Brier champ Jacobs jumps two spots in world rankings

Newly minted Brier champion Team Jacobs slid two places into No. 3 in the world rankings after capturing the Canadian men’s curling title.

The Alberta-based club scored three points in the 10th end to defeat Manitoba’s Team Dunstone 5-3 during Sunday’s final in Kelowna, B.C.

It was the second career Brier title for skip Brad Jacobs, whose team will now represent Canada on home ice at the world men’s curling championship, March 29 to April 6, in Moose Jaw, Sask.

Dunstone also ascended one place to sit at No. 2, behind only top-ranked Team Mouat.

Manitoba’s Team Carruthers made a return to the top 20 in the world rankings. Carruthers, previously No. 27, soared seven spots after finishing fourth at the Brier.

Tuesday marked the qualification cutoff date for the AMJ Players’ Championship taking place April 8-13 at Toronto’s Mattamy Athletic Centre.

Only the top 12 teams are guaranteed invitations to the fifth and final Grand Slam of Curling event of the season, leaving No. 13 Team Edin on the outside. The Swedish squad has been a staple at the Players’ Championship since 2010, reaching the men’s final four times and capturing the title in 2017.

Edin, who has reached two quarterfinals in the Grand Slam of Curling this season, is 3.6 points back of No. 12 Team Dropkin.

In the women’s division, South Korea’s Team Kim, No. 5 in the world, inched closer to No. 4 Team Einarson after capturing the Gangneung Invitational title this past weekend.

Kim defeated Japan’s Team Yoshimura 7-4 in the final and is now 6.2 points back of Einarson in the rankings.

The runner-up result helped Yoshimura move up two spots into No. 8.

Team Wrana reached the quarterfinals in Gangneung as the Swedish club cushioned its spot in No. 12. Wrana leapfrogged Team Skrlik two weeks ago by winning the Sun City Cup and now holds a 7.4-point lead over the Alberta-based crew.

Wrana has made the women’s final of the Players’ Championship in each of the previous two seasons, winning the title in 2023 and finishing runner-up last year.