CROMWELL, Conn. -- Three of the four male golfers representing the United States in the upcoming Olympic Games will have plenty of things to discuss this week.
Grouped together for the first two rounds of the Travelers Championship, Bubba Watson, Patrick Reed and Matt Kuchar will be able to talk among themselves about the red, white and blue golf bags they just received, the Team USA clothing they'll be wearing and the chartered flight to Rio de Janeiro that will take off following Sunday's final round.
They'll also be able to fill each other in regarding any not-so-minor details about the competition itself.
On Wednesday, Kuchar was asked whether he felt the camaraderie of being teammates with the other Americans, despite the fact that the Olympics will be an individual stroke-play event.
"Now, I may be misinformed or just don't know," he replied. "You may have to help me. Is there no team format at all?"
No, none at all.
"There is no combined?" he followed. "No team event whatsoever?"
Negative.
"The two highest-seeded Americans, their combined score I thought was going to be the team part," he continued. "There is no combination? No team at all?"
Nope.
Maybe Kuchar should be given a free pass for this lack of knowledge, considering he was only added to the team three weeks ago when Jordan Spieth withdrew from the event. Or perhaps he is the epitome of the taking-it-one-week-at-a-time cliché that most touring pros strive to achieve.
Either way, it's just another in a long line of bad looks in golf's return to the Olympics for the first time since 1904.
From players withdrawing due to health concerns, security issues and general apathy to the consternation over building a new host course to the admittedly underwhelming format, headlines swirling around next week's competition have largely been of the negative variety.
Looking at it from a differing perspective, though, what we're now left with is a field of 60 players who all seem to be relishing the opportunity.
"I had my fingers crossed that some golfers would bypass the Olympics," explained Kuchar, who was originally the second U.S. alternate. "I had fingers crossed that they would, so I would have a chance to accept."
Even though next week's tournament has tightened an already-cramped schedule for the game's top players, Kuchar is one of a half-dozen who didn't let it interfere with his original plans for this week.
Watson is the defending champion here in the heart of Connecticut, while Reed is an annual participant, as well. (Rickie Fowler is the lone U.S. team member who isn't playing this week.) Padraig Harrington of Ireland, Soren Kjeldsen of Denmark and Alex Cejka of Germany are the other three Olympians in this week's field.
Just as some players prefer the heat of competition in the week before a major while others would rather rest and relax, there is no right or wrong way to prepare for the Olympics.
While he admitted it's been difficult to pick and choose his schedule this summer, like Watson, Reed insisted he never seriously considered skipping the Travelers this week.
"It's a place that we really wouldn't miss," said Reed, who missed the cut last year. "It was a pretty easy decision for me to come over and play. I had it set in the schedule to come play before. At that time, I wasn't in the Olympics. [Dustin Johnson] kind of helped me out there [by withdrawing]. I wasn't going to change my schedule just for that."
Reed, Watson and Kuchar have each made tentative plans to not only compete next week, but attend other events, as well. Harrington is planning to take things one step further, by spending an extra week in Rio afterward, just as a fan.
There have been plenty of negative headlines about golf's return to the Olympics in recent months. One of the biggest names in the event not being fully aware of the format just days before heading there will be perceived as yet another one.
Despite Kuchar's confusion, though, he's among a group of players here at the Travelers this week who are already looking forward to competing in the Olympics.
"What an honor and what a thrill to play for your country in the Olympics," Watson said. "Who cares if I finish dead last? Just to be part of the Olympics is a big honor and thrill."