PEI’s Suzanne Birt rink lost 9-3 to the Sherry Middaugh foursome from the Brant Curling Club in Brantford Ontario in this afternoon’s final of the Southwestern Ontario Women’s Charity Classic in London Ontario, with proceeds for the care and cure of breast cancer. This is Middaugh’s fourth championship in the event, having won it previously in 2000, 2004, and 2006, while Birt won in 2003. The Middaugh team pockets $7000 for their first place finish, while the Birt rink go home with $5000. In its previous 14 editions, the event has raised more than $195,000 for breast cancer care and research, and will surpass $200,000 this time around.
In this year’s event, both rinks were undefeated going into the final, where Middaugh blanked the first end and picked up a single in the second frame. Birt came back with a deuce in the third, but a triple in four, and a stolen fifth end single gave the Ontario rink a 5-2 lead. Birt picked up a single in six, but a four point seventh end by Middaugh put the game out of reach for Birt.
Birt edged Scotland’s Sarah Reid 6-5 in the semi-final, while Middaugh downed Sudbury’s Tracy Horgan by a 7-2 score. The runner-up Birt rink includes Shelly Bradley, Robyn MacPhee, and Leslie MacDougall, while Jo-Ann Rizzo, Lee Merklinger, and Leigh Armstrong round out the winning Middaugh foursome.
Birt had Sunday off, after winning 8-3 over Reid on Saturday evening, scoring four points in the fourth end and a seventh end triple en route to the victory. Friday, Team Birt won 8-6 over the Marika Bakewell rink of London, and 6-2 over Toronto’s Julie Reddick in the 16 team event. By virtue of qualifying in the A section, Middaugh and Birt both advanced directly to this morning’s semi-finals.
PEICurling.com photo: Birt, Bradley, MacPhee, MacDougall at the 2011 Scotties
In its previous 14 editions, this event has raised more than $195,000 for breast cancer care and research, and will surpass $200,000 this time around.
Website: sowcc.com
Meanwhile, Calgary’s Crystal Webster rink, with PEI natives Erin Carmody and Geri-Lynn Ramsay on the team, are currently playing China’s Bingyu Yang rink in the semi-finals at the Meyers Norris Penny Charity Classic in Medicine Hat Alberta. Webster, and Scotland’s Eve Muirhead were undefeated going into the semis. Muirhead is playing Nadine Chyz of Calgary in the other semi. The winning team will go home with $8000, with $5000 going to the runner-up.
In the quarter-finals, Webster beat Jill Thurston of Winnipeg 6-4, Muirhead edged Liudmilla Privivkova of Moscow 4-3, Wang defeated Lisa Johnson of Edmonton 7-4, and Chyz blanked Satsuki Fujisawa of Nagano Japan by an 8-0 score.
Website: http://www.worldcurlingtour.com/events.php?eventid=2519