LAURINBURG — The fifth annual Scotia Sectional Bridge Tournament wrapped up Sunday night at the Morris Morgan Entertainment Center of Scotia Village with the conclusion of the Swiss Teams competition.
A total of forty-four tables were played during the three-day tournament that began Friday morning. Two sessions were played each of the first two days, followed by the team competition on Sunday. The Tournament Director was Marie Killoran of Wilmington.
The overall winners, earning 14.07 silver master points apiece, were the pair of Stuart Terry and Bowen Asserson, Jr., both of Charleston, S.C.
In second place overall was the pair of Carolyn Sharp of Statesville and James Potter from Clio, SC, who earned 11.44 silver master points each.
The winner of the Swiss Team competition was the four-person team of Kaye Langston and Charlotte Maxwell from Goldsboro, Tempie Pierce (Kinston), and Eliza Worthington (Morehead City).
One of the exciting moments of the event occurred at the close of the Friday morning session when Charlotte Maxwell (Goldsboro) discovered that her silver master point earned for play to that point was sufficient to make her a Life Master, the most highly sought level of bridge achievement. A Life Master is a player who has earned 500 master points, of which 50 must be gold or platinum, 50 red, gold, or platinum, and 75 each of silver and black. Silver points are won at sectional tournaments and black in regular club play.
Forty-four players in all earned silver master points at this event. Local players earning such master points were Joanne Martin, Tim Rumph, Jacque and Mac Doubles, Celeste and John Lewis, Millie Yongue, Norma Jones, Lil Owens, and Betty Hasty.
The Scotia Sectional Bridge Tournament was hosted by the Bridge-at-the-Village Club, the only American Contract Bridge League (ACBL) sanctioned club on the U.S. 74 line between Charlotte and Wilmington.
It plays every Monday evening in the Scotia Village Café, starting at 6 p.m. Visitors are welcomed with a playing partner promised if necessary.