Whitaker–Brown win IMP Pairs
Emory Whitaker and Hugh Brown Jr. won the Lebhar IMP Pairs
Despite qualifying in 92nd place after Sunday’s opening round in the Lebhar IMP Pairs, Emory Whitaker and Hugh Brown Jr. posted two strong final sessions to win the two-day contest. Whitaker of Macon GA and Brown of McCormick SC scored 24.17 IMPs in the first final – moving them to 29th place – and 54.09 IMPs in the second; combined with their carryover of 5.32, they finished with a four-session total of 83.58 IMPs.
This is the first NABC+ title for both players, and they each became Grand Life Masters with the victory. Both Whitaker and Brown have previous second-place finishes in national contests: Whitaker was second in the 2005 Wernher Open Pairs, while Brown was second in the 2013 Leventritt Silver Ribbon Pairs.
Whitaker and Brown had played as partners only once before.
Runners-up in the Lebhar IMP Pairs Signe Buus Thomsen and Marusa Gold
In second with 73.66 IMPs were Marusa Gold of Leeds UK and Signe Buus Thomsen of Denmark, while third place went to Rebecca Rogers of Henderson NV and Jim Johnsen of San Diego CA with 70.86.