Interview

The beginnings of Pato Cabrera: “Never relaxed. I played to eat”

Wegolf 08 Jul 2020

His first tournaments. His time as a player and caddie. The first triumphs: “I was lucky enough to win very quickly.” Relive this moving IG Live.

You can also listen to it here:

These were his most prominent phrases:

“I played my first tournament at 17. It was the Argentine Open played here in Villa Allende, in '87. Later it became the Buenos Aires Open.”

“I was a caddie. I played the qualifying on Monday. I qualified. I played the tournament... In those days there were 2 cuts. I passed the first cut at 36 holes, and at 54 I was out.”

“I was just starting. After that came the Abierto del Centro, where I had a good tournament the following year... But no... I played. I played, carried clubs... watched... Until '90 when I turned professional, I was always a caddie. I always played and carried clubs.”

“And in '89 I played in Praderas... and I think 30 got in, and I entered in 28th place, somewhere back there. And well, there I got my tour card. And that same year I won.”

“Never relaxed. I played to eat... I played to earn a buck. I carried clubs and what I earned was for food. And when I played, I stood on the 1st tee, and you were next to me, and I thought 'this guy isn't going to take what's mine'.”

“I was lucky to win very quickly. I turned professional in June, and in October I won. And in '91 I was number 1 in Argentina. Everything happened for me very quickly.”

“In Europe I had finished second several times... right there. In Spain, in my first year in Europe, I had to finish in the top 5 to save my card, and Tom Kite beat me by 1 on the last hole.”

“You start getting bold... 'Why are these guys going to beat me?' A moment comes when you realize we are all the same, we put the ball on the 1st tee and go. You realize it's possible when those things happen. Because those things have to happen to you. Imagine reaching head-to-head with Tom Kite with all that history... You say: 'I didn't get here by luck... to the 72nd hole at the Spanish Open...' Olazábal was there, Faldo was there, Langer was there... they were all there. You say: 'man, it's possible'.

“In my first Major at Troon, in '97, I started in first place... I made birdie on the first at 7 in the morning, hahaha. When I saw 'Cabrera first' on the leaderboard, I said 'nooo'.”

“In '99, at the Open in Carnoustie with Van de Velde, I lipped out for birdie on the 18th... I finished +7. Van de Velde was on the 11th hole. There was no way. We finished. We went home. And then... all that happened, happened.”