SOME GET BETTER WITH AGE………..

I am bursting with pride to tell the bridgeblogging world that Bobby’s Team just won the outright opportunity to represent the U. S. A. as the No. 1 Senior Team.   Those from the losers’ bracket will be playing off to see who joins USA 1 in Sao Paulo, Brazil in late August and early September as U. S. 2 at the WORLD BRIDGE FEDERATION CHAMPIONSHIP.   The team was originally enlisted as The Wolff Team but as we neared the start, Bobby reconsidered and renamed it the Morse Team as Dan had arranged the union of the three pairs and tied all the loose ends together.   In fact tonight we are having a dinner victory celebration at the S. C. Prime at the Sun Coast.   Actually it is a double occasion as one of the players, John Solodar, is celebrating his 69th birthday today as well.

The team in its entirety:   DAN MORSE AND BOBBY WOLFF; ARNIE FISHER AND FRED HAMILTON; and JOHN SOLODAR AND PAUL SWANSON.   They were the only undefeated team and I must confess were far from the favorites.

Since the NABC in Las Vegas last Summer, Bobby has not played ‘serious’ bridge which translates to biweekly duplicates with Yours Truly at Bridge World II.   After all, if you don’t play, you get rusty and we couldn’t afford for that to happen — so I take credit for keeping him in shape, giving him some exhausting challenges and keeping him fired up with the love of the game.   Bobby has won eleven world championships and has traveled the world over so this is not unfamiliar ground to him.   I have never visited South America and frankly am not enthralled with the anticipation of the flight marathon, but my heart pounds with joy at this marvelous accomplishment for six worthy fellas who have earned the honor!