Former Masters champion Angel Cabrera has been told of the one condition he must meet to make his return to Augusta this year.
Cabrera was released from prison in 2023 after 30 months behind bars in Brazil and Argentina for domestic violence convictions.
He's since been back on the course in South America, making his comeback at The Coast Open last month and finished tied-10th.
The 54-year-old has now been reinstated to play on the PGA Tour and the PGA Tour Champions events.
Angel Cabrera is making his comeback on the tour
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He'll make his return on the PGA Tour Champions next month in Morocco and that tournament will be followed by an appearance on the Korn Ferry Tour at the Visa Argentina Open in Buenos Aires.
But Cabrera's ultimate dream is to make a return to Augusta for the first time since 2019.
Masters chairman Fred Ridley has now opened the door for Cabrera to make his Augusta comeback this year.
However, Ridley added that Cabrera's participation in the Masters will depend on whether the 2009 champion can obtain a visa.
“Angel certainly is one of our great champions,” Ridley said.
“As we all know, he has been unable to participate in the Masters the last couple of years due to legal issues.
"Presently we have been in constant contact with Angel’s representatives.
"He presently is not able to enter the United States. He doesn’t have a visa, and I know that that process is being worked through.
"We certainly wish him the best of luck with that, and we’ll definitely welcome him back if he’s able to straighten out those legal issues.”
Cabrera's manager, Manuel Tagle, confirmed that an appointment has already been made to try and get the golf star's visa sorted in March.
Angel Cabrera handing over the Masters jacket to Phil Mickelson in 2010
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“While competing in the Masters again is a dream, securing a visa is Angel’s priority at the moment so he can resume his professional career,” he told Golfweek.
“We are working on getting an appointment with the U.S. Embassy in Argentina.
"Probably early March as his visa has expired January 2024.
”The Champions tour's president, Miller Brady, believes Cabrera's peers will "forgive" the 2007 US Open champion.
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Angel Cabrera last played the Masters in 2019
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“He’s been gone for three years and served time in jail and had time for personal reflection,” Brady told Golfweek.
“It’s a bit like Jim Thorpe, who spent time in jail (for tax evasion) and was welcomed back. It’s a little different.
"I don’t know if he can travel in the United States because he needs a visa. I think guys forgive.
"I’m not sure if spouses will forgive, that’s the bigger question. But he has the right to play.”
