Photo: Jeff Stoughton appeared to be in grave danger of giving up a triple in the seventh and final end of Saturday night’s semifinal, but the reigning world champion nailed a clutch double takeout with his final stone to seal an 8-6 victory. (Anil Mungal / Capital One)
Jeff Stoughton will play fellow Manitoban Mike McEwen for the BDO Canadian Open title after hanging on for a nail-biting semifinal win over Glenn Howard on Saturday night at the Grand Slam event.
Stoughton scored four in the opening end, but Howard chipped away at his deficit and went into the seventh and final end trailing by only two. For a time, Stoughton appeared to be in grave danger of giving up a triple, but the reigning world champion nailed a clutch double takeout with his final stone to seal an 8-6 victory at the K-Rock Centre.
“It was one of games where you know you have to make last shot to win,” Stoughton said.
McEwen, the world’s top-ranked skip and the hottest player at this tournament, had an easier time with his semifinal, brushing aside Niklas Edin 8-2 to raise the defending champ’s record to a perfect 7-0 for the event.
That sets up an all-Manitoba final on Sunday (CBC, CBCSports.ca, 2 p.m. AT).