One Olympic golf tournament down, one to go after Justin Rose took home the gold in Rio on Sunday and the women's event gets set to tee on Wednesday.
So how has golf's return to the Olympics gone so far? And how could the International Olympic Committee and the International Golf Federation improve the sports in the Olympics for Tokyo in 2020? Our panel analyzes those topics and more in this week's edition of Monday Four-Ball.
1. What grade would you give golf's return to the Olympics?
SportsCenter anchor Matt Barrie: C. The great finish between major championship winners Henrik Stenson and Justin Rose saved what otherwise was an average format and below-average field. Having said that, I think Sunday might have piqued the interest of some of the top players who decided not play in Rio.
SportsCenter anchor Jonathan Coachman: To me, I have to give it an A-minus. The positives are obvious. Great golf course and great crowds. And I was seriously blown away by how much the players not only bought into playing for a gold medal, but bought into supporting the other events. The only reason I take a little bit off was because of what the tournament could not control -- not having all of the top players in Rio. It was great with Rose and Stenson at the top, but it could have been better. Bottom line: It's going to continue to grow.
ESPN.com senior golf analyst Michael Collins: C-plus. While golf fans might have found it great to have every round of the tournament on from start to finish, having it on the same channel as every other golf tournament ultimately hurt. Wasn't the goal to bring new eyes to the game? It was great to hear how excited a player was for finishing third, which in a normal event never happens.
ESPN.com senior golf writer Bob Harig: Solid B. And that's much better than the failing grade so many expected. Missing so many of the top players hurt. Imagine the potential if any number of those players had been in Rio. But the players who were here loved it, the fans turned out, the golf course was solid, and Justin Rose provided a great ending.
ESPN.com senior golf writer Jason Sobel: Based on all the doom and gloom scenarios that had been predicted ahead of time and the absence of the world's top-four players, I thought the final product was an A-plus affair. Sure, there are still improvements which can, and will, be made for next time, but for its first time back in the Olympics in 112 years, everything about it felt like a huge success.
2. What would you do different for golf in the 2020 Olympics?
Barrie: At some point, the team format has to come into play. It's what makes the Ryder Cup so special. Figure out a format that brings in the team element and match play, then I think you'd have a format that golfers would be interested in playing. I'd also move the PGA Championship to the end of August, just before Labor Day, to avoid the schedule jam to accommodate the Olympics.
Coachman: This one is easy. I want it to feel like it is a team effort. Make all four days different as twosomes. Four-ball, then foursomes, then scramble and then stroke-play on Sunday. Add it all up and you have a winner. I think that would be terrific and exciting all the way to the end. And it would make every stroke matter.
Collins: Multiple medals. There should be a mixed, team, and individual event at worst. More medals and broadcast on different channels. If golf is getting the boot from the Olympics anyway, which it might in 2017, than go out with a bang.
Harig: Several things. The schedule needs to be more conducive to players, who are incredibly busy. With the Games in Tokyo in late July, golf's various tours will face some of the same issues they had this year. Now they know the fallout and need to get ahead of it. Adding a team component also would add to the intrigue. All it would take is to pulling together aggregate scores for two players per country. It's still stroke play. It's still the same tournament. But that would be some added allure.
Sobel: There will be a team aspect four years from now. I don't know this for sure, because nothing has been decided yet, but I'd be shocked if it doesn't happen. I'm not sure if it'll still be stroke-play or how the teams will work or whether they'll mix genders like tennis, but I can't imagine there won't be an implementation of a team competition going forward.
3. What are you expecting from the women's Olympic golf event this week?
Barrie: Nine of the top 10 women in the world are competing in Rio. So my guess is you'll have a much more major championship type feel to it, with the star power that decided to compete.
Coachman: I am expecting a lot. Unlike the guys, most all of the top-ranked women are in Rio and it definitely helps that they got to see the men play. This course clearly brought the cream to the top and I expect the same from the ladies. They have always completely embraced anything that has to do with playing for country, whichever country that is.
Collins: I expect it to start out just like any other tournament with little fanfare on other channels covering the Olympics. I'm hopeful something spectacular happens that will force people watching the Games to switch over and see what all the fuss is about.
Harig: This was always expected to be the more compelling event, with nearly every player fully invested. It is hard to believe it will be anything less.
Sobel: I expect it to combine the drama of a major with the passion of the Solheim Cup. Unlike the men, nearly all of the qualified women have decided to compete this week. This means something to them -- and I think the best of the best will rise to the occasion.
4. Who's your favorite to win the women's Olympic golf event in Rio?
Barrie: Lydia Ko and Brooke Henderson are the easy favorites, being ranked No. 1 and 2 in the world. But don't be surprised if the USA's Lexi Thompson sneaks her way into a gold medal as the highest ranked American in the field.
Coachman: I am going with the current No. 1 player in the world, Lydia Ko. The reasons are many. She has quietly created this dominance in the big events. When they began playing for the CME Globe, Ko started using it as her own personal playground. She will do the same at the Olympics. I feel like when something new and big comes into the world game, she wants her name on it first. That will not change this week in Rio.
Collins: This is one spot where the big three (Lydia Ko, Brooke Henderson and Ariya Jutanugarn) should ultimately shine. Because of the windy conditions, I'll take Jutanugarn as the favorite. Her past nine starts have included four wins, a runner-up and a third-place finish.
Harig: Lydia Ko. Given her record, it is difficult to pick against her.
Sobel: Isn't Lydia Ko the favorite for every big women's tournament these days? I'd enlist her at the top this week, but that doesn't mean she'll win. Instead, give me a fiery competitor who's no stranger to international events. That sounds like Stacy Lewis to me.