News Masters

OKOTOKS, Alta. — Saskatoon’s Steve Laycock opened the 2016-17 Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling season scoring a 7-4 victory over Kevin Koe of Calgary during Tuesday night’s opening draw of the WFG Masters.

Laycock was pleased to start things on the right foot against the reigning world champion. 

“That was great, especially with the top seed in our pool the first game, so to get the win in that one is huge,” he said. “Just to get comfortable, I mean, it’s our first event in the arena this year and to get back on the Slam ice it’s nice to get that under our belt. It’s almost like playing your first game at the Brier or any other big event, just that little bit different, so it was nice to get that out of the way.” 

Koe blanked the first end but was held to a single in the second as he was forced to draw to the top of the four-foot circle while facing four counters. Laycock counted a deuce in the third end to pull ahead and doubled his point total stealing two in the fourth when Koe was heavy on the draw.  Koe bounced back with a pair of his own in the fifth to close back within one, but he flashed his last in the sixth and Laycock capitalized with a light takeout for three points. Koe managed to score only a single in the seventh and shook hands.

Edmonton’s Kelsey Rocque got into the win column first on the Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling season downing Alina Paetz of Switzerland 7-1 in just six ends. 

“It’s nice to come out and have a good game with all four of us playing well,” said Rocque, winner of back-to-back world junior titles in 2014 and 2015. “It feels pretty good to start the Slam season like that and get the monkey off our back a little bit.” 

Rocque opened the scoring with a four-ender in the second. The teams alternated singles in three and four and Rocque stole back-to-back points in five and six to bring out handshakes. 

“We got a little fortunate in that [second] end,” Rocque said, “but we played well to ride it out for the rest of the game.”

Scotties Tournament of Hearts champ Chelsea Carey of Calgary nailed a hit-and-stick shot with her last in the eighth to clinch the winning single and edge Russia’s Anna Sidorova 4-3. 

“Big win to start, but it doesn’t mean anything, we’ve won the first game and lost the next few before,” Carey said. “Coming off of a couple tough events it was big for us to come out here and win that first one. That’s a nice way to start and hopefully we can keep that momentum going.”

Winnipeg’s Reid Carruthers picked up an 8-3 win over John Morris. Carruthers broke a 3-3 tie with a three-ender in the seventh and added a steal of two in eight to close out the game. Morris rejoined the Vernon, B.C. based team formerly known as Team Cotter this season as skip while throwing third stones.

NOTES: The WFG Masters is the first event and first major of the 2016-17 Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling season. … Television coverage begins Thursday on Sportsnet. … The WFG Masters runs through to Sunday at Pason Centennial Arena with action resuming Wednesday at 9 a.m. MT.