He was three when his parents separated. His father, a handyman, and his mother, a maid, had no choice but to leave him in the care of his grandmother. He was 10 when he first entered the world of golf, working as a caddy at a local country club. He felt passionate enough about this sport to drop out of school in sixth grade to pursue it full time. He was 16 years old when a wealthy friend bought him his first set of clubs. A far cry from the coddling and silver spoon most associate with the professional golfer.

Angel Cabrera’s unorthodox style only begins with his powerful, overbearing swing. We live in times where every person, especially professional athletes, is overly concerned with a healthy image. Cabrera shuns this outlook, boasting a portly figure on the links. Even taking it one step further, while Tiger Woods may endorse Gatorade for rejuvenation, Cabrera took to old fashioned heaters. Yes, in a time where smoking is frowned upon and even banned in most arenas, Cabrera was seen up to last year lighting one up between practically every hole.

Hey, smoke ‘em if you got ‘em, right?

Sadly for Cabrera, this year’s Masters tournament will be remembered more for the men who lost than for the victor. The resurgence of Tiger Woods back to the tournament was the main media story heading into Augusta. Woods is recovering from reconstructive surgery to repair the ACL in his left knee. On top of this, he had also been playing with a stress fracture in his tibia. He would go on to finish tied for sixth while shooting -8 for the tournament.

Phil Mickelson was the other fan favorite who failed to be the victor at Augusta National’s Golf Club. Mickelson was in contention on the last day, but an errant shot on the 12th hole sealed his fate. His mistake on the famous par 3 left him without a prayer on Amen Corner. The much anticipated matchup between Mickelsoon and Woods failed to come to fruition, as it was Kenny Perry, Chad Campbell, and Cabrera playing for the championship on Sunday.

The other man who is destined to be remembered more than the champion is Kenny Perry. After being up by two strokes with two holes remaining, Perry bogied the final two to force a playoff. He made it through the first playoff hole, but Cabrera would seize the title on the 2nd playoff hole.

Who wasn’t the champion of the Masters in 2009? Several participants, headlined by Tiger, Phil, and all others are the answer to that question. This year, there is one man to remember. The working class caddy who rose from Nowhere, Argentina to claim his first Masters title. While members such as Warren Buffet, Bill Gates, and Jack Welch look on from the club house, they can see there is a new member. Angel Cabrera can resume his old habit, as smoking jackets come in a shade of green this year.

Congratulations to Angel Cabrera, the 2009 Masters champion.

Share on Facebook