Bridge Blog 887: Spring Sectional Roundup

Aside from passing the 2,000-point milestone with my paltry 0.58 points last Sunday, I was among the stragglers in the master point derby at the Buffalo Spring Sectional. I was there only one day, due to the health concerns of my other half, and that 0.58 was all I got. In all 158 players earned points. I was in an 11-way tie for 134th.

        Topping the list was Jay Costello, with 20.16 points. Remarkably, very few of them came from the Sunday Swiss team game, which is usually where the tournament leaders fatten up their point totals. He cleaned up in the two-session pairs games – an even 8 points on Friday for coming in second with Bud Seidenberg (third overall with 14.51), an even 11 points on Saturday for a first-place finish with his wife, Donna Steffan (fifth overall with 12.75).

        Second was perennial winner Saleh Fetouh with 17.17, only 3.21 from Swiss teams. One of his Swiss teammates, David Hemmer, was fourth with 13.87.

        What happened in the Swiss teams? The usual local suspects got shut down. Out-of-towners, a foursome from the Rochester area, took first place. A Canadian collection of players finished fourth.

Second was a group of local dark horses – Sue Neubacker, Dian Petrov, Eva Schmidt and Bob Padgug. And third were John and Martha Welte (tied for seventh overall with 10.42 points), in league with Linda Burroughsford and Tom Koralewski.

Was this tournament really tied for most successful (i.e., best attended), as Betty Metz announced. Or was it just the Swiss team game she was talking about? A check of tournament archives for the past couple years suggests it was more or less a return to normal.

This year 158 players earned points. There were 25 tables in Swiss teams, which is pretty darn good. And 156 total tables.  

Winter 2016 – 137 players earning points. 23 tables in Swiss teams. 136 total tables.

Fall 2015 – 149 players earning points. Just 16 Swiss team tables. 139 total tables.

Spring 2015 – 147 players earning points. 23 Swiss team tables. 145 total tables.

Winter 2015 – 162 players earning points. 23 Swiss team tables. 156 total tables.

Fall 2014 – 163 players earning points. 25 Swiss team tables. 164 total tables.

Spring 2014 – 174 players earning points. 25 Swiss team tables. 157 total tables.

Winter 2014 – 142 players earning points. 23 Swiss team tables. 132 total tables.