Tiger Woods Boat

Woods not learning his lesson

The breaking news on Tuesday, aside from the Casey Anthony verdict, was that Tiger Woods announced on his website that he would not be playing in the British Open. This would become the second straight Open; the other the U.S. Open, Woods would not partake in this season.

The official first two paragraphs of his releases read like this:

Tiger Woods announced Tuesday that due to injuries to his left leg that have not fully healed, he would miss the 2011 British Open.

"Unfortunately, I've been advised that I should not play in the British Open," Woods said."As I said at the National AT & T, I will only return when I'm 100 percent ready. I do not want to risk further injury. It's different for me, but I'm smarter this time. I am very disappointed and would like to express my regrets for fans of the British Open. "

The decision does not come as a shock, because Woods alluded to these during his press conference following the U.S. Open, and before his own tournament. It was also the time that Woods has unveiled its new look - a beard growing. This is the second time since his indiscretions that Woods is back with a sort of facial hair. It is either during his down time he doesn't feel like shaving but he comes back in front of the camera looking more insecure and immature than he has before. This time he was looking more like LeBron James, Brian Wilson or a member of al-Qaeda, not a card-carrying member of the PGA.

The fact is Woods has a Grade 1 mild sprain MCL ligament in his left leg and a strained Achilles. ESPN brought in a medical analyst to discuss the severity of the ailments, and she pretty much said they are not serious. Woods is adamant about not playing until he is pain free.

The good news was Woods did acknowledge the superiority of Rory McIlroy's game at The Congressional in the U.S. Open but also stated he wasn't done yet. Plus, he pointed out that Jack Nicklaus was winning majors at 46. So some of the old Tiger was there, but in the past two years since that Thanksgiving night debacle, this Tiger has been more growl than bite.

For a moment, he reflected on his accomplishments that included 71 wins and 14 major wins.

As much as I love Woods, and certainly the game of golf is much better when Woods is playing than not playing, he is living in a fantasy world. He is a 35-year-old male, who has been playing golf since he could carry a club, and has had more than three operations and many-more medical treatments. Meaning, he will never be pain free again.

Is Tiger Woods' Yacht Really Worth $25 Million? - The Wealth ...

With the divorce settlement, a drop in endorsements and reduced winnings, the idea of  spending $2 million a year to maintain a yacht may not be quite as attractive as it used to be.

The Palm Beach Post reports that Woods has been shopping for a broker to list his yacht, Privacy.  Several brokers I called today confirmed Woods is looking for a broker. The Post says Woods offered the boat to his ex-wife, Elin Nordegren, but she didn’t want it.

The New York Post reports the boat is, in fact, for sale.

A representative for Mr. Woods declined comment.

Whether Woods is in fact selling the boat or not, one piece of the story is pure fantasy: the $25 million price.

Woods bought the boat, built by Seattle’s Christensen, for $20 million in 2004 as a wedding present for Elin. He later recouped about $1 million of the purchase price from a lawsuit against the boat’s maker (ironically, they were accused of violating Woods’ privacy by identifying him as the owner of the boat in its marketing).

Since the heady days of 2004, however, the yacht market has tanked. Boats like Privacy are now selling for 25% to 30% below pre-recession prices, brokers say. “He’s lucky to get $15 million for it,” one prominent broker said.

Is there a Tiger Woods’ premium? After all, in the markets for art, wine and real estate, the prestige of the previous owner (known as provenance) can justify a higher price.

Apparently not. Even in the boating world, the floating pleasure palace of a golf-legend-turned-sex celebrity may not count as “quality provenance.” Now, if he threw in a lifetime of free golf lessons, that might be a different story.

Do you think a buyer would pay an extra "tiger" premium or a discount-tiger for his boat?

Tiger Woods

Sports Law

Jet

Sell Your Boat in 30 Days!

Paddles Up!, Dragon Boat Racing in Canada