Never Forget

Our Champion (?)

As we turned the clocks ahead early yesterday morning, we were overwhelmed by thoughts that something was missing.  After locating our reading glasses and phone didn't slake the empty feeling, we realized that this weekend past was "AI Weekend" for all but IV of the previous XVIII events. Simple arithmetic, our favorite kind, reveals that there are thus a mere III.5 months until we gather again for XIX.   Let us then take a quick look back at AI-Inferno, golf division.

For the IInd consecutive year and the VIth time overall, Richard D. "Stan" Heimsch came out on top of the original AI competition, 36 grueling holes of something that occasionally resembles golf.  We will not belabor everyone now with the shot by shot progress of Round 2, leaving that instead for the ever excruciating AI-XIX Tournament Schedule.  A brief synopsis, however, reveals that Rich was dogged in his pursuit of the title while pursued by players who played like dogs.  He overtook Gordon (an alternative interpretation would be that Gordon overtook himself) on the 8th hole and withstood several tepid challenges from Stan and Paze on the back 9 and thus was able to gambol down the 18th hole with a 6 shot lead, leaving him a slightly better than 50/50 chance of winning.

Paze easily won the gross competition (some might say that is a redundant phrase when discussing AI golf), with an AI Bay Hill record round of 80 on Sunday.  He also finished T2 net with Stan, who sliced, hooked and hacked his way around the course for 2 days.  Gordon rounded (sic) out the field with yet another top 4 finish.

The AI Director and Banquet Director, using the FIFA and NCAA economic models of pocketing all the tournament profits, took off after AI-XVIII on a 2 week mission trip to Africa to spread the gospel of the AI.  There's nothing Africans like more than white Americans flying over to teach them how to live.  The itinerary included a 16 hour flight to Johannesburg, followed by 10 days in Botswana (3 of which were spent in a 3 meter by 3 meter tent with bucket shower and pit toilet) and concluded at Victoria Falls; well, actually we stayed at a hotel.

We will keep you 'posted' as inspiration strikes.  The Committee again thanks all of the participants for, in the words of JBR, their inexplicable annual attendance.  Congratulations again to Heimsch for his stirring victory and let this also serve as a reminder for him to bring the belt back.