News Players' Championship

TORONTO — No rest for the world’s best, Kevin Koe started off strong at the Players’ Championship picking up a 6-4 victory over Charley Thomas in a clash of Calgary-based teams during Draw 3 Wednesday afternoon.

Team Koe opened the scoring with a three-ender in the second and never relinquished the lead adding a single in five and a deuce in seven.

It was Koe’s first game at the Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling major tournament just three days after winning the gold medal at the world men’s curling championship in Switzerland.

“It’s a tough week, a lot of great teams so if we can get off to a good start here we’re just hoping to make the playoffs,” Koe said. “Hopefully we can get hot at the end of the week but we’re really happy.”

Koe admitted there’s some fatigue from the cross-Atlantic travel, but are getting back on track.

“It’s been hard to really keep track of,” he said. “We travelled all day and we did some celebrating after we won so it’s been a great trip. We’re a little tired but not too bad. We had a day off yesterday so we had time to kind of relax and try to get back on the right time zone. I think we’ll be ok.” 

Meanwhile, defending champion Brad Jacobs of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., grabbed a 6-4 victory over Glenn Howard of Penetanguishene, Ont. 

After giving up a deuce in the fourth, Jacobs bounced back big with a score of four in the fifth to jump into the lead. The Olympic gold medallist held Howard to a single in six, blanked the seventh and ran his opponent out of rocks in eight.

“I think what was key for us was getting a handle on the ice early,” Jacobs said. “The ice was fantastic that game. It allowed us to make a lot of shots. … We gave up a deuce in four and bounced back with a nice four-ender in the fifth end. We were able to kind of take control of the game at that point. We took advantage of our opportunities and as a result we got the win.” 

Jacobs said it absolutely feels special playing again at Ryerson’s Mattamy Athletic Centre where he earned his first career Grand Slam title a year ago. 

“We’re the defending champs so anytime you get an opportunity to defend a title you want to make the most of it,” he said. “I think we’re really hungry for this event for a lot of reasons, that being one of them. We also haven’t won an event on the World Curling Tour this year and we’re really going to give it all we’ve got this week in order to do that.” 

Meanwhile, recent Elite 10 winner Brad Gushue of St. John’s, N.L., broke a tie with a three-ender in the sixth and held on for a 7-5 victory over hometown hero John Epping. Gushue, who’s looking to complete a career Grand Slam, climbed to a 2-0 record while Epping dropped to 0-2. 

Winnipeg’s Reid Carruthers earned a 4-2 win against Niklas Edin of Sweden. It was the first game for both teams.

In women’s division action, Silvana Tirinzoni of Switzerland scored a single in the extra end to edge American Erika Brown 6-5.

NOTES: The Players’ Championship is the fourth major and sixth event of the 2015-16 Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling season and runs through to Sunday at Ryerson’s Mattamy Athletic Centre. … Television coverage begins Thursday on Sportsnet. … The Rogers Grand Slam Cup will also be awarded to the overall season champions following the conclusion of the Players’ Championship. … Winners of the Players’ Championship earn berths to the season-ending Humpty’s Champions Cup running April 26 to May 1 in Sherwood Park, Alta.