Whyte hands Gushue third straight loss at WFG Masters
GUELPH, Ont. — Team Ross Whyte defeated Team Brad Gushue 9-4 during Draw 9 action Thursday as the St. John’s, N.L., crew fell to a 0-3 record in the WFG Masters.
Tied in the seventh, Whyte pulled off a double takeout to count five points that led to handshakes. The Scottish side improved to a 2-1 record.
It’s the first time Team Gushue has started a Grand Slam of Curling event at 0-3 since the 2011 Canadian Open when Randy Ferbey skipped the squad.
The top four teams selected their pool opponents for the event in an online draft last month. Gushue, who was ranked fourth, lost 7-6 to his first-round pick Team Magnus Ramsfjell of Norway on Tuesday then dropped a 4-3 decision to his second-round pick Team Marc Muskatewitz of Germany on Wednesday.
Gushue faces crossover pool opponent Team Yannick Schwaller of Switzerland to conclude round-robin play Friday. The 15-time Grand Slam champion Gushue has not gone winless through an event in the series since the 2006 Players’ Championship.
Elsewhere in Draw 9, Muskatewitz (3-0) punched a playoff ticket with a 5-4 extra-end victory over Ramsfjell (1-2).
Winnipeg’s Team Matt Dunstone downed Saskatoon’s Team Rylan Kleiter 7-1 to qualify for the playoffs. Dunstone remains undefeated at 3-0 while Kleiter dropped to 0-3.
Italy’s Team Joël Retornaz climbed to a 2-1 record with a 5-3 win over Schwaller (1-2).
UP NEXT
Three more draws are on tap Thursday at the Sleeman Centre. Broadcast coverage on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+ starts at 11:30 a.m. ET / 8:30 a.m. PT.
Tickets are available at Ticketmaster.ca.
Live streaming of every game is available in free preview via HomeTeam.
NOTES
The WFG Masters is the fourth Grand Slam of Curling event of the season featuring 16 of the top men’s teams and 16 of the top women’s teams from around the world. … Round-robin play runs through to Friday evening. If necessary, one tiebreaker round will be held Saturday morning. … The quarterfinals and semifinals are scheduled for Saturday with both finals slated for Sunday. … A new rule is being tested this week where teams will lose the hammer if they blank two consecutive ends.
