Cabrera Exits PGA Championship Empty-Handed
August 10, 2007
By Phillip Howley
Tulsa, Okla. - The PGA Championship, which bats cleanup each year in golf's major championship rotation, is known among the golfing nation as "Glory's Last Shot."
Angel Cabrera had a heaping helping of glory earlier this season. He became the first Argentinian to win the U.S. Open, coming from behind with a Sunday 69 and winning the national championship at Oakmont Country Club.
So, rather than take a "last shot" at glory in the 89th PGA Championship at Southern Hills, the 37-year old Cabrera took a lot of shots. Unfortunately, in a game where you are awarded for fewest shots, that's a problem.
During Thursday's opening round in toasty Tulsa, Cabrera took 81 shots to get around the par 70 grounds. He spent 10 of those swings at the par-3 sixth alone, all but ensuring that - his U.S. Open windfall notwithstanding - he would miss the glory and miss the cut at the PGA for the third consecutive time.
"I'm a professional. I come to play," Cabrera said through his caddie, Eduardo Gardino, after Thursday's frustrating round. "I'll try to play a good round (on Friday). You never know."
No question, Friday was a different story. Cabrera shaved 11 strokes off his opening debacle to register a second-round 70. But by then it was a case of, as Neil Young might sing, "Ooooh, the damage done."
Nothing was more corrosive to Cabrera's contending hopes than the sloppy septuple bogey he suffered just six holes into the tournament. He started by slamming a shot out of bounds, re-loading, and hitting another one OB.
On his third attempt to put one in play, Cabrera's shot rolled back off the green and into the creek. It was a "Tin Cup" moment.
He finally chipped onto the green, capped things off with a three-putt, and swallowed seven bogey strokes.
"Just a bad hole," Cabrera said. "Hit some bad shots, made 10 and that was it."
Through Guardino, Cabrera told reporters he thought his second tee shot at No. 6 on Thursday - one that wound up near a hedge-covered fence - did not truly go out of bounds, as an official ruled. Cabrera was not happy about the situation and continued to converse with the official after putting out. He even held up a ball next to his putter shaft to make his point.
Whether the shot was out of bounds might be debatable; whether Cabrera's game went off the deep end was indeed in question. The frazzled Earl of Oakmont bogeyed the next two holes in succession and made the turn with a 44. He did not make another birdie until circling his score at No. 13, his fourth hole, on Friday. Cabrera washed away that second-round birdie with a bogey on the par-5 fifth.
He putted superbly on Friday, one-putting seven holes and needing only 27 rolls to complete his round. Unfortunately, the tourniquet was not nearly big enough. Thus, Cabrera, who was 34th at the British Open last month and tied for 37th at the Masters, will have to settle for the major championship glory he achieved at Oakmont.
Cabrera had company on the highway headed home. Masters champion Zach Johnson (74-76) and No. 7 ranked Vijay Singh (71-76) also got the weekend off.
PhillipHowley is a freelance writer whose work has appeared previously on USGA championship Web sites.