News Tour Challenge

Five-time B.C. champion Jim Cotter will skip his team into the Tier 2 group for the Tour Challenge, the season-opening event of the 2015-16 Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling season.

The Tier 2 schedule was released Wednesday for the all-new event, running Sept. 8-13 in Paradise, N.L.

Cotter, from Vernon, B.C., begins his quest for the Tier 2 title against Scotland’s Tom Brewster during Draw 3 action.

Reigning Ontario champion Mark Kean and his all-new rink from Stoney Creek, Ont., are set to kick off the Tier 2 stage in Draw 1 against local favourite Rick Rowsell, of St. John’s, N.L.

The Tier 2 women’s division stars Halifax’s Mary-Anne Arsenault, a two-time world champion and five-time Scotties Tournament of Hearts winner. Arsenault hits the ice in the opening draw against 12-time Newfoundland and Labrador champion Heather Strong of St. John’s.

A total of 30 men’s and 30 women’s teams will compete in the Tour Challenge with both divisions split into two tiers of 15 teams each. The top 15 teams ranked on the World Curling Tour’s order of merit (OOM) were invited for Tier 1 (if any team declined their spot, the next ranked team on the OOM list was invited). After the Tier 1 lineup was finalized, Tier 2 invites were sent out to the next 10 teams ranked on the OOM list. Five spots were reserved for teams from within the province or region of the event’s location.

Although Tier 2 teams do not earn points in the Rogers Grand Slam Cup standings, the winners receive guaranteed berths to the following Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling event, the Masters (Oct. 27-Nov. 1 in Truro, N.S.)

TOUR CHALLENGE TIER 2 TEAMS