The City of Summerside officially announced today that Credit Union Place is hosting the GP Car and Home Players’ Championship from April 10-15 2012. The Players’ Championship, the final and richest of the four events in the Capital One Grand Slam of Curling, will feature a round robin format, with a separate men’s and women’s draw consisting of the world’s top 8 ranked teams from the 2011-12 season.
The 2011-12 Capital One Grand Slam of Curling series will begin with the GP Car and Home World Cup of Curling at the Essar Centre in Sault Ste Marie, Ont. from November 2-6, 2011. The K-Rock Centre in Kingston, Ont. will host the series’ second event, the BDO Canadian Open, from December 14-18, 2011 while Dawson Creek’s EnCana Events Centre will be the site of the third event, The Swiss Chalet National from January 25-29, 2012.
Last season, Team Kevin Martin (Edmonton, Alta) won The Swiss Chalet National and an unprecedented 7th GP Car and Home Players’ Championship on his way to capturing the year end Capital One Cup and the $50,000 bonus that goes along with it. Martin has won 17 major titles in his career, one more than tennis superstar Roger Federer and only one behind golf?s legendary Jack Nicklaus for the most major victories in any sport. Martin confirmed on CBC-TV this evening that he is planning to be in the Players’ Championship again this year, and will be bringing a large contingent of friends and family for his first-ever visit to PEI. Jennifer Jones of Winnipeg won the women’s Players’ Championship last season.
CBC also reported that hotels have already received many bookings for the April event, with around 1000 off-Island fans expected.
Upwards of 100 volunteers will be required. The City is kicking in $100,000 and has waived the CUP rental fee for the Championship. Total purse for all four events is $670,000, the largest prize in curling.
Tickets for the first three Grand Slam events are already on sale, while tickets for the Summerside event will go on sale in November, with full event and individual draw tickets, expected to be in the $10-$15 range per draw, to be available.
CBC Sports will air live playoff coverage of the first three events, as well as both the men’s and the women’s finals of the 2012 GP Car and Home Players’ Championship in Summerside.
For information on GP Car and Home, visit gp.ca.
For more information on the Grand Slam of Curling, visit grandslamofcurling.com.
For more information on Credit Union Place, and to buy tickets when they are available, visit cupevents.ca.