The first event of the Grand Slam of Curling Season is underway this week in Regina, Sask. and for Sault Ste. Marie’s Brad Jacobs and his team from the Community First Curling Centre, it was a good start on Wednesday night.
After some last-minute travel changes that saw the team arrive in the midst of day one on Tuesday, the Jacobs rink picked up an 8-5 win over John Morris during the afternoon draw Wednesday to open the tournament.
“We were supposed to arrive here Monday evening and our flight was cancelled,” Team Jacobs second E.J. Harnden told TheGrandSlamOfCurling.com’s Jonathan Brazeau. “We then tried to fly out the next day, our flight was delayed and we had to take a different airline and then get back onto the original airline we were supposed to take to get here in time late last night. We were already a game behind, a little bit tired, but we’re just excited to be here, start the season and obviously start the season with a win is a plus.”
Trailing 3-2 after the Morris rink scored a pair in the fourth end, Jacobs would score one to tie it before Morris scored two more in the sixth end to retake the lead. Jacobs would then draw for five in the seventh end before running Morris out of rocks in eight to seal the win.
The Jacobs rink, which includes third Ryan Fry and lead Ryan Harnden, will return to action on Thursday with a pair of games. The team opens the day against Reid Carruthers in the afternoon draw before facing Steve Laycock in the evening draw.
Jacobs was to face Laycock on Tuesday but the schedule was shifted due to the travel issues for some teams ahead of the event.
The Tour Challenge features 60 teams split into two tiers. 15 men’s and 15 women’s teams comprise Tier 1 with all the teams coming from the World Curling Tour’s Order of Merit.
Tier 2 also features 15 teams in each of the men’s and women’s divisions.
The Tier 1 champions receive an automatic berth in the final Grand Slam of Curling event of the season, the Champions Cup, which includes the winners of all of the major curling events throughout the season.
The Tier 2 champions earn a spot in the second Grand Slam of Curling event of the season, the Masters, which is set to be held in Loydminster, Sask., beginning on Oct. 24.