News Players' Championship

SUMMERSIDE, P.E.I. — Scotland’s Eve Muirhead moved up to a 3-0 record in her title defence at the Players’ Championship following a 7-4 victory over Ottawa’s Rachel Homan during Draw 7 action Thursday afternoon.

Muirhead, who became the youngest skip to win a Grand Slam last year at age 22, snapped a 2-2 tie with a deuce in the third, forced Homan to one in the fourth and took another two points in the fifth to lead by three. The teams alternated singles in six and seven and Muirhead pulled off a runback double with her last in eight to run the reigning Masters champion Homan (2-1) ran out of rocks.

The Players’ Championship is the season finale Grand Slam of Curling event featuring 12 men’s teams and 12 women’s teams with a $200,000 CAD combined purse. Homan also has an opportunity to cash in a bonus $100,000 CAD should her team also claim the title and sweep the two-event women’s series.

Olympic gold medallist Jennifer Jones of Winnipeg scored a deuce in the third, stole one in the fourth and held on from there during a 5-3 victory over Edmonton’s Valerie Sweeting. Jones, who has won a record four Players’ Championship women’s titles, improved to a 2-1 record while Sweeting slipped to 1-2.

Sweden’s Margaretha Sigfridsson kept her undefeated record intact at 3-0 with a 5-3 victory over Sherry Middaugh (0-3) of Coldwater, Ont. Jones and Sigfridsson will meet in a rematch of the Sochi Winter Games gold-medal match during Draw 9.

Mike McEwen moved up to 3-0 on the men’s side with a 5-4 win over Jeff Stoughton (1-2) during a clash of Winnipeg clans.

Saskatoon’s Steve Laycock (1-2) rode the steal train in the second half to pick up his first win of the tournament with an 7-3 decision against Edmonton’s Kevin Martin. Tied 3-3 after five, Laycock swiped two points in six followed by back-to-back singles in seven and eight.

Round-robin action continues with Draw 8 at 5 p.m. AT. The top six teams overall qualify for the weekend playoffs.