Randy Ferbey tops Glenn Howard to win 2009 Players’ Championship
GRANDE PRAIRIE, Alta. — Randy Ferbey captured his second career Players’ Championship title scoring three points in the eighth end to top defending champ Glenn Howard 10-7 during Sunday’s final.
The Edmonton-based team of Ferbey, fourth David Nedohin, second Scott Pfeifer and lead Marcel Rocque secured the fourth and final direct entry into the Canadian Olympic Trials with the victory.
It all came down to the final shot of the game with the scored tied 7-7. Nedohin came through in the clutch curling around Howard’s guard near the hog line to take out a counter on the button for three.
“Who would have thought it would come down to (that),” Ferbey said. “After three years of trying to (get into) the Trials. Coming down to the last shot of the last game of the year to secure that. It was unbelievable.”
Trailing by a point after two ends, Nedohin also made a key shot with an angle-raise takeout in the third end to score four and pull ahead 5-2.
“We just had one end that got away from us,” Howard said.
Howard tied it right back up in the fourth with a three-ender to make it 5-5. The teams alternated deuces in six and seven to set the table for the nail-biting finish.
Ferbey’s team finished 6-0 in the triple knockout tournament to earn $25,000 plus an additional $25,000 for finishing second in the overall season’s bonus points cup race. Team Howard, featuring third Richard Hart, second Brent Laing and lead Craig Savill cashed in big taking home $66,000. Howard, winner of the Masters and Canadian Open titles this season, scored $16,000 for the runner-up finish plus $50,000 for capturing the bonus points cup.
Edmonton’s Kevin Martin finished third in the bonus points cup standings to earn $10,000.
