Cabrera to relax . . . and watch his beloved Boca Juniors!
NOW that US Open champion Angel Cabrera has won the 2007 edition of the Grand Slam of Golf at Mid Ocean, he can return to his home in Argentina and do what he likes the best ¿ putting his feet up and having his life-long friends over for a barbecue and opening some of his favourite wine, the delicious Argentinian Malbec. And he will be able to afford quite a few bottles since in the last week he has added $1,400,000 to his bank account after picking up $800,000 for finishing second to Ernie Els in the World Match Play Championships in England on Sunday and then winning the Grand Slam in Bermuda on Wednesday which pays him another $600,000.
And while back in his home country he will no doubt want to take in a game of his beloved Boca Juniors. Like everyone in Argentina, football is in his blood.
His caddy, Eddie Gardino who is also from Argentina, said: "He loves Boca. He is a great football fan and Boca is his team."
Cabrera has said that his "wildest dream" is to watch "Argentina beat Brazil in the World Cup final". And the way Messi and company are playing right now that dream could become a reality.
While Cabrera said he liked Bermuda calling is a "great vacation spot", he wasted no time flying back to Argentina from Bermuda leaving right after the tournament on Wednesday for a 10-day break. "He gets back to Argentina all of the time," said Gardino.
One thing Cabrera will not be doing is smoking. During his two rounds at Mid Ocean this week the man they call El Pato (The Duck) was constantly chewing gum and Gardino, standing outside Mid Ocean and having a puff himself, said: "He quit smoking three or four months ago ¿ right after the US Open. Now he just eats a little more on the course."
Gardino, who is a superb golfer himself and has shot a 62 before, said of the Mid Ocean course: "The greens are typical island greens. You have to be very focussed and you have to pay attention because they are very difficult to read. We have had it easy here because there has hardly been any wind at all. It can blow 20 mph like nothing and then it becomes a real challenge. Unfortunately there has not been much wind so it does make it easier. But this course is not easy."
Cabrera overcame an atrocious start during Wednesday's second round but had a spectacular finish to win against Padraig Harrington in a playoff.
Cabrera recovered from a triple bogey on the opening hole that put him five shots behind with a birdie-eagle finish to close with a 2-under 68 and get into a playoff with the Open champion.
He finally beat Harrington on the third extra hole with another booming tee shot and a 4-iron into 18 feet on the par-5 18th. Cabrera took two putts for birdie, which was all he needed when Harrington hit into a deep bunker off the tee and still had four feet for par when the Argentine tapped in.
It was the first time Harrington, who closed with a 69, had trailed all afternoon.
Jim Furyk, the replacement for PGA champion Tiger Woods, took a triple bogey on the par-5 11th hole that doomed his chances, but birdies on four of the last five holes gave him a 67 to finish third at 138. Masters champion Zach Johnson was seven shots behind with 10 holes to play and still gave himself a chance until a bogey on the last hole for a 68 to finish another shot back.