One of Angel Cabrera's friends believes the strongman won last summer's U.S. Open because he was "relaxed in his mind."

Angel Cabrera came from four shots off the lead in the final round of the 107th U.S. Open to win by a shot over Tiger Woods and Jim Furyk. He said he has decided to temper his outbursts on the course because "I was losing too much money.'' He did well off the tee last year at Augusta National but had trouble on the greens. (Associated Press)

It wasn't always that way for the long-hitting, formerly hot-tempered Argentine.

"One of the things, I turned my way of thinking, because sometimes I got mad and on one hole I lost my opportunity to win, so I changed all the way around," said Cabrera, who won the U.S. Open at Oakmont, holding off Tiger Woods and Jim Furyk.

"Now, I calmed down; I think a little more and will do it," he said. "Yes, I have a lot of bad moments on the golf course in my life, and now I have decided to take this more easily."

What made him decide to rein in his temper?

"I was losing too much money," Cabrera said.

Sweden's Niclas Fasth has been friends with Cabrera for more than 10 years. The European Tour golfers have played practice rounds together all over the world. In that time, Fasth has seen a change in his friend's demeanor on the course, he said.

Cabrera tied for eighth in the 2006 Masters, his best showing in eight appearances. He finished tied for 37th last year, and he wasn't helped by his putting game, which ranked 40th. (Associated Press)

"Apart from being a really, really good player, I think he's quite relaxed in his mind, and that's a huge asset when you play really hard courses," said Fasth, who is playing in his fourth Masters this week.

"It's easy to get frustrated. He gives the impression that's he's not too affected by it in general."

That kind of attitude comes in handy at Augusta National Golf Club, which Fasth calls "the hardest course we play all year; it's quite extreme."

Cabrera has the game to win at Augusta National. He was long (tied for 13th in driving distance) and accurate off the tee (tied for 10th) while tying for 37th place last year. His putting, the weakest part of his game, cost him a higher finish. He ranked 40th on the greens.

"He has a little bit of an advantage off the tee, but at Augusta you need to be very good chipping and putting," said Eddie Gardino, who has been Cabrera's caddie for more than three years. "He's not very good chipping and putting."

For Cabrera to contend this week, Gardino said, he needs to have a "good attitude and be calm and very sharp with the short game."

"It's kind of hard to say it's up anybody's alley," said Fasth, when asked how Cabrera's game stacks up at Augusta National. "To play that course well, I think you probably have to disconnect yourself from thinking too much about what's happening out there and just play."

At the Masters, Cabrera tied for 10th in 2001, tied for ninth in 2002 and tied for eighth in 2006.

After he won the U.S. Open, Cabrera credited the experience of being in contention at the Masters as helping pave the way.

"Well, it was definitely good for my confidence that I know I can do it," he said.

At Oakmont, he came from four shots off the lead entering the final round to win by a shot over Woods and Furyk.

The way he won was reminiscent of how Zach Johnson rallied to win the Masters two months earlier. Both shot third-round 76s and trailed entering the final round. And both closed with 69, then had to wait and see whether Woods could catch them.

Woods didn't do it either time. He ended up tipping his hat to Cabrera after the U.S. Open was over.

"He played a beautiful round of golf," Woods said. "He went out there and put all the pressure on Jim (Furyk) and I, and we fell one shot short."

At the awards ceremony, Woods told Cabrera, "You went out and won it today."

The key moment in the final round was Cabrera's second shot on the 15th hole. He hit a 9-iron from 160 yards to within 18 inches of the hole for birdie. That gave him a two-shot lead, which he needed after making bogey on No. 17. He then made a solid par on No. 18, the hardest hole on the course.

In his previous event, the BMW Championship, Cabrera had coughed up the lead on the 15th hole, where he made double bogey and ended up losing. He made sure it didn't happen again.

At Oakmont, Cabrera said he benefited from the fact he wasn't the only one that week having trouble on the greens.

"That's why he did OK there, because everyone was missing them," Gardino said. "At Augusta, it's not just his pace or reading the putts. It's a little bit of everything combined."

Winning his first major championship hasn't changed Cabrera, except for opening up new horizons for him in golf.

"I'm still the same guy I was before," he said.

Fasth will attest to that.

"Nope; he hasn't changed," Fasth said. "He's just a really nice guy."

Reach David Westin at (706) 823-3224 or david.westin@augustachronicle.com.