Muirhead wins 3rd Players’ Championship title in 4 years
TORONTO — All Scotland’s Eve Muirhead does in Toronto is win.
Muirhead captured her third Players’ Championship women’s title in four years with a 9-6 victory over Winnipeg’s Jennifer Jones 9-6 in the women’s final Sunday at Ryerson’s Mattamy Athletic Centre.
All three of Muirhead’s title victories have come at the historic venue formerly known as Maple Leaf Gardens and she’s thrilled the marquee event will return next year.
“I don’t know, I just seem to really love it here,” Muirhead said with a smile. “It seems to actually bring out the best. Three times been here and three times won it. I’m happy it’s here the next year as well but really pleased. I think it’s really the crowd that makes it. The ice conditions have been fantastic. My team has been great all week and everything is just good.”
Muirhead, second Vicki Adams and lead Sarah Reid relied on Cathy Overton-Clapham this week subbing for injured vice skip Anna Sloan, who will miss the rest of the season due to an ACL injury. Adams moved up to third with Overton-Clapham tossing second stones. Overton-Clapham, who won the Players’ Championship three times with Jones, continued her “super spare” role after capturing the 2014 Masters while filling in on Val Sweeting’s team.
Team Muirhead earned $26,000 CAD while Jones, third Kaitlyn Lawes, second Jill Officer and lead Dawn McEwen collected $17,000 CAD.
It was almost a disaster to start for Muirhead as her teammates struggled and she needed to bail out with a clutch draw to the button while facing four Jones stones in the house plus a pair of guards up top.
“I guess that was pretty crucial that we made that draw in the first end because that could have been game over there,” Muirhead said. “That’s what a skip has to do is make these big shots and I did. As I said though, it’s not just me. My team played well all week.”
Jones looked for a big score in the second but didn’t get the right angle on her runback attempt and gave up a steal of one to fall behind 2-0. The five-time Players’ Championship winner Jones made another high-pressure shot in the third and this time it paid off as she made a straight runback double to count three to pull into the lead.
The curling clinic continued as Muirhead reclaimed the lead with a double for a deuce in four but Jones kept it tight hitting and rolling onto the button for a single in five to tie it 4-4. Muirhead grabbed the lead for good in six making a double with her first skip stone and then drawing for three with her last. Jones closed the gap to within one with a deuce in seven but gave up the hammer coming home.
“It was a great game for TV,” Jones said. “There were lots of big shots. Unfortunately a few misses late in the game but that’s what makes it fun and unfortunately just too many misses for us.”
Muirhead now returns home for a day before heading to Switzerland for the European Masters and then off to Sherwood Park, Alta., for the Humpty’s Champions Cup, the season-ending Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling event.
“Really looking forward to next few weeks, a lot of time on the road, but that’s what it’s like being an athlete and being a curler,” Muirhead said. “But it’s good fun and then it’s summer. Can’t wait.”
There is a silver lining for Jones as reaching the final clinched her team a berth into next year’s Canadian Olympic Curling Trials and one step closer in her quest to defend the gold medal. The spot was up for grabs after Scotties Tournament of Hearts champion Chelsea Carey of Calgary finished off of the podium at the worlds making the spot eligible for the CTRS points leader over the season.
“It’s great. It makes next season easier,” Jones said. “You can kind of plan your schedule accordingly so it’s very exciting.”
The Players’ Championship men’s final sees defending champion Brad Jacobs of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., playing Brad Gushue of St. John’s, N.L. Gushue clinched the Rogers Grand Slam Cup men’s title and looks to complete a career Grand Slam having won the other three majors. Jacobs needs the victory to nab the final spot for the Humpty’s Champions Cup.
