Martin edges Howard at Players’ Championship
SUMMERSIDE, P.E.I. — Edmonton’s Kevin Martin fended off Glenn Howard of Penetanguishene, Ont., 6-4 during Draw 3 action Wednesday at the Players’ Championship in what could be the final chapter of their legendary rivalry.
The season-ending Grand Slam of Curling event also brings an Olympic cycle to a close and the shuffling of the rosters has already reached a frenzied peak. Team Martin’s Ben Hebert and Marc Kennedy will join Team Howard’s Brent Laing in the fall on a new squad skipped by Kevin Koe. Howard announced his new lineup Sunday adding Richard Hart and Jon Mead with Craig Savill returning at lead.
As expected, the clash of titans was close with the teams alternating singles to start followed by deuces back-and-forth to enter the halftime break deadlocked at 3-3. Martin, who has remained quiet on his future plans, took two more points in the fifth and forced Howard to a single in the seventh to grab the hammer coming home with a one-point lead. The 17-time Grand Slam champion Martin tacked on another point in eight.
All three men’s medal winners from the Sochi Winter Olympics — Canada’s Brad Jacobs (gold), Scotland’s David Murdoch (silver) and Sweden’s Niklas Edin (bronze) — hit the ice during Draw 3 for their first games.
Jacobs, from Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., scored two in the eighth to edge Switzerland’s Sven Michel 6-4; Murdoch fell 7-2 versus Brad Gushue of St.John’s, N.L.; and Winnipeg’s Mike McEwen earned an 8-3 victory over Edin.
Winnipeg’s Jeff Stoughton outlasted Toronto’s John Epping to win 4-3. The teams exchanged singles back-and-forth through the first six ends. Stoughton ended the streak with a blank the seventh to add the decisive winning point in eight.
Round-robin action continues at 4:30 p.m. AT.
