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In any level of tournament bridge it is quite rare to win 3 on the trot but in this round-up I can report that it happened twice!

 

Laura Griffin and Tony Clear won the Palmerston North Intermediate at the end of March. Three weeks later they won the Wanganui Intermediate and 7 days after that they were winners of the Hokowhitu Intermediate. Consistent results are something for which we all strive. Nothing displays consistency better than successive firsts in tournament play. Congratulations to Laura and Tony. 

                           Three Firsts in a Row

 

     
Tony Clear and Laura Griffin          John Pitts and George Masters

 

The other remarkable tournament “trifecta” was turned in by John Pitts and George Masters.  The Dannevirke club was very pleased to have 17 tables in play for their Open tournament last month and a high-class field entered, including about 20 Grand Masters.

 

John and George won emphatically but a really good performance came from 2nd placed “newish” players from Palmerston North, Morgan Booker and Zheng Zhang. Janette and Charles Nairn were a solid 3rd. 

 
Zheng Zhang and Morgan Booker

32 pairs turned out for the Waipukurau Open and, as at Dannevirke the previous week, a field of highly experienced players battled for the honours!  A 61% in each session often wins tournaments but on this occasion Carolyn Yeomans and Jan Whyte had to be content with 2nd placing because John Pitts and George Masters scored a 63 and then a 64. Mairi and Matthew Bristow were a solid third.

 

The Havelock North club hosted the Tierney Teams competition earlier this month. 16 teams took part. This was the third leg of the trifecta for John and George, who had the very experienced wife/husband pairing of Mairi and Matthew Bristow to help them along. When you average 16 vps per match, the winning margin will be substantial ... and here it was!

 

Ash Fitchett, Josephine Hayes, Lynnaire Hampton and Diana Lees were 2nd with Graham Potter, Dennis Apperley and Mairi and Brian Fitzsimmons in 3rd place. 

 

Junior and Intermediate tournaments are very important occasions for up-and-coming players. Firstly they give experience in a competitive tournament atmosphere and secondly a means of comparison with players of like grading. 

 

The Palmerston North Junior Tournament held on 27th March attracted 7 tables and local pairs did very well. Prue Drake/Jason Cliff averaged a 60 and won comfortably from John Redmayne and Craig Killington.  Kay Wyatt and Jane Shaw were a handy 3rd followed closely by Grant Elliott and Maree Roberts. 

 

The Palmerston North Intermediate was held simultaneously and 19 pairs entered. It was pleasing to see pairs from Hawkes Bay and Taranaki taking part. Laura Griffin and Tony Clear had too many guns for Debbie Marcroft and Garry Hodge with Trevor Gane and Greg Whitten in 3rd placing.

 

The Junior Tournament at Wanganui attracted only 5 local pairs. We should be doing much better than that. 6 other pairs took part  but 11 pairs in total is disappointing, especially when so many qualify for Junior Tournaments. This is in my diary for 2022!

 

The winners were the Palmerston North pair of Terry Young and Grant Elliott. Locals Jean Smith and Murray Voss were runners-up followed by Brenda Simpson and Martin Berry. 

                                  First, Second and Third

       
Terry Young and Grant Elliott   Murray Voss and Jean Smith       Martin Berry and Brenda Simpson

 

40 pairs played in the Wanganui Intermediate, 12 being locals. Laura and Tony had an impressive win but there was almost a triple tie for the next three placings. New Plymouth’s John Rutten and John Warner finished a fraction ahead of the 3rd-equal Cindy Lowndes and Alastair James (Palmerston North) and Kittiya and Peter O’Callahan (Wanganui). 

                             Second and Third Equal

     
John Rutten and John Warner                        Kittiya and Peter O'Callahan and Alastair James
                                                                        and Cindy Lowndes

 

The Hokowhitu Intermediate was the 3rd successive win for Laura and Tony ... but only just!   Kerry Geertson and Paul Simons were right there in 2nd place with Hans Van Bunnik and Michael Hardman  finishing a fraction ahead of Dale Marie Bain and Mandy Jones. 

 

The Hastings Junior Tournament attracted 8 tables and the first 4 were really close.  Sharon Brown and Eileen Harris won the event, narrowly, from Colin Dolley and Rahira Ellison who finished 2nd, just ahead of Ingrid Stevens and Lucia Noetzli with Owen Trimmer and Gideon du Perez in 4th place. 

 

The Napier Intermediate resulted in a big win for Sue Scott and Jennie Turbitt who came home with a withering 69 in the second session. Erica Pearson and Barbara Twyford were 2nd followed by Graham Potter and Rob Armstrong with Trish Murphy and Jillian Ramsey a close 4th. 

 

Each Easter the Levin club puts on an 8B Multigrade Tournament and is always a full house. 32 pairs entered his year. Pat and Martin Oyston led the field home, followed closely by Julie Bunnell and Michael Hardman, with Anne-Marie Russell and John Davidson just ahead of Jan Whyte and Alister Stuck. Easily the best of the Levin pairs was Mark Kuijten and Bryan Green who finished in 6th place. 

                                               

                                                      Good Performers at Levin

 

                                           

                 

 overall winners: Martin and Pat Oyston       top Levin pair: Mark Kuijten and Bryan Green               top Junior pair: Linda Lawrence and Harry Mills

 

 

I M P O R T A N T . . . calling current and past members of Palmerston North Bridge Club

 

For anyone who has been a member of the Palmerston North bridge club in the past, and especially for those who are current members, please note that the club will celebrate its 75th Anniversary on Sunday 30th May.  The President and Committee have arranged an imaginative and appealing programme for this day and all past and present members are CORDIALLY INVITED to join in the celebrations for this auspicious occasion. Denise Servante is the current President of the club and leads an enthusiastic group who deserve a good response to mark 75 years as a bridge entity. To help with the catering for this event, it would be appreciated if you could confirm your attendance as soon as you can.

 

 

Best contact is admin@pnbridge.nz  

 

Here is the program for the day:

 

You will be warmly welcomed to join in at any or all of the following:

 

 

11.30am.               Champagne Lunch. Introductions. Meet & Greet

 

                                 Presentations ... Jubilee Cake ... Tea/Coffee

 

2.30 - 5.30pm.          “No Fear Bridge.”   Bridge for everyone. 

 

                                 Turn up. Partners available on the day.

 

 

5.30 - 6.45pm           Pot Luck Dinner with  Celebrity Speaker  ...

 

                                 And More Jubilee Cake

 

 

7pm                         More “No Fear Bridge”.   Partners available.

 

 

 

 

 

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