Former Masters champion, Angel Cabrera has welcomed news of a new Pope.

The Argentinean-born Cabrera was on the eighth hole during this afternoon’s Tampa Bay Championship Pro-Am when his manager relayed the news.

Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio from Buenos Aires in Argentina was elected to replace the ailing Pope Benedict and becomes the first-ever born Pope to come from Latin South America and the first non-European Pope in some 1500 years.

The new Pope Francis, who takes his name from St. Francis of Asisi, was announced to the crowd waiting in St Peter’s Square.

And while Cabrera sets his sights on ending a four-year winless drought since capturing the 2009 Masters at Augusta National he could not have been more happier in learning news of a fellow countryman being chosen to lead over 1.2 billion Catholics around the world.

“It’s exciting and very good news and I am very happy for him and for all of Argentina,” said Cabrera.

“Argentina is very much a Catholic country and this is great for my country and for all the  Catholics in the world.

“I have never met him but I wish him very well.”

Angel Cabrera welcomes the appointment of a new Pope – countryman Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio