If there is one repeating quality of great players… it’s their ability to somehow make it happen when they really need to under pressure, and particularly at the major events. I think Angel knew early he had Snedeker beat. So with the lead early on… he played pretty conservatively, just hitting fairways and greens and not taking any unnecessary chances. He’s a feel player, and he was feeling his way through the back nine keeping tabs on what needed to happen. He hit a great iron into 11, played 12 nicely, and I think at that point on 13, he felt like he could sew it up if he birdied or eagled 13. The drop area for that pin placement was accessible if he didn’t get it over the creek. He felt the lie was good, and he just missed the shot a bit… probably caught it a bit thin knowing he was playing off the pine straw. He certainly didn’t want to miss the tee shot left there… so he did favor the correct side. He played 14 nicely, but then missed right on 15… and didn’t convert birdie from the bunker. So with Scott making a move, he’s 1 down on 16 tee. So this is where he just had to regroup, and just bring out the best in himself. The birdie on 16 was fantastic. Great iron right at the pin… and makes a great putt when he needs it. The iron into 17 was absolute perfection. He knew it right when he hit it… you could see it. Not easy to leave it below the hole there with the pin up front. He hit another really good putt and that could have sewn it up for him in his mind at the time as you don’t see a lot of birdies on 18. He hits a perfect drive on 18… Then after seeing Scott make that great putt… he answers with that iron to near kick in. Just fantastic. To me, there was just a lot more pressure on that shot. It’s do or die… and he delivered with ball striking. Scott can miss his putt and still be looking very good. He didn’t have a gun to his head on 18, and was quite fortunate his drive didn’t roll out a few more feet into the bunker on 18. Taking nothing away from Scott’s birdie, but Cabrera played the hole much better with laser precision under the ultimate pressure situation. The playoff they basically matched shot for shot which was great to see, rather than watching guys hit wonder shots from the trees etc. That’s all entertaining sure… but I like to see the precision game executed under pressure… much more impressive. Cabrera’s strategy to play iron off the tee on 10 showed clear thinking and was perfectly executed… almost too good as his plan was to play first into the green and put the pressure on Scott.
Scott’s iron was absolutely clutch. So great to see him deliver that shot and answer Cabrera’s fine iron play.
Scott won because his putt went in… but Cabrera hit a great putt that could have gone in. It certainly wasn’t a choke stroke… he hit it right were he wanted it just like on 17… and of course nearly chipped in on 18.
That’s what the greats somehow do. We saw that for years with Jack, Seve, Faldo, Watson, Tiger.
Why don’t we see more of Cabrera week to week? I don’t think the typical flat lie landing area TPC courses play into his strengths. When his ball striking is on, he hits it better than most of the other guys… and he thrives under major pressure.
I think he’s a streaky player who’s tough to beat when he is on… particularly on a course which requires more precision driving and iron play like Augusta or Oakland Hills. He grew up playing in South America on more diverse conditions and can better adapt to the variety of slopes and wind and bad lies. If this were still the persimmon and balata era, and the tour played more of the classic shotmaker style tracks… I think Cabrera would be much more of a factor. Interesting to see Langer, and Lyle or even Couples for that matter having very respectable showings at Augusta against the bomb and gouge breed.
One other thought is that apparently he quit chain smoking… so the last few years may have been a big adjustment for him to play golf without the nicotine flowing through his body. It’s a factor. Hogan, Knudson, Chi Chi, a lot of these guys smoked during the round and got used to that feeling while playing in competition. We don’t see that much anymore with the tour training vans and guys with a nutritionist following them around after their workout. But I think Cabrera still sees golf more as a game than a sport which is refreshing.
