News Canadian Open

MEDICINE HAT, Alta. — Calgary’s Kevin Koe punched his ticket to the Canadian Open final edging Glenn Howard of Penetanguishene, Ont., 4-3 in an extra end Saturday night.

Koe fired a clutch final rock that just held onto the back of the four-foot circle to grab shot stone and eliminate the defending champion.

Howard, who was on a red-hot roll winning the Masters two weeks ago, was aiming to sweep the four-event Grand Slam of Curling series this season to score the $1-million bonus. That money will now be split amongst the top teams based on points at the end of the season.

The 2012 Masters champion Koe opened with the hammer and scored a deuce in the first although he had an opportunity for three but his shooter rolled too deep. Howard, who has won 13 Grand Slams as a skip, blanked three consecutive ends while looking to score big, however, his final shot of the fifth end collided with his own guard forcing him to a single and relinquishing the hammer.

A single in the sixth restored Koe’s two-point lead, but his last shot of the eighth flashed allowing Howard to capitalize and score the equalizing deuce and require the extra end to settle things.

The showdown for the championship pits Koe against Brad Gushue of St. John’s, N.L. Gushue stole singles in the first and third ends and held off Winnipeg’s Jeff Stoughton 4-2.

After trading singles in four and five, the four-time Grand Slam champion Stoughton was limited to another lone point in seven as Gushue took the hammer into the final frame up by one. Gushue connected with his last to tack another point on the board.

Gushue, who won the National in 2010, reached his first Grand Slam final in over three years since finishing runner-up at the 2010 Players’ Championship.