News Canadian Open

KELOWNA, B.C. — Reigning world champion Glenn Howard topped Brad Jacobs 3-1 to capture the Grand Slam of Curling’s Canadian Open title Sunday.

The Coldwater, Ont., rink ran the table with a perfect 8-0 record in the tournament.

“It was nice to get back to playing well after a slow start to the Slam series,” Howard said. “After missing the playoffs at the Masters it feels great to bounce back and get the major win here in Kelowna. We are looking forward to the National in Port Hawkesbury in the new year.”

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It’s the second career Canadian Open title victory for Howard, third Wayne Middaugh, second Brent Laing and lead Craig Savill. Howard, Laing and Savill captured their first Canadian Open championship with third Richard Hart in January 2009. Wayne Middaugh skipped his own rink to the inaugural title in 2001.

Team Howard opened with hammer and Middaugh made a triple takeout to set up the blank. Howard took one point in the second and Jacobs blanked two ends before settling for a single in the fifth. Howard faced one in the seventh and drew to the button to pull ahead 2-1. Jacobs attempted a raised takeout with his final shot in the eighth but missed.

Jacobs, from Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., dropped his opening draw match to Howard 6-2 in six ends but won six games in a row to reach his first career Grand Slam of Curling final.

Howard is now in the running for a piece of the $100,000 bonus pursue split among the top three teams over the course of the four-event Grand Slam of Curling season. Calgary’s Kevin Koe won the opening leg at the Rogers Masters last month and was eligible for a $1-million bonus if his team swept all four events but he fell to Jacobs in the Canadian Open quarterfinals.

The 2012-13 Grand Slam of Curling season resumes with its third event, the National, running Jan. 23-27 in Port Hawkesbury, N.S.