Tour Challenge Live Blog: Jacobs outlasts Bottcher for title

THUNDER BAY, Ont. — Team Brad Jacobs of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., won the Tour Challenge Tier 1 men’s title taking down Edmonton’s Team Brendan Bottcher 6-5 in Sunday’s men’s final.

Jacobs hit to score two in the eighth to earn his fourth career Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling championship.

Team Jacobs cash in $20,000, 12 Pinty’s Cup points and a spot in the season-ending Humpty’s Champions Cup.

Here is how it all went down:

1ST END: Bottcher opened with the hammer after winning the draw-to-the-button and a routine blank put bagels on the board. BOTTCHER 0, JACOBS 0

2ND END: No blanks in this one with a cluster of rocks in the rings and Bottcher drew for to the top of the four-foot circle for a single. BOTTCHER 1, JACOBS 0

3RD END: Jacobs jumped ahead drawing for a deuce. JACOBS 2, BOTTCHER 1

4TH END: More pressure from Jacobs forcing Bottcher to draw for one while facing two spread across the house. JACOBS 2, BOTTCHER 2

5TH END: Another sharp end from Jacobs allows him to draw for two once more and reclaim the lead. JACOBS 4, BOTTCHER 2

6TH END: Jacobs came close but couldn’t quite get the double, rolling across the house and just nudging the second one, allowing Bottcher to knot it up again. JACOBS 4, BOTTCHER 4

7TH END: Bottcher took the lead, but only because Jacobs threw his last away with no chance to get another deuce in the cluttered house to concede a point and retain the hammer coming home for the final frame. BOTTCHER 5, JACOBS 4

8TH END: Well, that worked out for Jacobs as he hit to score two for the win. JACOBS 6, BOTTCHER 5

Saskatoon’s Team Kirk Muyres downed Team Scott McDonald of Kingston, Ont., 8-3 in the Tier 2 men’s final. Team Muyres take home $10,000 and a promotion to the 2019 Meridian Canadian Open with ~~airfare~~ gas money and accommodation provided.

Earlier, Ottawa’s Team Rachel Homan doubled up on Team Tracy Fleury of East St. Paul, Man., 8-4 in the Tier 1 women’s final. Team Elena Stern of Switzerland edged Japan’s Team Sayaka Yoshimura 6-5 for the Tier 2 title.