Tiger Woods hasn’t exactly been playing excellent golf lately, missing cuts at various tournaments and shooting career-worst rounds. The one-time prodigy hasn’t won a major tournament since the 2008 U.S. Open.
But what if Woods’ struggles were the result of a curse? According to George Albano of The Hour, a man from Norwalk, Connecticut, claims to have placed a hex on Tiger.
“The ‘Maloik,’ which is short for ‘Malocchio,’ which is Italian for the ‘Evil Eye.’ For those not familiar with Italian culture rituals, let me explain.
Part superstition, part tradition, it is the belief in the evil eye, which, when placed on someone, will manifest itself into some sort of misfortune or bad luck onto the cursed person. In this case, Tiger Woods.”
That man, Tony Cocchia, said he placed the curse on Woods after the golfer spurned him as he walked off the putting green. Per Albano, Cocchia was seeking an autograph and recounts the failed endeavor:
“When he [finished putting], I went up to him and said, ‘Excuse me, Mr. Woods, can you sign my hat?’ He’s a big guy, 6-4, maybe 6-5, and I’m only about 5-6. So he looks down at me and says, ‘Don’t bother me. I don’t have time for you.'”
Cocchia apparently then flashed a sign similar to the “Hook ’em, Horns” sign toward Tiger and said, “I hope you never win another major.”
Perhaps that’s a believable story for some people, and that’s his or her prerogative. It’s fair to chalk this story up to a good rouse of humor, especially considering Albano writes Woods actually took home a couple majors following the encounter with Cocchia.
But if Cocchia believes he has control of Woods’ career, maybe he should reverse the curse and allow Tiger to start winning again.
Golf is more enjoyable when Woods is competing for championships, and watching him compete with Jordan Spieth for a major trophy would be enthralling.