Jacobs falls in Tour Challenge semi

The first Grand Slam of Curling event of the season came to an end on Saturday for Brad Jacobs and his team from the Community First Curling Centre.

Team Jacobs, which includes third Ryan Fry, second E.J. Harnden, and lead Ryan Harnden dropped a 5-2 decision to Brad Gushue of St. John’s, Nfld. on Saturday night in the semifinal of the Tour Challenge in Regina, Sask.

After Gushue blanked the opening two ends, the two teams traded singles in the third and fourth ends before Gushue would score three to take the lead. The teams proceeded to trade singles in the final two ends.

Gushue will face Norwegian Steffen Walstad in Sunday’s tournament final. Walstad beat Sweden’s Niklas Edin 6-5 in Saturday’s other semifinal.

The Jacobs rink advanced to the semifinal thanks to a 10-8 quarter-final win in an extra end over John Shuster of Duluth, Minn.

Jacobs would jump out to a big lead thanks to an open hit for five in the first end. After Shuster scored a pair in the second end, Jacobs would score one in the third and steal four more in the fourth to take a commanding 7-2 lead.

Shuster would get back into the game thanks to a single in five before stealing three more in the sixth.

Jacobs scored one in the seventh end before Shuster forced the extra end with a pair in the eighth.

Gushue advanced thanks to a 7-5 quarter-final win over Steve Laycock of Saskatoon, Sask.

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.