Angel Cabrera reinstated by PGA Tour following two-year prison sentence for gender violence

Angel Cabrera has been reinstated to the PGA Tour and PGA Tour Champions following a two-year prison sentence for gender violence.

In a letter obtained by Golf Digest, Cabrera was notified by Andy Levinson, senior vice president of the tour, on Dec. 18 that his suspension had been lifted effective immediately. “Failure to comply with the terms of your release from prison or any additional information regarding your legal situation in Argentina may result in the immediate reinstatement of your suspension,” Levinson wrote.

Cabrera, 54, was convicted in July 2021 in an Argentine court of assaulting, threatening and harassing Cecilia Torres Mana, who was Cabrera’s partner between 2016 and 2018. He was arrested in Rio de Janeiro in January of that year on charges of assault, theft, illegal intimidation and repeated disrespect to authorities and had been on Interpol’s “red code” list, which is used to seek the location and arrest of a person wanted by a legal jurisdiction or an international tribunal with a view to his or her extradition. Cabrera had been sought by authorities in a separate Argentine case involving assault claims filed by Torres Mana, and her case was joined by Cabrera’s former wife, Silva Rivadero, and another former partner Micaela Escudero.

The PGA Tour suspended Cabrera following his conviction. However, Cabrera was released from prison this past August, and competed in a professional golf tournament in Argentina last weekend.

Cabrera is widely considered the best golfer Argentina has produced, winning the 2007 U.S. Open at Oakmont and the 2009 Masters. He also finished runner-up at Augusta National in 2013, losing to Adam Scott in a playoff. He is credited with 52 official global wins and four Presidents Cup appearances. He made nine starts on the PGA Tour Champions in 2020, his last outing in September at the Pure Insurance Championship.