We’re still in the rosy glow of the Happy New Year time zone, and there is a lot to tell you about. Welcome to our first Website Edition of the column. We’ve moved to our new “location” to give us more space and flexibility, and perhaps so your accomplishments will reach a wider audience.
The Monterey Clambake Regional just concluded and our members were very present and productive! New Year’s Eve found Geeske and her pro partner placing 1st in A in the Aft Charity Pairs. Winston Huang took 1st in C in the same event. Michael Yang and partner captured 1st in B in the Eve Charity Pairs. Rounding out the day, Suzanne Wingate & Jeanine Ardowal ended up 1st in D-E in the Eve 299ers.
Even though Stanford stumbled in their Rose Bowl bid on January 1, our stalwart bridge players prevailed. In the Aft 299er Pairs, Paul Davis & Nancy Kehl landed on top in C, while Cathy Johnson & Fran Gaura placed 1st in E in that event. Ralph & Susan Griffin took 1st in F in the Aft 99er Pairs. Then Ray & Julianne Robinson grabbed 1st in B in the Daylight Pairs. And in the AB Open Pairs, Eugene Hung + 1 placed 1st in A and Andrew Hoskins + 1 took 1st in B. Good going to all!
Thursday, January 2, there were just a few winners from our group. Leila Mattinger & David Cheng ended up 1st in A-C in the Cannery Row Side Series. Geeske Joel and our super-Director Will Watson plus two others came out on top in A in the Eve Swiss.
Friday the 3rd was much busier. Stephen Lubeck and partner came 1st in C in the Morn Side Pairs. In the Morn 99er Pairs, Gillian & Paul Barsley were 1st in G. Marion Krause and sidekick took 1st in D-F in the Aft 99er Pairs. Our ‘tablecloth twosome’ (inside joke) Carolyn Chaney & Val Baldwin placed 1st in C in the Aft Side Pairs. Then Deborah Lundahl, Jon Rayden + 2 captured 1st/Bkt 6 in the Tiger Woods KO. Roger Passal and his partner snagged a huge win in the Barometer Open Pairs. Wow! That evening, Jim Harris & Dana Martin-Newman ended up 1st in C in the Eve Side Pairs.
Saturday dawned as sunny as the rest of the balmy winter week. Carol Kemper and three others placed 1st in B in the Fri-Sat AM M Wie Swiss event. Prue Saunders and another seized 1st in A in the Morn Side Pairs. Dan Raider + 1 did 1st in A in the Strat Open Pairs. The Jim & Dana duo did a repeat in the Eve Side Pairs with a 1st in C. Eugene Hung plus 3 others grabbed 1st in A in the Eve Swiss. Impressive. Onto the Cypress Compact KOs…Andrew Haskins + 3 were 1st/Bkt 2; and lovely Betty Liddicoat helped three others place 1st/Bkt 3. In the Steinbeck KOs, Geeske & Will’s team took 1st/Bkt 1. Then the foursome of Sioux Atkinson, Steve Barasch, Allen Wolman, plus former Unit member Nancy Rude placed 1st/Bkt 2 in the Steinbeck. To finish up the January 4 results, Leila Mattinger and partner took 1st/B-C in the Eve 299er Pairs. Bravo to all of you!
Sunday found more good outcomes for our family. Kathryn Papermaster & Vera Baum managed to come in 1st in B in the 299er AM Pairs. Helen Corbin and her pro partner scored big by placing 1st in A in the Fast Open Pairs. Paul Cornelius and three others came out on top in A in the Bob Luebkeman Snr Swiss. Finally, Jennifer Ewald & Mike Devlin plus two finished 1st in both A & X in the A/X Swiss. Super!
Since we have the luxury of more space, I will include highlights from the Desert Gold Fall NABC in Phoenix, Nov 28-Dec 8, 2013. Two teams from our fold won two events each! Jan & Brian Samuels with Barb Shukov and Merle Orelove won a BCD Side Swiss and then placed 1st/B-C in the Zeke Jabbur Fri-Sat KO/Bkt 4. Carol Kemper & Randy Ryals were 1st/B-C in a BCD Side Swiss and then top dogs in A,B&C in the 2nd Sat-Sun Side Series. Steve Hubbell and partner took 1st/A-B in the Mon-Wed Morn Side event. And finally, Mark Mongird and his sister Eva from So Cal took 1st in B in the Jim Cox Fast Open. Wonderful showings, one and all!
Please feel free to email me at mmusy@apr.com if you have things to brag about. I appreciate hearing the news. Remember, the column is designed to report on what you do at tournaments apart from regular Club games. As always, happy bridge!