Photo (L-R): Robert Campbell, Steve Burgess, Jamie Newson, Rob Doherty
Charlottetown’s Robert Campbell rink, getting an early start on the cashspiel circuit, is the only PEI rink competing in the 16 team triple-knockout Swinamer’s TIM-BR MART Cashspiel, which wraps up today at the Windsor Curling Club in Nova Scotia. The Campbell foursome from the Charlottetown Curling Club, which includes Steve Burgess, formerly of New Brunswick, at third, along with Jamie Newson in the second position, and Rob Doherty playing lead stone, have advanced to the six-team money round. They lost their opener on Friday night, 7-2 to Ian Fitzner-LeBlanc of Halifax, ending the game early when Fitzner-LeBlanc took a triple in the fifth, and stole a sixth-end single. On Saturday they edged the Danny Christianson foursome from CFB Halifax 9-8, in an extra end, building up a 7-0 lead in the first two ends, but giving up points in the next four ends to narrow the gap to 7-5. Campbell took a single in the seventh, but Christianson tied the game with a triple in the eighth. Campbell scored an extra-end single for the win.
Campbell’s next game was against Doug MacKenzie of Halifax, and again went into an extra, with MacKenzie grabbing a 7-5 lead with five points in the sixth. Campbell scored singles in the next two ends to tie it up, and stole the extra end for the win. Campbell won his next game against Brent MacDougall of Halifax by a 6-2 score, and doubled Sean Audas of CFB Halifax 4-2 on Sunday.
The Campbell team now advances to the quarter-finals at 9 this morning, playing Shawn Adams of Halifax. New Brunswick’s James Grattan/Russ Howard team faces Rob Harris of Halifax in the other 9 am quarter.
Semi-finals go at noon, with the winner of the Adams/Campbell game taking on the Glenn MacLeod rink from Halifax, while Fitzner-LeBlanc will take on the winner of the other quarter-final between Grattan/Howard and Harris. The final goes at 3 pm.