Howard Goes For 3-Peat At Curling’s Masters
24/10/2008 04:31
Glenn Howard of Coldwater, Ont., will try for an unprecedented third consecutive Masters of Curling title next month when the Grand Slam tournament comes to Waterloo, Ont.
Howard, the 2007 world champion, topped the field of 18 elite skips revealed Friday for the Nov. 12-16 event, the first of four tournaments in this season's Grand Slam of Curling.
CBC Sports will televise the championship rounds of each event, with live streaming available on CBCSports.ca
Howard won the Masters in both the 2006-07 and 2007-08 seasons. Since the Grand Slam's inception in 2001-02, no skip has won one of the events three straight times.
The top 15 Canadian teams on the World Curling Tour's Order of Merit standings as of Oct. 13 automatically qualified for the Masters.
Joining Howard are skips Kevin Martin (Edmonton), Randy Ferbey (Edmonton), Wayne Middaugh (Midland, Ont.), Jeff Stoughton (Winnipeg), Kerry Burtnyk (Winnipeg), Greg McAulay (Richmond, B.C.) and Brad Gushue (St. John's).
Sixteenth-ranked Joel Jordison of Moose Jaw, Sask., was added to the field following the withdrawal of 14th-ranked Jean-Michel Ménard of Gatineau, Que., who bowed out because of work commitments.
The remaining three entries went to Norway's Thomas Ulsrud, Switzerland's Ralph Stöckli, and Craig Brown of the United States.
The Grand Slams are part of the Canadian Curling Association's qualifying process for the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver. Based on their performances at the Slams, teams can earn points toward a berth at the 2009 Canadian Olympic trials.
The Grand Slam season continues with the National (beginning Dec. 3 in Quebec City), the Canadian Open (Jan. 21, Winnipeg) and the Players' Championship (April 14, Grande Prairie, Alta.).
The events can be held in a different order each season. Last season, Martin started off by winning the Canadian Open and the National before Howard took the Masters and the Players' Championship.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Howard, Martin, Ferbey, Gushue, Middaugh, etc., etc., etc., - what a great line-up to kick-off this season’s Grand Slam of Curling. I can hardly wait.