Golf Tourney #5 Preview: Eric as Lisa Kudrow

Heading on a road trip this weekend - going back to Iowa to play in the 69th Iowa Masters (with a detour to beautiful Lima, OH on Thursday for work) . It's a three day event - Friday & Saturday, with a cut after Saturday for Sunday's round - hosted by the Iowa State University. It's an invitational tournament, so I picked this weekend as the one for my one road trip over the summer - gives me a chance to go back there and see some golf (and old work) friends. The course is a classic one - Perry Maxwell design, built in 1939, with a good amount of short holes (5 par 4's under 340) - and you are just as likely to make birdie or double on the short ones.

I conned one of my friends from the plant to caddie for me. Joey is a ISU alum, and I figured - hey, if I make the cut, we'll drink in Ames that Saturday night; if I don't, we'll go back to Iowa City and drink there.

Hotel rooms were hard to get - apparently, the National Special Olympics is ending on Friday, so most of the rooms are booked. On my 4th call, I got a room with the Holiday Inn (I guess that "Priority One" card brings some clout, no?).

Then Joey calls me. He has a friend, Worm (who I've met a couple times, but have no idea what his first name is) who has a brother who is playing in the tourney as well. His brother (Andy) is a D-III golfer at Wartburg, a college better known for its multiple D-III Wrestling championships. Well, Worm and Andy can't find a hotel room, could they stay with us?

So I feel like I'm back in college, except that I am 34 years old. I'm staying with:
Joey, a 26-year old co-worker who can (and has) drink me under the table;
Worm, (as far as I can tell) a 25-year old professional drinker, and
Andy, a 22 year old college student.

I compare myself to Lisa Kudrow from the ill-fated HBO Series The Comeback. I'll try to hang with them, but I'm sure I'll wimp out at the bar (Sloe Gin Fizzes for everyone, waiter!) or say something completely off the wall, like "Anyone up for a game of canasta?"

Should be a lot of fun. If you care, results will be posted here . Andrew Miller is Worm's brother; hopefully, I'll be in a few shots under him. I have an afternoon tee time (2:20 Central) on Friday and a very early 6:50 tee time on Saturday; theoretically, Derek could leave work after a long lunch on Friday, get drunk, and then wake up Saturday morning - and I would have played 36 by then.