(by Jason Malloy) Teams skipped by Suzanne Birt and Kathy O’Rourke are atop the leaderboard after Day 1 of the P.E.I. Scotties Tournament of Hearts provincial women’s curling championship.
Birt scored singles in the first three ends, added a deuce in the fourth and never looked back Thursday night handing Lisa Jackson her first loss in the five-team tournament. Jackson conceded in the seventh end trailing 8-2 at the Charlottetown Curling Complex.
“It’s always nice to have a good start,” Birt said after the game. “It’s a short round robin, so every game is really, really important.”
O’Rourke scored singles in the ninth and 10th ends to beat Dolan 7-4 in an afternoon contest.
Dolan evened her record by defeating Dewar in the evening draw 9-2 in eight ends.
O’Rourke said all of this week’s games will be tough, so remaining in the moment is important.
“We’ll just try to focus on the first game and the first end of the first game,” she said. “Everyone just (has to) keep focused on the shots that they’re throwing in that end and not think too much ahead and too far ahead.”
Guardian photo by Nigel Armstrong
Gail Greene, lead with the Tammy Dewar rink of Montague delivers a stone during opening day action Thursday at the P.E.I. Scotties Tournament of Hearts. The games are being played at the Charlottetown Curling Complex.
The cold weather that has struck the Island this week was playing a factor with the ice conditions. Both O’Rourke and Birt said the ice was straighter than normal and it’s colder on the ice surface than the players are used to.