RIO DE JANEIRO -- For all the praise of golfs return to the Olympics, there was no shortage of suggestions to make it better.The easy fix is to introduce a team format.All golf leaders had to do for the Rio Games was to combine the scores of the top two players from each country to provide a team medal. There would have been 24 teams for the men and women. For the men, Sweden would have won by one shot over the Americans, and Justin Roses birdie putt to win the gold medal also would have given Britain the bronze medal by one shot over Spain.Hows that for an additional layer of drama?If only it were that simple.We didnt have time, said Ty Votaw, vice president of the International Golf Federation.Votaw said the International Olympic Committee doesnt allow for two competitions in one. A team format would have had to be a separate competition. Try squeezing that into two weeks, on an 18-hole golf course that was brand new for competition without knowing how much stress it could take.The IOC rejected it, Votaw said.The other option was to have a team format in place of the individual competition. Sure, that might have enticed some of the countries that skipped out (the Australians and South Africans come to mind), but it would have reduced the number of flags raised along the 18th fairway at Olympic Golf Course.We thought having the most countries was better than team competition, he said. And then someone like Jhonattan Vegas (Venezuela) would not have had a partner.Lydia Ko would have been left out, too.As it was, six medals went to six nations over two weeks. So it wasnt all that bad.One element that wont change -- or shouldnt -- is 72 holes of stroke play.All but a few tournaments throughout the year use that format, and theres a reason for that. It remains the best way to measure who played the best golf that week. And thats what the Olympics should be. Match play is bad for television and leaves spectators only one match to follow at the end, and theres a history approaching 20 years at the Match Play Championship that illustrates how unpredictable it can be.Any other format would be a gimmick, or best saved for the silly season.The last thing the IOC wants is a trial format, IGF President Peter Dawson said.The IGF needed to keep it simple in the first year, and it needed support of the top players when making its bid. Votaw wont rule out the IGF trying to persuade the IOC to reconsider the two-man team played at the same time as the individual competition.What we wanted to do is put our best foot forward, and I think we did that, Votaw said. Well look at all sorts of things. We do have a time issue in terms of how many things we can fit into a two-week period.There are a few steps to take before golf starts contemplating any changes.The IGF president has a limit of three two-year terms, and Dawsons time is up at the end of the year. The only exception is if the IGF board unanimously votes to keep him on. Dawson wasnt about to speculate on those prospects.The next step is making sure golf stays beyond the Tokyo Games in 2020. Golf did its part by staging an exceptional event over two weeks.After that?The logical conclusion is a team event, and a mixed team might be the most ideal. The Summer Youth Olympics nailed it in China two years ago, though the field size was 32 players instead of the 60 players for the mens and womens competition in Rio.The boys and girls each played the first three days for a 54-hole individual medal. Then, they played mixed team the next three days -- 18 holes of foursomes, 18 holes of fourballs, and two singles matches to reach a 72-hole score. Sweden won the gold in a playoff over South Korea, while Italy won a playoff for the bronze over Denmark.One idea being kicked around is to stage a mixed-team event the last two days between the mens and womens competitions. That could be either fourballs and foursomes on the same (long) day, or a 54-hole event with foursomes one day, and two singles the next day. That way, every shot would count.Golf will be held at Kasumigaseki Country Club in Japan for 2020. It has 36 holes, and the best option might be to have both courses available if it makes sense. And if the IOC is willing to allot for medals for golf. Bouteille dEau Hydro Flask . In Europe, top teams seem to be largely happy with their squads after spending nearly $1 billion in the off-season. And although English league clubs are unlikely to splash cash in January, Arsenal and Chelsea could be tempted to strengthen their squads with new strikers. Acheter Hydro Flask . LeBron James and Chris Bosh didnt need any more. Williams scored 11 points in 10 minutes, Alan Anderson scored 17 points, and the Brooklyn Nets finished the exhibition season with a 108-87 win over the Miami Heat on Friday night. http://www.hydroflaskbouteille.fr/ .J. -- New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz will miss the rest of the season after having surgery on his left knee. Hydro Flask France . "Thank you for the warm welcome," Beckham said on an 80-degree February morning. In this case, it was soccer weather. The sport moved a step closer to returning to South Florida on Wednesday, when Beckham confirmed he has exercised his option to purchase a Major League Soccer expansion franchise in Miami. Bouchon Hydro Flask . Vettel, who has already clinched his fourth straight F1 title, enters the finale with a chance to equal Michael Schumachers 13 victories in a year and match the record of nine consecutive wins by Alberto Ascari in the 1952 and 1953 seasons. Tyrone Roberts looks set to take on the vacant Gold Coast utility role as coach Neil Henry faces an almighty selection headache in the halves in 2017.With young gun Kane Elgey set to return from a horror knee injury which ruled him out of the 2016 season, Henry has a dilemma on his hands after Ash Taylor and Tyrone Roberts guided the club to their first finals appearance since 2010.Dally M rookie of the year contender Taylor and the sometimes-maligned Roberts hardly set a foot wrong as Henrys side defied their critics to finish in the top eight.Its a good position to be in as a club, to have three quality halves there, Henry said following their 44-28 finals loss to Brisbane on Friday.Kane did a bit of ball work at training the other day and was good when he slotted in. Hell be ready to goo which will be great for our competition around the halves.ddddddddddddWith co-captain Nathan Friend retiring, it leaves the club in need of a foil for hooker Nathan Peats and Henry hinted Roberts could fill that role.A Taylor and Elgey halves pairing is one the club could build themselves around for years to come, however Roberts has earned his right to remain in the top 17.Henry said playing Roberts as the back-up No.9 was an option they were considering.(Roberts) could fulfil that role for us, Henry said.Peatsy is here and Friendy is moving on.We havent said weve got to go out and recruit in that position. So theres certainly an option but well wait and see. ' ' '