Middaugh defeats Peters to win 2002 Players’ Championship
STRATHROY, Ont. — Wayne Middaugh successfully defended the WCT Players’ Championship title following a 6-4 victory over Vic Peters in Sunday’s final at the Strathroy Gemini Sportsplex.
It’s the fourth time in six seasons Middaugh, third Graeme McCarrel, second Ian Tetley and lead Scott Bailey have captured the title.
The Midland, Ont., club claimed $37,000 with the victory.
Team Middaugh also won the Canadian Open, the first leg of the Grand Slam of Curling series, this season and cashed in a grand total of $135,300 on tour.
The final didn’t start off ideally for Middaugh, who gave up a single steal and conceded another in the fifth end to fall behind 3-1.
Middaugh recovered and grabbed a one-point lead in the sixth end off of a runback to count three points.
After Team Peters tied it up in the seventh end, third Mark Olson came up light on a stone in the ninth allowing Middaugh to capitalize and set up the decisive deuce.
Middaugh clinched the championship on a double takeout with his last rock in the 10th end.
The Winnipeg-based team of Peters, Olson, second Chris Neufeld and lead Steve Gould claimed $20,000 for their runner-up result.
Earlier, Middaugh drew to the four-foot circle in an extra end to edge Olympic silver medallist Kevin Martin of Edmonton 9-8 during the semifinals. Peters beat Winnipeg’s Jeff Stoughton 8-7 to reach the final. Martin and Stoughton both banked $15,000.
