AUGUSTA.- He Augusta Masters He defended his invitation to the Argentine golfer on Wednesday Ángel Cabrerachampion of the 2009 edition, to participate this week in the tournament after he turned 30 months for domestic violence.
Fred Ridley, president of the Augusta National Field, responded to the claims of women’s groups for the presence of Cabrera, who was part of the so -called champions dinner Tuesday night.
“We certainly hate domestic violence of any kind,” Ridley said in an intervention prior to Thursday’s first round.
“With regard to Angel, Ángel has served the sentence imposed by the Argentine courts and is a former champion, so he was invited,” he said.
All the winners of the Masters, which this week celebrates its 89th edition, usually have a place insured to compete in the event for the rest of their career.
In the case of Cabrera, Ridley pointed out that his absence last year was because he did not have a visa to enter the United States.
Jamie Klingler, co -founder of Relaim before Streets, a British group for the defense of women’s rights, presented criticisms of the return of Cabrera.
“It seems that while male athletes can excel by hitting a ball, we excuse those same men to hit women,” Klingler told the BBC.
History
Cabrera, 55, was arrested in January 2021 in Brazil after not appearing before a prosecutor in Argentina in August 2020 for accusations of domestic violence that included injuries and intimidation.
The golfer was extradited to Argentina in June 2021 and sentenced to two years in prison.
In November 2022 he was convicted of another aggression and sentenced to two years and four more months in prison. Cabrera left prison in August 2023.
One of the victims denounced that Cabrera hit her and locked her in a closet.
The Argentine, who underwent mandatory therapy while he was imprisoned, admitted to the environment Golf Digest who launched a cell phone at the head of his partner.
On Tuesday, Cabrera said he respected criticism for his presence in the Masters, but said he deserves that place: “I have won the Masters. Why not?”
“Obviously I regret things that happened and one learns from them,” he added. “But at the same time those things are in the past and you have to look forward, what comes (…) life has given me another chance and I have to take advantage of it.”
The Argentine, who does not compete in a Grand Slam tournament since 2019, was authorized to play PGA events in 2023 and last week he won his first tournament of the PGA Tour Champions, circuit for golfers over 50 years.
