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FORT MCMURRAY, Alta. — Winnipeg’s Mike McEwen remains undefeated at the Syncrude National after holding off Edmonton’s Kevin Martin 7-6 during Draw 5 action Thursday.

McEwen sits atop Pool A with a 3-0 record while Martin sustained his first loss at 2-1.

The 17-time Grand Slam champion Martin opened with the hammer and converted for a deuce in the first, but McEwen took control scoring four in the second and never relinquished the lead. The teams alternated singles in three and four, Martin was forced to another lone point in five and McEwen took two in the sixth end to hold a three-point advantage. Martin settled for another single in seven and McEwen conceded a point in eight to secure victory.

Elsewhere, Brad Gushue of St. John’s, N.L., scored deuces in the fourth and sixth ends during a 6-4 win over Brad Jacobs of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., in a match between Olympic gold medallists. Gushue, who grabbed gold at the 2006 Turin Winter Games, now holds a 2-0 record and is tied for first in Pool C while Jacobs, who earned gold just last month in Sochi, dropped to 1-2.

Defending champion Jeff Stoughton of Winnipeg improved to a 2-1 record with an 8-1 rout in only four ends over Japan’s Yusuke Morozumi (0-3). Stoughton scored three in the first and four in the third while stealing one in the fourth and forcing Morozumi to his lone point in the second.

Sochi bronze medallist Niklas Edin of Sweden also moved up to a 2-1 record with a single in the eighth to win 6-5 over Regina’s Brock Virtue (0-3).