Cabrera steps up preparation for Masters title defense

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Angel Cabrera tied for 10th in the season-opening SBS Championship and tied for 25th at the Sony Open in Hawaii.

Angel Cabrera has five short weeks before he returns to Augusta National to defend his Masters title.

As such there's something of a sense of urgency, and the 40-year-old from Argentina will likely play at least three times leading up to the season's first major, starting with this week's Honda Classic.

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"Augusta is a special tournament you have to prepare mentally, physically," Cabrera said Tuesday during a national teleconference hosted by the Masters. "You can't just get to the tournament thinking you have to play. You have to know really exactly how your game is and what you want and the way you want to challenge the course."

Cabrera, who is also expected to be in the field for next week's World Golf Championships-CA Championship, has made four starts on the PGA TOUR in 2010. His best performance came in the season-opening SBS Championship where the big-hitting Argentine tied for 10th.

"I'm working hard," Cabrera said. "I still have some weeks left. I'm going to dedicate more and work hard this month and really get there in a good form. But I still have a lot of work to do and I have some time to prepare still."

The Masters was Cabrera's second TOUR victory -- not to mention, his second major championship. While he has 17 other titles worldwide, the playoff win over Kenny Perry and Chad Campbell at Augusta National may have validated that earlier U.S. Open victory.

"It's very important for me," Cabrera said. "It signifies a lot of importance, that I can win majors; it wasn't just by luck that I won the U.S. Open. It tells me that I can get those big tournaments. It gives me a lot of merit, and it especiallyhelps me that I can win more tournaments."

Cabrera said he gained a lot of confidence at the Masters last year. He loves the straightforward nature of the golf course and the challenging second shots. He also appears to have found a way to neutralize the nerves that can overwhelm other talented players.

"There's no question, the majors is where there's more pressure over you, but you have to play the most naturally you can," said cabrera, who has five other top-10s in majors. "And that's something that is very important, to maintain your concentration at all times during majors."

The celebration when Cabrera returned home to Cordoba was a different story, though. Both major wins were special but the reception after he won the Masters was "even bigger and even more of a heartwarming welcome for me." There were other less tangible benefits, as well.

"It's been very important, what it means to bring back home a Masters win," Cabrera, who picked up the game as a caddy, said. "There's more people practicing the game, especially in Villa Allende in Córdoba where I am have seen a lot of kids are picking up the game, and obviously it's helped a lot."

Cabrera plans a Champions Dinner of Argentine asado, which is a selection of grilled meats that should go over much better than the haggis Sandy Lyle served after his 1988 title. Cabrera can recall several key shots last year, but his most vivid memory came after the playoff when 2008 champion Trevor Immelman helped him into the Green Jacket.

"That's a dream come true for any golfer and something I will always remember," Cabrera said.