News Canadian Open

YORKTON, Sask. — The playoff picture is now set at the Canadian Open with Brad Gushue of St. John’s, N.L., Edmonton’s Brendan Bottcher and Winnipeg’s Reid Carruthers securing the final spots for the men’s quarterfinals.

All three advanced through the last chance C-qualifiers Saturday morning with 3-2 records. The third Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling tournament of the season features a triple knockout preliminary stage and teams had to win three games before they lost three in order to qualify for the playoffs.

Gushue scored two in the seventh to top Calgary’s John Morris 6-4, Bottcher scored four in the first en route to an 8-2 win over Glenn Howard of Penetanguishene, Ont., and Carruthers grabbed a single in the eighth to edge Toronto’s John Epping during the C-qualifiers.

Bottcher will take on Winnipeg’s Mike McEwen (3-0), Carruthers clashes with Calgary’s Kevin Koe (3-0) and Gushue goes up against Brad Jacobs (3-1) of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. Saskatoon’s Steve Laycock and Jim Cotter of Vernon, B.C., both 3-1, meet in the other quarterfinal matchup at Noon CT.

The women’s quarterfinals (5 p.m. CT) feature Ottawa’s Rachel Homan (3-0) vs. Switzerland’s Binia Feltscher (3-2) in a rematch of the world championship gold medal game, Heather Nedohin vs. Chelsea Carey in a battle of 3-1 Edmonton teams, Scotland’s Eve Muirhead (3-1) vs. Winnipeg’s Jennifer Jones (3-2), and Edmonton’s Val Sweeting (3-0) vs. Sherry Middaugh (3-2) of Coldwater, Ont.