The Bacon 'Bag: Golf's 2016 Olympic format, the Aussie drought and site issues

Golf is full of questions. How do I hit it further? How do I break 90? What is wrong with Tiger Woods? Why are you such an idiot?

It's a game that will never be figured out in the millions of years people will play it, but it's fun to try to figure it out. Every Tuesday, it'll be you guys that help us answer the in-depth (and ridiculously fun) questions about the game. Have a question? Fire it our way on Twitter to either @shanebacon or @eyeongolf with the hashtag "#eyeqs". We will pick out the best of the week, answer them as best we can, and continue this throughout the rest of the season.

So we begin right here with our weekly Q and A with the readers …

@shanebacon have u heard anything on what the format for golf will be in the 2016 Olympics? #eyeqs

— Codie Fisher (@CodieFisher) July 31, 2012

A. Well, well, well, our first Olympics question about golf in four years.

First, I'd like to take this time to say I'm pretty excited that golf will be around in the Olympics again. Sure, it won't matter as much as winning a green jacket or a Claret Jug, and sports that have normal schedules tend to struggle in the Olympics, but it is always fun to see golfers competing for their countries, and it'll definitely answer the question, "What would it be like if the Presidents Cup and Ryder Cup joined forces?"

That said, the format is not locked in. Originally, the format was going to be the top-60 players in the world, with each country getting two players unless you had more than two players in the top-15 in the world (confused yet?), and in that case, you'd get up to four players on your team. Right now, that would mean the United States would have Tiger Woods, Webb Simpson, Bubba Watson and Jason Dufner all playing for their country (yep, Jason Dufner … this is going to be fun).

The format, however, isn't locked in. There is talk of a traditional 72 hole stroke play event, which in essence is the smartest move for which player is the BEST golfer, but definitely isn't the most fun (wouldn't this feel like a World Golf Championship event?). My hope is that the teams are grouped together and it's a match play event, just because that'll be easier on the viewer and more fun to watch. We've all seen bits and pieces of the World Cup of Golf, but last year our American team was Matt Kuchar and Gary Woodland, who won, but probably wasn't the most exciting twosome the United States could offer.

Here is my idea. Go with the format they have now to get teams in, and then the "qualifications" can be for which guys get to play with each other. That said, if America has those four guys I mentioned above, they can have a 36 hole stroke play event with the best two players going together as a twosome and the bottom two being the American "B" team (which would be like starting in lane 8 of the swimming … not a "winning" lane necessarily but definitely still in the race).

@shanebacon With all the Aussies on tour do you find it strange they have the same amount of major wins as us kiwis in the last 8 yrs #eyeqs

— Cam Gordon (@Cambo_Gordon) July 24, 2012

A. Well, yes, absolutely I do. This is a group that at one point had some of the most impressive, and biggest names, in the sport. Aaron Baddeley had a chance at a U.S. Open. Geoff Ogilvy seemed like a force to be reckoned with after his U.S. Open win at Winged Foot, and of course, there is Adam Scott, who has always seemed like a major winner when you watch him on the range.

The British Open aside, it has been a disappointing run for the Australians, and I don't just say that because I occasionally see the sad face of one of my favorite writers, the Australian AP writer, after another major wraps up without an Australian holding the trophy.

The question is interesting this season especially because, frankly, it's been one of the worst years EVER for Aussies. If not for Marc Leishman's win at the Travelers, they'd be hanging a huge goose egg this year on the PGA Tour, and Scott's run at the British was the only bright point in a fairly forgettable year.

Problem is, you can't really put this on anything more than certain guys not winning during the big events. They surely aren't winning because they're Australian, just other guys are playing better than them or they're games just aren't ready when the Masters and PGA Championships roll around.

Also, anytime I can remember Michael Campbell is a major champion and Sergio Garcia isn't, It's worth writing about. Golf is definitely strange.

@eyeongolf does a site exist for men's golf like the women's Rolex Rankings site? look how awesome this is: rolexrankings.com #eyeqs

— Ryan Simmons (@ryanjsimmons) July 31, 2012

A. Man oh man, are you right on with this question. The Rolex Ranking is an absolutely beautiful website, while this Official World Rankings site looks like something from 1998.

My thoughts? The LPGA are better looking as a whole, so the site should be as well.