Coin No. 1: The 17th at Sawgrass
Heads: The 17th at Sawgrass is an abomination. All it's missing is a windmill. Strategy and shot value are superseded by luck. No one ever intended a golf hole where it was either hit the green or re-tee. And it's bad enough during regulation play, but to have it as the first playoff hole was ridiculous. Paul Goydos's fate should not have been decided by a single less-than-perfect shot which was knocked down by a gust of wind.
Tails: Goydos himself said that the hole did exactly what it was supposed to do. For most of these guys, supposedly the best players in the world, this is a wedge, 9-iron or, at worst, an 8-iron. Besides, it's called "sudden death," not "agonizingly slow, drawn-out Chinese water torture" like the 18-hole U.S. Open playoffs. Every playoff should start on a tough par 3.
Coin No. 2: Annika retires
Heads: Annika Sorenstam brought the LPGA to the attention of all golf fans, not just women. Her record speaks for itself, but it was her brave challenge of the men's only PGA Tour that really raised the bar.
Tails: "Brave?" How about "brash?" She tainted her legacy by going where she shouldn't have. While it's fine for men and women to play together recreationally, we all know (even the staunchest feminist) that she had no chance of doing anything but embarrassing herself -- which she did. And let's not even discuss Michelle Wie.
Coin No. 3: Sergio wins the Players Championship
Heads: Sergio showed that he can win the big ones and on the tough courses. With the help of short-game guru Stan Utley, he appears set to return to the fearless putter he was when he arrived on the scene. Combined with his awesome ball-striking, he will win a major this year, most likely the British Open.
Tails: Sergio is a pain in the asterisk. The first asterisk is that the Players isn't a major. The second is that Tiger wasn't there. Add those two variables to last weekend's debacle and it's a whole different story. As Paul Goydos said, Tiger would have been 15 or 20 under par for the tournament. And kissing his putter when it was all over? Puleeese! My mom putts better than him, and she doesn't golf.
There they are. You call 'em.