Jacobs opens Champions Cup with victory

Brad Jacobs is back in the Calgary curling bubble and off to a winning start.

The Jacobs rink, which includes third Marc Kennedy, second E.J. Harnden, and lead Ryan Harnden, opened the first Grand Slam of Curling event of the season, the Champions Cup, Thursday evening, with a 4-3 win in an extra end over Mike McEwen.

After the two teams traded singles in the opening end, a steal of one in the third end put the McEwen rink ahead 2-1.

Jacobs rebounded with a pair in the fourth end to take the lead.

After three consecutive blanks, the McEwen rink tied the game with a single in the eighth end before Jacobs picked up the win in the extra end.

The McEwen rink is being skipped this weekend by Reid Carruthers, who normally serves as third for the team.

McEwen is not at the tournament as he awaits the birth of his second child.

Tyler Tardi has joined the team and will serve as third for the McEwen rink.

The Jacobs rink is scheduled to return to action on Friday against Brad Gushue at 6 p.m. (Sault time).

The team will wrap up round robin action on Saturday with a pair of games, taking on Matt Dunstone in the morning draw (10 a.m. Sault time), and Peter De Cruz in the evening draw (10 p.m. Sault time).

The tournament is one of just two Grand Slam events scheduled this season with the Players’ Championship scheduled for next weekend, also in Calgary.

Organizers were forced to cancel the four earlier Grand Slam of Curling events this season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Champions Cup, which was scheduled to begin Wednesday night but was pushed back to a Thursday start following COVID concerns during the recently completed men’s world championship.

After positive tests at the world championship on Friday night, play was suspended and eventually resumed on Sunday with the tournament final being played late Sunday night.