Former US Open and Masters champion Angel Cabrera will be released from prison later on Friday.

The 53-year-old gave no interviews, had no press conference, and released no statement. “I just want to go home, be with my family, and start a new phase of my life,” he told Golf Digest, through his long-time manager, Manuel Tagle.

His partner, Yamila Alvarez, will retrieve him from Monte Cristo, the minimum-security prison 10 miles east of Córdoba where the prominent Argentine golfer had spent the past seven months.

All told, Cabrera has spent more than 30 months in three prisons, serving concurrent sentences for domestic violence and other lesser charges.

His legal woes date back to 2016. Over a period of about four years, court filings by his ex-wife Silva Rivadero, who alleged physical assault and verbal threats, and by two ex-girlfriends, Micaela Escudero, who alleged domestic violence, and Cecilia Torres Mana, who accused Cabrera of being verbally and physically abusive, darkened his future.

Argentine golfer Angel Cabrera before a hearing as part of his trial. Diego Lima

Then, in August 2020, shortly before a mandated court appearance, Cabrera flew to the Senior Players Championship in Akron, Ohio, without giving local authorities prior notice. This triggered a Red Notice issued by Interpol, which alerts police worldwide about internationally wanted fugitives.

Everything came to a head on January 14, 2021, when Cabrera’s return to South America triggered the Interpol alert and he was swarmed by Brazilian federal officers in a quiet upscale neighbourhood in Rio de Janeiro, where he was staying with Alvarez.

Cabrera then spent four-and-a-half months in the notorious Plácido de Sá Carvalho prison on the outskirts of Rio. When he was finally extradited to Argentina in June, 2021, after COVID-related delays, he was remanded to Cordoba’s Bouwer prison, to stand trial on charges of domestic violence, intimidation and theft.

The trial was covered widely across South America, on television and in print, featuring video and photos of Cabrera in court, donning a jacket with the Presidents Cup logo and various COVID face masks, including one with an image of Eva Peron.

During the court proceedings, the prosecution homed in on two altercations between Cabrera and Torres Mana, who had a tumultuous two-year relationship with the golfer between 2016 and 2018. In the first, Torres Mana, a Cordoba police officer, claimed that Cabrera struck her twice after hurling insults at her while standing outside her driver-side window. In the second, she described him whipping an iPhone at her during a heated argument, injuring her scalp. Cabrera denied he hit her with the phone in court documents.

Cabrera maintained his innocence throughout the trial and disputed Torres Mana’s narrative point by point, though he did admit that he had battled alcohol addiction, and even sought treatment in 2018, according to an account detailed in the case’s 168-page sentencing document.

When asked during the trial about Cabrera’s sentencing, Cordoba prosecutor Laura Battistelli, stated that “his situation is much more complex than this, he has other charges for which there are arrest warrants, too”, adding that “there are other victims”.

Angel Cabrera during the pinnacle of his Masters career, receiving his green jacket after victory in 2009. The State

Cabrera was found guilty of two counts of assault against Torres Mana and began serving a two-year sentence immediately after the verdict. He spent the next 18 months interred in Carcel de Bouwer outside Cordoba, which has housed some of Argentina’s most violent criminals. It’s nickname ‘El Penal del Infierno’ or ‘The Prison from Hell’ alludes to a reputation for gang-activity and overcrowding,

Last November, Cabrera appeared in court a second time to face assault charges, this time from Micaela Escudero. During this second trial, he was contemplative rather than combative, admitting to local press that confinement had benefitted him. “Many say prison is bad, but it’s not the case, prison has done me good,” he said. He was convicted of assaulting Escudero and sentenced to another two years and four months, to be served concurrently.

At the end of 2022, having complied with all prison requirements at Bouwer, including exhibiting stellar conduct and engaging in regular therapy sessions with a prison psychologist, he was transferred to Monte Cristo. “The difference was like night and day,” manager Tagle says. “Bouwer is a typical South American prison, all concrete and bars. Inmates there are crammed into a large hall filled with tables and chairs for ten hours a day with limited access to the outdoors. Monte Cristo is a 90-hectare farm with no cells or bars. You have your own room, work in the fields and can cook your own meals if you want.” At Monte Cristo, Cabrera was permitted his own mobile phone, and starting two months ago, earned day passes to go home between 6am and 10pm several times a month.

By all accounts, Cabrera was a well-behaved and responsive prisoner. While at Bouwer, he supplemented his prison-based counselling sessions, hiring an outside therapist who he plans to continue to work with.

Through Tagle, Cabrera also relayed that he wants to focus on a calibrated physical fitness regimen. “I lost a lot of muscle mass in prison. I need to get that back. I just don’t feel that great physically.” He doesn’t know how his wrist, which was operated on in 2020, will respond to intensive training.

The case with Rivadero is still pending. As a condition of his early release, Cabrera must have no contact with either ex-girlfriend, as well as ask for permission to leave Argentina.

The post Angel Cabrera to be released from prison after serving 30 months appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Cabrera was convicted for assaulting an ex-partner for a second time on Monday, according to Agence France Presse. The 53-year-old received an additional two years and four months of prison time for assaulting Micaela Escudero.

Cabrera is still serving a two-year sentence for assaulting, threatening and harassing Cecilia Torres Mana, who was Cabrera’s partner between 2016 and 2018. The latest sentence will run concurrently with the first one, which was handed down last July.

“Many say prison is bad, but it’s not the case, prison has done me good,” Cabrera said at the trial, according to local press.

After being accused of assault by both former partners — as well as by ex-wife Silva Rivadero — Cabrera was arrested in Rio de Janeiro last January before being extradited to his native Argentina in June.

Cabrera remains the only South American to win either the Masters or the US Open. He won his first major at Oakmont in 2007 before winning the green jacket in 2009. Cabrera is credited with 53 professional wins, and has been a member of four International Presidents Cup teams.

You may also like:
Get your FREE November issue of Golf Digest Middle East here
Rory backs Tiger for PIP award
Four Saudi courses certified by GEO Foundation
Rory confirmed for Dubai Desert Classic
Rule-change bonus for forgetful golfers
Langer continues to deliver on senior tour
Three players set for DPWTC pro-am after Luckiest Ball triumph
DP World Tour Championship to be greenest yet
Rory shows of funny side and impressive trophy room
Famous Tiger Woods golf ball up for auction
Lydia Ko having ‘best season of her life’
Scheffler can steal back No. 1 from Rory
Nelly and Lexi in for QBE Shootout
Dubai’s Chiara Noja on a stellar 12 months as a pro
Tiger and Rory to play in ‘The Match’
Bubba says he was paid guaranteed money from PGA Tour to appear in events 
DP World Tour announces guaranteed pay for players and launches 2023 calendar
Koepka leads LIV fleet at International Series Morocco
Top tips from Butch Harmon

The post Angel Cabrera sentenced to additional 28 months in prison for second assault conviction appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Joel Beall
Angel Cabrera was sentenced Wednesday to two years in prison on charges he assaulted his former partner.

A court in the province of Cordoba, Argentina convicted Cabrera of assaulting, threatening and harassing Cecilia Torres Mana, who was Cabrera’s partner between 2016 and 2018. In the trial Cabrera denied any wrongdoing. He will serve the sentence immediately.

Cabrera, 51, was arrested in Rio de Janeiro in January on charges of assault, theft, illegal intimidation and repeated disrespect to authorities. He 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 on the run from an Argentine case involving assault claims filed by Torres Mana. Her case was joined by Cabrera’s former wife, Silva Rivadero, and another former partner Micaela Escudero.

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. He made those visits to the United States without asking for permission from Argentine authorities, as requested due to the investigation. His trips to the U.S. forced prosecutors in Cordoba to issue an international arrest warrant.

The post Angel Cabrera sentenced to 2 years in prison for assault appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Joel Beall
Two-time major champion Angel Cabrera was extradited from Brazil to his homeland of Argentina on Tuesday to face charges of assault against three former female partners.

Cabrera, 51, was arrested in Rio de Janeiro in January on charges of assault, theft, illegal intimidation and repeated disrespect to authorities. He 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 on the run from an Argentine case involving assault claims filed by Cecilia Torres Mana, a former girlfriend. Torres Mana’s case was joined by Cabrera’s former wife Silva Rivadero and another former partner, Micaela Escudero.

Television networks in Argentina Tuesday showed Cabrera being handed over by authorities near the border city of Puerto Iguazu. Cabrera will be transported on Wednesday to Cordoba, where he will face trial. The trial is expected to begin in July.

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. He made those visits to the United States without asking for permission from Argentine authorities, as requested due to the investigation. His trips to the U.S. forced prosecutors in Cordoba to issue an international arrest warrant.

The post Two-time major champ Cabrera extradited to Argentina on assault charges appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Alan Shipnuck
AUGUSTA, Ga. — Tiger Woods loomed large in his absence around Augusta National on Tuesday. One by one, players came into the press room and told cute stories about their interactions with the wounded champ, growing wistful over Woods missing this Masters as he continues to heal from injuries sustained in his single-car accident on Feb. 23. Ahead of the Tuesday night Champions Dinner there was talk of his comrades leaving a chair empty for Tiger in a touching gesture of regard.

Another Masters champ is absent this week but it has provoked little discussion and no sentimental tributes. Instead of enjoying his place among the sport’s royalty, Angel Cabrera stews in a jail cell in Brazil. The void left by the winner of the 2009 Masters was a taboo subject at the Champions Dinner. Says Larry Mize, “We don’t know the details so there’s not much to say. We’re sorry he’s not here and just hope things get better.”

Before the meal, Cabrera was acknowledged along with the other living champs who were missing one of the most exclusive gatherings in sports: Woods and Jackie Burke, Jr., who at 98 elected not to make the trip. “We mentioned those who weren’t there and we prayed for them and that was about it,” says Zach Johnson.

Cabrera was arrested by Brazilian federal officers on Jan. 14 in an upscale neighbourhood in Rio de Janeiro. He had recently been the subject of a Red Notice issued by Interpol, which alerts police worldwide about internationally wanted fugitives. Cabrera’s legal troubles date back several years, to a filing in his native Argentina by ex-wife Silva Rivadero, who alleged physical assault and verbal threats. A former partner, Cecilia Torres Mana, accused Cabrera of being physically abusive and in one altercation trying to run her over with a car. Her lawyer said publicly that Cabrera repeatedly violated a restraining order that Mana had filed.

The State
Angel Cabrera during the pinnacle of his Masters career, receiving his green jacket after victory in 2009.

Another ex-girlfriend, Micaela Escudero, also has alleged domestic violence. Over the last three years, as law enforcement in Argentina investigated the allegations, Cabrera was compelled to notify authorities in his hometown of Cordoba whenever he planned to travel abroad. In August 2020, shortly before a trial was to begin, Cabrera failed to give notice that he was flying to the Senior Players Championship in Akron, Ohio. This triggered the Interpol alert, which led to Cabrera’s arrest. The terms of his extradition back to Argentina to stand trial continue to be negotiated.

Cabrera’s lawyer Carlos Hairabedian asserts his client’s innocence, saying in a recent radio interview, “He is not a serial abuser. He is not the monster they have consistently tried to portray him as in the media.”

Along with Roberto De Vincenzo, Cabrera is the most celebrated golfer to come out of South America. With a triumph at the 2007 U.S. Open to go with his Masters win, Cabrera joins Jack Nicklaus, Ben Hogan and Dustin Johnson as the only men who have conquered Augusta National and Oakmont. The salacious allegations against Cabrera and now his arrest have generated headlines throughout South America. At the Masters, where the past champs enjoy a lifetime of lionization, Cabrera’s absence did not create so much as a ripple on Rae’s Creek.

Reporting by Luis Fernando LlosaAlan

Shipnuck is a partner with the Fire Pit Collective.

MORE MASTERS 2021 STORIES FROM GOLF DIGEST:
A comprehensive history of every change made to Augusta National Golf Club
Bryson DeChambeau still intends to take down Augusta. But here’s how he’s changing his plan of attack
Everything you need to know about the three amateurs competing at Augusta National
Augusta National’s most under-the-radar champions
A newly discovered letter from Bobby Jones reveals he might’ve had a different architect in mind for Augusta National
Augusta National as a ‘shotmaker’s course?’ Maybe not
Collin Morikawa’s yardage book reveals the work pros put in to prep for Augusta National

The post Angel Cabrera missed the Champions Dinner as he sits in a jail cell thousands of miles away appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Ryan Herrington
It’s safe to say that Bryson DeChambeau will most appreciate his U.S. Open victory through the prism of numbers. And there are plenty that should put a smile on the big man’s face. A final-round 67 at Winged Foot, the lowest shot by a winner of any of the U.S. Opens played on the West Course and the only sub-par round shot all Sunday. A six-stroke victory, the largest margin since Martin Kaymer’s seven at Pinehurst in 2014. A driving-distance average of 325.6 yards, the longest by an Open winner (although only the seventh longest in the field this week).

But the number that might be the most amazing is the one that also might be the most controversial. For the week, DeChambeau hit a total of 23 out of 56 fairways for a mere 41.1 percent success rate. If you think it’s outrageous for a U.S. Open champion to be that wild off the tee, you’re not wrong, at least according to the stats.

Consider this: Since 1981, no U.S. Open winner had hit fewer than 27 fairways, according to Golf Channel. Here’s a listing of the champs with the fewest fairways hit in the last 40 years.

Angel Cabrera, 2007, Oakmont, 27 (ranked 48th for the week in accuracy)
Tiger Woods, 2008, Torrey Pines, 30 (ranked 56th)
Webb Simpson, 2012, Olympic Club, 31 (ranked 13th)
Scott Simpson, 1987, Olympic Club, 31 (ranked 42nd)

Interestingly, while DeChambeau hit the fewest fairways compared to the four others, he ranked T-26 for the field on the week, which is the second to Webb Simpson. Also, despite hitting so few fairways, DeChambeau did hit 64 percent of his greens in regulation, which tied for fifth in the field.

In the final round, DeChambeau hit six of 14 fairways, and yet he was the only player, as previously mentioned, in red figures on the day. His 67 compared to an overall scoring average of 74.9. Stats guru Justin Ray with The 15th Club helped put the round in context.

Most strokes gained total in final round by @usopengolf champion since 1960:

1973 Johnny Miller, 10.77
1960 Arnold Palmer, 9.29
1967 Jack Nicklaus, 8.19
2020 Bryson DeChambeau, 7.90

— Justin Ray (@JustinRayGolf) September 20, 2020

The post This has to be the most mind-boggling stat from Bryson DeChambeau’s runaway win appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Alex Myers

Wiener schnitzel (Bernhard Langer, 1986) (pictured above)
The German was one of the first players to really personalize the Champions Dinner menu and he chose wiener schnitzel (breaded veal) and Black Forest cake, two popular foods in his native country. When he won his second green jacket in 1993, he stuck with the cake, but switched to turkey and dressing for the entree.

Haggis (Sandy Lyle, 1989)
Lyle was so fired up about getting to host the Champions Dinner that he wore a kilt and served the Scottish specialty made of minced sheep organs. “That seemed to make quite a statement,” Lyle told the Augusta Chronicle. “The older guys, like [Jack] Nicklaus, had been to Scotland and knew what haggis was. But the newer ones, guys like Lar-ry Mize, they weren’t too sure about that.”

Chicken Cacciatore (Fred Couples, 1993)
Freddie payed homage to his Italian roots by serving chicken cacciatore with spaghetti on the side (his paternal grandparents immigrated from Italy and changed their last name from Coppola). Couples’ choice thrilled at least one other Masters winner with an Italian background. Gene Sarazen called it his favourite Champions Dinner.

Cheeseburgers, fries, milkshakes (Tiger Woods, 1998)
It’s not a coincidence that the youngest winner of the Masters essentially served a kid’s meal. “Hey, it’s part of being young,” Woods said. “It’s what I eat.” Byron Nelson, for one, didn’t complain. He reportedly told Tiger he was glad he ordered cheeseburgers, “because I don’t get this at home.”

Chicken Panang curry (Vijay Singh, 2001)
Singh served a Thai-themed feast that also included seafood Tom Kha, Chilean sea bass with chili and rack of lamb with yellow kari sauce. Singh reportedly had the chef make the spicy chili sauce milder than usual to better appeal to the other guests. Aww, what a guy.

Elk and wild boar (Mike Weir, 2004)
The only Canadian to win a major championship served plenty of big game from the Great White North. There was also fried chicken and filet mignon for the less adventurous. And a selection of Canadian beer, of course.

Lobster ravioli (Phil Mickelson, 2005)
Lefty went Italian for his first Champions Dinner, which also included caesar salad and garlic bread to go with the ravioli in a tomato cream sauce. Apparently, this is a year-round favourite in the Mickelson. Phil and Amy later shared their recipe for the dish with WorldLifestyle.com.

Chicken and beef fajitas (Tiger Woods, 2006 & 2020)
Tiger graduated from burgers and fries to steak, chicken and sushi in 2002 and 2003. Then in 2006 he served fajitas with Mexican rice and refried beans, which friend Mark O’Meara happened to serve in 1999. It was good enough then that Woods had said it was returning to the menu for his 2020 Champions Dinner, which sadly has to wait until this November.

Veal osso bucco ravioli (Zach Johnson, 2008)
Actually, this dish isn’t as curious when you consider how many things Johnson served at his dinner. The menu also contained chilled jumbo shrimp, crab cakes, lobster bisque, filet mignon, seared ahi tuna, Iowa corn pudding, sweet potato casserole, and flourless chocolate cake. Hey, you never know when you’re going to get this chance again, right?

South African bobotie (Trevor Immelman, 2009)
This South African dish is a minced meat pie with egg topping. Immelman also provided a variety of South African wines that were probably a lot more popular with the other guests.

Argentinian barbecue (Angel Cabrera, 2010)
Cabrera served a spread from his home country of chorizo, short ribs, beef filets mollejas (sweetbreads) and blood sausages. When asked about the host’s selection, Jack Nicklaus joked, “Oh, I hope he enjoys it.” Oh, we’re sure Cabrera did.

Spanish seafood paella (Phil Mickelson, 2011)
Mickelson honoUred cancer-stricken Seve Ballesteros, who couldn’t make the dinner, with his meal in 2011. Aside from the paella, machango-topped filet mignon, tortillas and Spanish apple pie were also served. “I just want him to know we all wish he was here and we are thinking about him,” Mickelson said. Sadly, Ballesteros died the following month.

Moreton bay bugs (Adam Scott, 2014)
Adam Scott flew this personal favoUrite in from Australia to accompany the New York strip steak. “They are legitimate bugs, the real deal,” Scott said of the critters that are actually just insect-like lobsters. “I’m not going to serve up anything second rate tonight. I’ve got to go all-out to impress these guys.” Interesting tactic.

Tres leches cake (Sergio Garcia, 2018)
And not just any tres leches cake. Sergio served “Angela Garcia’s tres leches cake.” We believe this marks the first time that a WAG’s name has appeared on the official Champions Dinner menu. Regardless, it sounds like the green jacket winners were in for quite a treat.

The post 14 Curious Masters Champions Dinner Choices appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

It’s a rejuvenation that’s instilled belief that Woods can find the winner’s circle at Augusta National for the first time since 2005. However, though no one wants to come into Georgia cold, does momentum really matter at the Masters?

Well, it depends on how you define “momentum.”

If that word is delineated with “win,” there’s some correlation. Yes, the past four Masters winners—Sergio Garcia, Danny Willett, Jordan Spieth and Bubba Watson—won at least one event in the preceding two months to the tournament. But theirs is a recent trend, as only one of the previous six victors, Charl Schwartzel, notched a pre-Augusta W. If you want to extrapolate to 2003, add three—Phil Mickelson, Woods and Mike Weir—to the Venn Diagram. Meaning the Masters champ has already hit pay dirt before strolling down Magnolia Lane over half the time in the past 15 years.

Tiger, obviously, has not found himself atop the leader board at Sunday’s end in five attempts this season. But many don’t confine momentum to merely wins; reasonable observers would consider Woods’ three straight top-12 finishes as “feeling it.” So we went back to the 15-year set and analyzed how many Masters winners posted multiple top-15s in their Augusta National warm-up.

The short answer? Damn near all of ‘em.

Analysing a player’s five previous tournament results leading up to the Masters, seven of the past eight champions, and 12 of the past 15, have multiple top-15 finishes. And if you narrow the focus to the past six years, five of the past six winners have recorded three or more top-15s, with Willett the lone exception.

Viewing this data through another prism, only two players came out of the woodwork to claim their share of immortality since 2003: Angel Cabrera (previous five tournaments: MC-MC-T32-T33-T13) and Trevor Immelman (MC-T40-T48-T65-MC). Schwartzel wasn’t lighting the world on fire, although did begin 2011 with three consecutive top eights, including a win at the Joburg Open.

Woods will have plenty of obstacles in pursuit of his 15th major, particularly his driving woes (eight of the past nine winners ranked inside the top 25 in strokes gained: off-the-tee entering Augusta National; Tiger stands in 148th at the moment). But a lack of reps won’t be one of them. If recent history is any indication, Woods’ Masters tune-up meets the prerequisite for green jacket candidacy.

The post Does momentum matter at the Masters? What it means for Tiger Woods at Augusta National appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Ryan Herrington
It’s a two-day exhibition with relatively low stakes but genuinely big rewards, as the latest champions can attest. Two-time major winner Angel Cabrera and his son, Angel Jr., weren’t originally scheduled to play in this week’s PNC Father/Son Challenge. But the duo received the last invitation into the 20-team field when Curtis and Tom Strange had to bow out, and made it count with a two-stroke victory over Bernhard and Jason Langer and David Duval and Nick Karavites.

The Cabreras followed up an opening 59 in the scramble format on Saturday with a 12-under 60 at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club in Orlando on Sunday.

“[This week] has been so special that it really can’t compare to any event I have played in the past,” Angel Jr., said. The 28-year-old, who goes by the nickname Angelito has been trying to follow in his father’s footsteps, having turned pro and played in 15 PGA Tour Latinoamerica events during his career. He also has made one lone PGA Tour start, a missed cut at the 2013 Puerto Rico Open.

Cabrera Sr., meanwhile, has struggled in 2017, playing 17 events and making just five cuts, with no finish better than T-34 in an individual stroke-play event. He came into the week in Orlando with an injured wrist but became inspired by the circumstances.

“This is certain my best week of the year,” said Cabrera, 48, the 2009 Masters champ and 2007 U.S. Open at Oakmont. “To play alongside all the legends … as well as playing alongside my son, has been the greatest week of the year.”

The Cabreras are just the fourth father-son team to claim the title in their first appearance.

The post Cabrera duo take advantage of late entry, win PNC Father/Son Challenge appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

De Vicenzo is a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame, to which he was inducted in 1989 on the basis of 231 international victories, including eight on the PGA Tour, his victory in the 1967 British Open and his win in the inaugural U.S. Senior Open in 1980.

But it was at the 1968 Masters that he made the news for which he is most remembered. He and Bob Goalby completed 72 holes tied for first, but De Vicenzo, who had shot a 65 in the final round, signed a scorecard that added to 66. A 4 was entered as his score on the 17th hole, yet he had made a birdie 3.

“What a stupid I am to be wrong here,” he famously said, one of sports’ most enduring quotes, though usually it is shortened to, “What a stupid I am.”

De Vicenzo said in an interview with ESPN Radio that when countryman Angel Cabrera won the Masters in 2009, it “brought a few tears to my eyes … because I would have loved to have that jacket myself as well.”

He likely would have won with greater frequency in the U.S. had he elected to travel more.

“Of course, part of me would have liked to have won more major championships and been more famous,” De Vicenzo told Golf World editor Jaime Diaz in 2006. “But my character is more comfortable where I have no obligation. I was not like Palmer, or Nicklaus or Gary Player. I wouldn’t like to be Tiger Woods. Their life has been one of work, of sacrifice, of leaving many beautiful things in life behind to dedicate to success. Yes, I played all over the world. But more in my own time.”

On the European Tour alone, De Vicenzo won the French Open, the German Open, the Dutch Open, the Spanish Open and the Belgian Open, in addition to his British Open title at Royal Liverpool. In the latter, he defeated Jack Nicklaus by two shots to win the claret jug.

“When somebody passes it’s a sad thing,” Nicklaus said on Friday. “Roberto De Vicenzo was not only a great golfer, but he was a great friend. I think the last time I was with Roberto we were in Argentina, and it was only about three or four years ago, I think. And we were with him and he always talked about how he said, I’m stupid, because what he did at the Masters that one year. He still talked about it, 40 years later he still talked about it.

“He was a nice man, nice player. We had only one time that we came down the stretch playing against each other, which I guess was the British Open in ’67, I believe. That hole I ended up losing to him. I think he birdied 17 and I did not birdie 17. And then I didn’t birdie 18. I think I may have bogeyed 18. But I don’t really know what to say except that I think he represented his country. He represented the game of golf. He was one of the really good guys.”

Cabrera paid homage to De Vicenzo via Twitter on Friday.

https://twitter.com/cabrera_pato/status/870357472850173952

The translation: “A great sadness of Roberto de Vicenzo! No doubt Argentina and the golf today are mourning! Thank you for both master!”

According to golf writer David Mackintosh, a longtime friend, De Vicenzo began to decline a few weeks ago after falling and fracturing a hip. A fixture for decades on the course and the practice tee at his home club, Ranelagh GC in Buenos Aires, De Vicenzo in the last few years had stopped playing golf. “Roberto was goodness,” said Mackintosh. “All the way through. Everyone loved him.”

The post World Golf Hall of Famer Roberto De Vicenzo, first Argentine to win a major, dies at 94 appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.