Golf: Fans flock to get pictures of Tiger’s yacht

SAG HARBOR, N.Y.— Tiger Woods, always a magnet for the public’s attention, has competition this week. From his yacht. During the run-up to the U.S. Open that starts Thursday, Woods’ 155-foot yacht named “Privacy” has gotten little of it since docking here last week at Sag Harbor Yacht Club. A stream of onlookers that continued to arrive Tuesday included two older couples from Florida, a father and son from New York and a yacht broker from London.

The boat is docked at a private yacht club but is easy to spot from the public docks at Marine Park.

“I’ve never seen so many pictures taken of a boat,” said Janice D’Angelo, standing in her 61-foot boat, Jaywalker, docked about 300 feet from Woods’ vessel. “How ironic, the name is Privacy.”

The yacht club is about a 15-mile drive from Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, where Woods will be trying to win his first major championship in a decade.

Said D’Angelo: “I had a woman ask me if she could stand on the front of my boat to take a picture of Tiger’s yacht.” Her answer: Absolutely not. The Golf Channel recently aired rare footage and images from Privacy. The highlights: Five staterooms that accommodate 10 guests; four rooms for the crew of nine required to run the ship; along with an eight-person hot tub, kayaks and scooters.

The reported price tag: $20 million (U.S.), not counting the $2 million a year in operating costs.