News Masters

OKOTOKS, Alta. — Saskatoon’s Steve Laycock is on fire heading into the WFG Masters men’s playoffs. 

Laycock wrapped up pool play with a perfect 4-0 record hammering Peter de Cruz of Switzerland 8-1 in six ends during Draw 10 action Friday morning.

“We’re kind of getting back into our groove here the last few events,” Team Laycock second Colton Flasch said. “We’re playing really well.” 

Laycock snapped a 1-1 tie with a deuce in the fourth end and rolled away stealing three in the fifth and two in the sixth.

“A little more relaxed game because we were already in the playoffs, but we’re still playing for hammer,” Flasch said. “Still giving it everything we’ve got.” 

De Cruz dropped to 1-2 and must win his next against reigning world champion Kevin Koe of Calgary during the afternoon to stay in playoff contention. 

Winnipeg’s Reid Carruthers (3-1) advanced to the quarterfinals after defeating Scotland’s David Murdoch 5-1. With the score knotted 1-1 after two, Carruthers blanked four consecutive ends and his patience paid off striking with a four-count in the seventh end. Murdoch holds a 2-1 record with one more round-robin game to go in the afternoon against Winnipeg’s Mike McEwen (2-1). 

Niklas Edin of Sweden moved up to a 2-1 record downing six-time Masters champion Glenn Howard of Penetanguishene, Ont., 5-1. Edin took two in the fourth to grab the lead and stole singles in three straight ends. Howard heads home at 0-4. 

In women’s division action, Scotland’s Eve Muirhead needed a win to stay in the mix and made it count with a 10-2 rout over Edmonton’s Kelsey Rocque. Muirhead scored three-enders in the first and sixth and added a score of four in the fourth. 

Team Muirhead improved to a 1-2 record while Team Rocque ends round-robin play at 1-3. Muirhead has another must-win game ahead against Ottawa’s Rachel Homan (2-1) in the afternoon. 

“It’s never ideal when you get into those situations but we know what we’ve got to do,” Team Muirhead third Anna Sloan said. “We’ve got to take it one game at a time, working on our processes and see how it goes from there. We’re getting there now. That was a really important win for us.”

The WFG Masters is Sloan’s return to curling after being on the mend for seven months due to a knee injury. 

“It’s really great to be on the ice again,” Sloan said. “I couldn’t wait for this competition to come around. It seems like it’s been forever. Well, it was seven months since I played my last game before starting here so it’s great to be back, it really is.” 

Reigning world champion Binia Feltscher of Switzerland held off a late surge from Russia’s Anna Sidorova to win 6-5. Feltscher (2-1) took a four-point lead with a three-ender in five followed by a steal of one in six before Sidorova charged back with a four score in seven to knot it up. Sidorova is done with a 1-3 record. 

NOTES: The WFG Masters is the first of seven events on the 2016-17 Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling schedule. … The event is also the first of four majors in the series alongside the Boost National, Meridian Canadian Open and WestJet Players’ Championship. … The WFG Masters runs through to Sunday at Pason Centennial Arena with action continuing Friday at 12:30 p.m. MT on Sportsnet and Sportsnet NOW.