(Nov 12, 2008) -- Reigning World Champion Kevin Martin also 1-0 following the opening draw of the men’s first 2008-09 Capital One Grand Slam of Curling event
WATERLOO, ONT., November 12, 2008 – Glenn Howard’s (Coldwater, Ont.) drive for an unprecedented third straight Masters of Curling title began on a successful note this evening as the 2007 World Champion powered past American Craig Brown (Madison, Wisconsin) 8-2 during the opening draw of the season’s first Capital One Grand Slam of Curling event at the Waterloo Memorial Recreation Complex.
After giving up a steal of one to Brown in the opening end, Howard rebounded with five straight points en route to winning his seventh consecutive game at the Masters of Curling, dating back to last season.
“We got a little fortunate in the second end,” said Howard. “We had a nice three-ender against Craig and a really fortunate deuce in the next end. All of a sudden we’re up 5-1 and totally in the driver’s seat.”
Howard previously won the Masters of Curling in 2006-07 and 2007-08. Since the inception of the Capital One Grand Slam of Curling series in 2001-02, no skip has won one of the series’ events in three consecutive seasons.
Reigning World Champion Kevin Martin (Edmonton, Alta.) opened the Masters of Curling with a victory after holding off Joel Jordison (Moose Jaw, Sask.) 4-3 while Randy Ferbey (Edmonton, Alta.) used a four-point third end to propel his team to an 8-2 win over Kerry Burtnyk (Winnipeg, Man.).
In other Draw 1 action, the tournament’s two European teams both earned victories on opening night as Norway’s Thomas Ulsrud slid past Shawn Adams (Halifax, N.S.) 5-2 while Switzerland’s Ralph Stöckli (Ittingen, Switzerland) edged Kevin Koe (Edmonton, Alta.) 7-6 in an extra end.
Featuring a total of 18 rinks, Thursday’s draw times for the Masters of Curling are set for 10:00 a.m., 1:30 p.m., 5:00 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. ET respectively.
The top eight teams following the conclusion of round robin play qualify for the tournament’s quarterfinals on Saturday, November 15 at 3:00 p.m. ET.
The Masters of Curling features a total purse of $100,000. The tournament’s winning team will receive a maximum of $25,000.
Held annually since 2001-02, the Capital One Grand Slam of Curling is a series of eight premier men’s and women’s events that boast Canada’s deepest and strongest curling fields.
The Capital One Grand Slam of Curling is one of a select few events that are tied to the Canadian Curling Association\'s qualifying process for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver. Through their performance in the Capital One Grand Slam of Curling events, rinks can earn points towards securing a berth at the 2009 Canadian Trials.
About Capital One
Located in Toronto, Ontario, Capital One has offered Canadian consumers a range of competitive MasterCard® credit cards since 1996, when the company first introduced the Platinum MasterCard® in Canada. Capital One Canada is a division of Capital One Bank, a subsidiary of Capital One Financial Corporation of McLean, Virginia (NYSE: COF).
About Insight Sports Ltd.
Insight Sports Ltd. is a leading North American sports media and entertainment company which owns, creates, aggregates and distributes sports and entertainment content across multiple platforms, including broadcast television, events, on-line, mobile, in-arena and video on-demand. Among its event assets, Insight Sports owns and operates the Capital One Grand Slam of Curling (www.worldcurlingtour.com), a series of eight high-profile men’s and women’s events that feature Canada’s deepest and strongest curling fields. |
