th on the PGA Tour's money list.

Team golf career

Cabrera was a member of the international squad in the Presidents Cup in 2005, 2007, 2009, and 2013.

Professional wins (52)

PGA Tour wins (3)

Legend
Major championships (2)
Other PGA Tour (1)
No.DateTournamentWinning scoreTo parMargin of
victory		Runners-up
1 17 Jun 2007 U.S. Open 69-71-76-69=285 +5 1 stroke United States Jim Furyk, United States Tiger Woods
2 12 Apr 2009 Masters Tournament 68-68-69-71=276 −12 Playoff United States Chad Campbell, United States Kenny Perry
3 6 July 2014 Greenbrier Classic 68-68-64-64=264 −16 2 strokes United States George McNeill

PGA Tour playoff record (1–1)

No.YearTournamentOpponent(s)Result
1 2009 Masters Tournament United States Chad Campbell, United States Kenny Perry Won with par on second extra hole
Campbell eliminated with par on first hole
2 2013 Masters Tournament Australia Adam Scott Lost to birdie on second extra hole

European Tour wins (5)

Legend
Major championships (2)
BMW PGA Championships (1)
Other European Tour (2)
No. Date Tournament Winning score To par Margin of
victory		 Runner(s)-up
1 1 Apr 2001 Open de Argentina 1 67-65-69-67=268 −12 2 strokes Sweden Carl Pettersson
2 12 May 2002 Benson & Hedges International Open 68-73-68-69=278 −10 1 stroke England Barry Lane
3 29 May 2005 BMW Championship 70-70-66-67=273 −15 2 strokes Republic of Ireland Paul McGinley
4 17 Jun 2007 U.S. Open 69-71-76-69=285 +5 1 stroke United States Jim Furyk, United States Tiger Woods
5 12 Apr 2009 Masters Tournament 68-68-69-71=276 −12 Playoff United States Chad Campbell, United States Kenny Perry

1 Co-sanctioned with the Argentine Tour

European Tour playoff record (1–2)

No.YearTournamentOpponent(s)Result
1 2005 Deutsche Bank Players Championship of Europe Sweden Niclas Fasth Lost to birdie on third extra hole
2 2009 Masters Tournament United States Chad Campbell, United States Kenny Perry Won with par on second extra hole
Campbell eliminated by par on first hole
3 2013 Masters Tournament Australia Adam Scott Lost to birdie on second extra hole

Asian Tour wins (1)

No. Date Tournament Winning score To par Margin of
victory		 Runner-up
1 4 Nov 2007 Barclays Singapore Open 71-63-70-72=276 −8 1 stroke Fiji Vijay Singh

PGA Tour Latinoamérica wins (2)

No. Date Tournament Winning score To par Margin of
victory		 Runner(s)-up
1 16 Dec 2012 Visa Open de Argentina 65-70-71-64=270 −8 4 strokes Argentina Miguel Carballo, Mexico Óscar Fraustro
2 21 Apr 2013 Abierto del Centro 72-72-76-64=284 E Playoff Argentina Rafael Gómez

Argentine Tour wins (28)

1 (Co-sanctioned with the European Tour)

Cordoba Tour wins (6)

  • 2001 (2) Ascochingas Tournament, La Cumbre Tournament
  • 2002 (2) Rio Cuarto Tournament, Las Delicias Tournament
  • 2008 (1) Cordoba PGA Championship
  • 2009 (1) Angel Cabrera Tour 2nd Tournament

Other wins (10)

Major championships

Wins (2)

YearChampionship54 holesWinning scoreMarginRunners-up
2007U.S. Open4 shot deficit+5 (69-71-76-69=285)1 strokeUnited States Jim Furyk, United States Tiger Woods
2009Masters TournamentTied for lead−12 (68-68-69-71=276)Playoff1United States Chad Campbell, United States Kenny Perry

1 Defeated Kenny Perry and Chad Campbell in a sudden-death playoff: Cabrera (4-4), Perry (4-5) and Campbell (5).

Results timeline

Tournament199719981999
Masters Tournament
U.S. Open
The Open Championship T51 T4
PGA Championship T41
Tournament2000200120022003200420052006200720082009
Masters Tournament CUT T10 T9 T15 CUT CUT T8 T37 T25 1
U.S. Open T37 T7 T66 T35 16 T33 T26 1 CUT T54
The Open Championship CUT CUT CUT T22 CUT 7 34 CUT T24
PGA Championship T19 T37 T48 T45 CUT CUT CUT T20 T63
Tournament201020112012201320142015201620172018
Masters Tournament T18 7 T32 2 CUT T22 T24 CUT CUT
U.S. Open T22 CUT T46 CUT CUT T64 T37 CUT
The Open Championship CUT CUT CUT T11 T19
PGA Championship CUT CUT CUT WD WD
  Win
  Top 10
  Did not play

WD = withdrew
CUT = missed the half way cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place.

Summary

TournamentWins2nd3rdTop-5Top-10Top-25EventsCuts made
Masters Tournament11026111913
U.S. Open1001241813
The Open Championship000126168
PGA Championship000002157
Totals210410236841
  • Most consecutive cuts made – 7 (2008 PGA – 2010 U.S. Open)
  • Longest streak of top-10s – 2 (2001 Masters – 2001 U.S. Open)

Results in World Golf Championship events

Tournament1999200020012002200320042005200620072008
Accenture Match Play Championship R64 R64 R32 R32 R32 R64 QF
Cadillac Championship T25 T17 NT1 T36 T16 T18 T26 T19 WD
Bridgestone Invitational T19 T23 T4 T41 T4 T69 T36
Tournament200920102011201220132014
Accenture Match Play Championship R64 R64
Cadillac Championship T50
Bridgestone Invitational T4 T33 T38 T31
HSBC Champions

1Cancelled due to 9/11

  Top 10
  Did not play

QF, R16, R32, R64 = Round in which player lost in match play
"T" = tied
NT = No tournament
Note that the HSBC Champions did not become a WGC event until 2009.

Team appearances

References

  1. ↑ Angel Cabrera Wins the 2009 Masters
  2. ↑ "Angel Cabrera Wife Silvia and New Girlfriend Coki". FabWags. Retrieved 20 March 2013.
  3. ↑ "Angel Cabrera – Tournament Wins". PGA European Tour. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
  4. ↑ Official World Golf Ranking – 2 October 2005
  5. ↑ 69 Players Who Have Reached The Top-10 In World Ranking
  6. ↑ "Cabrera to develop courses with Gary Player Design". PGA Tour. 2 October 2009.
  7. ↑ Cabrera disbelief at US Open win, BBC, 18 June 2007.
  8. ↑ "Cabrera named Argentine Sportsperson of the Year". PGA European Tour. 3 January 2008. Retrieved 13 January 2008.
  9. ↑ "Masters 2009". BBC Sport. 12 April 2009. Retrieved 13 April 2009.
  10. ↑ "Cabrera wins Greenbrier Classic". ESPN. Associated Press. 6 July 2014.
Awards
Preceded by
Argentina Germán Chiaraviglio		 Olimpia de Oro
2007		 Succeeded by
Argentina Juan Curuchet
Argentina Walter Pérez
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