Murdoch holds off Edin to start Tour Challenge run
PARADISE, N.L. — Scotland’s David Murdoch came out on top 6-4 against Sweden’s Niklas Edin in a battle between Olympians Wednesday during Draw 3 action at the Tour Challenge.
Murdoch, the Sochi Winter Olympics silver medallist, broke a tie with a deuce in the fourth end and added two more points with a double takeout in six to grab a 5-2 lead. Edin, who won the Olympic bronze in 2014, was forced to a single in five and hit and stuck around for two in the seventh to close the gap. Murdoch faced two Edin counters with his final shot coming home and hit and stuck for shot stone to secure the win.
“Myself and Niklas have been battling away for years and I think that’s going to continue for a while,” Murdoch said with a smile. “We’re two good teams so it was a great battle out there and we’re good friends too so it’s always nice to play these guys. For us it’s an important win, it’s nice to start with a win and the ice was great today. We really enjoyed being out there so it’s fantastic.”
Elsewhere, Calgary’s Kevin Koe scored two in the first and stole points in the following two ends during a 7-3 victory over American John Shuster. It was the second game for Koe, who improved to a 1-1 following a 5-4 extra-end loss to Toronto’s John Epping in Tuesday night’s opener.
Winnipeg’s Mike McEwen scored a deuce to start and grabbed a single in the final end to edge Peter de Cruz of Switzerland 3-2.
In women’s division action, Binia Feltscher of Switzerland scored a pair of three-enders during a 10-7 victory over Edmonton’s Val Sweeting. The reigning Masters champion Sweeting fell to a 0-2 record.
Kristy McDonald stole one in the extra end to win 6-5 over Jennifer Jones in an all-Winnipeg matchup. Jones hit and rolled too far with her final shot in the ninth and dropped to 0-2.
NOTES: The Tour Challenge is the first of two new tournaments on the expanded seven-event 2015-16 Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling season and features 30 men’s and 30 women’s teams split into two tiers. … Winners of the Tier 1 divisions also receive berths to the second new Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling event, the season-ending Champions Cup. … Tier 2 champions earn byes to the next Grand Slam, the Masters, running Oct. 27 to Nov. 1 in Truro, N.S. … Television coverage of the Tour Challenge starts Thursday at 11 a.m. ET / 8 a.m. PT on Sportsnet.
