Final Champions Cup spots on the line at Players' Championship

Final Champions Cup spots on the line at Players’ Championship

It’s last call to qualify for the Humpty’s Champions Cup.

The Players’ Championship — running April 12-17 in Toronto — is the final chance for teams to book their spot for the brand new, season-ending Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling event.

The field is just about set for the inaugural Humpty’s Champions Cup — running April 26 to May 1 in Sherwood Park, Alta. — featuring all of the top winners from around the world in one more showdown to close out the year.

Kevin Koe was the first to punch his ticket to the Humpty’s Champions Cup by winning the Tour Challenge Tier 1 in September and headlines an all-star field that also includes Masters winner Mike McEwen, National and Elite 10 champion Brad Gushue, European Championship winner Niklas Edin, and others.

“It’s going to be a fun event,” Gushue said after winning the National in November. “The first time all the champions, all of the winners on tour. We’re glad we’re going to be part of it. These are always fun to win just because you beat the top 15 teams in the world. It’s a nice pat on the back for a team.”

The women’s field features Rachel Homan, winner of three Pinty’s GSOC events this season, Scotties Tournament of Hearts champion Chelsea Carey, and Jennifer Jones, winner of the DEKALB Superspiel, plus more.

“I think it’s going to be an awesome event,” said Edmonton native Joanne Courtney, who throws second stones for Team Homan. “It sounds like a really exciting concept. I’m excited to have the world junior champs there. I just think it’s going to be a really unique thing and it’s great that we’ve booked our spot there.”

With a $200,000 purse on the line, the Humpty’s Champions Cup is sure to feature an epic battle among curling’s best.

2016 Humpty’s Champions Cup Teams

Men’s Teams	Women’s Teams
Tour Challenge (Tier 1)/Tim Hortons Brier/worlds Kevin Koe	Tour Challenge (Tier 1) Silvana Tirinzoni
Masters Mike McEwen	Masters/National/Canadian Open Rachel Homan
National/Elite 10 Brad Gushue	Players’ Championship TBD
Canadian Open John Epping	World Junior Championship Mary Fay
Players’ Championship TBD	Pacific-Asia Championship Satsuki Fujisawa
European Championship Niklas Edin	Scotties Tournament of Hearts Chelsea Carey
World Junior Championship Bruce Mouat	DEKALB Superspiel Jennifer Jones
U.S. National Championship Brady Clark	Colonial Square Ladies Classic Krista McCarville
Canad Inn Men’s Classic Steve Laycock	Prestige Hotels & Resorts Curling Classic Stefanie Lawton
DEKALB Superspiel Reid Carruthers	Tour Challenge (Tier 2) Kerri Einarson
Ed Werenich Golden Wrench Classic Pat Simmons	Red Deer Curling Classic Kelsey Rocque
Huron ReproGraphics Oil Heritage Classic John Shuster	Karuizawa International Ayumi Ogasawara
CookstownCash Peter de Cruz	HDF Insurance Shoot-Out Val Sweeting
German Masters David Murdoch	City of Perth Ladies International Eve Muirhead
Red Deer Curling Classic Mick Lizmore	Royal LePage OVCA Women’s Fall Classic Jacqueline Harrison

Note: In the event a team wins more than one qualifying event (e.g. a team wins the Masters and the National) or a team declines their invite, the winner of the next ranked World Curling Tour event based on strength of field will be invited to complete the 15-team lineup.