(Nov 16, 2008) -- World’s No.1 ranked team captures sixth career Capital One Grand Slam of Curling title
WATERLOO, ONT., November 16, 2008 – Glenn Howard (Coldwater, Ont.) captured his third consecutive Masters of Curling title today after defeating Kevin Koe (Edmonton, Alta.) 4-3 in a extra end in the finals of the men’s first 2008-09 Capital One Grand Slam of Curling event. The five-day tournament was held at the Waterloo Memorial Recreation Complex in Waterloo, Ont.
The final was a rematch of last year’s championship game, when Howard beat Koe 7-3 in Saskatoon, Sask.
With the victory, Howard becomes the first skip to win one of the Capital One Grand Slam of Curling series events in three consecutive seasons.
Howard’s Masters of Curling championship was his sixth career Capital One Grand Slam of Curling title and his fifth consecutive tournament championship to start the 2008-09 season. The 2007 World Champion has also won the past three Capital One Grand Slam of Curling tournaments dating back to last season.
Tied at 3-3 after eight ends, Howard captured the championship after executing a short run back on his final shot to remove Koe’s stone.
The championship game was a well-played affair which did not feature any multiple point ends or steals.
“I thought it was a terrific game,” said Howard. “I thought it was really well curled. We were all making shots. We’d get something going and then they’d make a great shot to get out of it. Then they’d get something going and we’d make a great shot to get out of it.”
With the loss, Koe fell to 0-5 in career Capital One Grand Slam of Curling finals.
“I thought we played pretty good,” said Koe. “We had our chance in the eighth to get our deuce and that’s the way we played it. We missed one (shot) that end and it ended up hurting us.”
As tournament champions, Howard’s team won $24,500 and earned 36.000 Canadian Team Ranking System (CTRS) points. By finishing second, Koe’s squad took home $16,500 along with 27.000 CTRS points.
Howard also takes the lead in the inaugural Capital One Cup standings, earning 12 points with the victory.
Following the conclusion of the season ending Players’ Championship, the top men’s and women’s teams in the Capital One Cup standings will each receive $50,000 (CDN). The second and third place men’s and women’s squads will each receive $25,000 (CDN) and $10,000 (CDN) respectively.
The Masters of Curling was also the site of the first regional playoff for the inaugural Capital One Million Dollar Button contest. Sheri Smeltzer (Fergus, Ont.) emerged from a pool of six randomly selected contestants today when her rock landed 2¼ inches from the button.
The regional playoff aired live on CBC Television during the game’s fourth end break.
“I was kind of shaking,” said Smeltzer following her shot. “There were a lot of people. I’m not used to that.”
As the contestant with the closest attempt to the button, Smeltzer, 24, advances to the semi-finals of the Capital One Million Dollar Button contest in Winnipeg where she’ll compete against four other qualifiers for the chance to advance to the finals for an opportunity to attempt to cover the button for $1 million (CDN), live on CBC Television.
Curling’s first ever million dollar contest will take place during the final of the BDO Classic Canadian Open, the third leg of the men’s 2008-09 Capital One Grand Slam of Curling series, on Sunday, January 25, 2009 at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg, Man.
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. |
