PEI’s Suzanne Birt rink will be going home with some cash this weekend, following play this afternoon at the Royal LePage OVCA Women’s Fall Classic in Kemptville Ont. The Island foursome beat 2007 event champion Jenn Hanna and her Ottawa team 7-4, managing to score deuces three times in the game, to advance to the 10 am AT Sunday quarter-final round at the World Curling Tour cashspiel, and be guaranteed of going home with at least $1000.
The other PEI team in the triple-knockout event, skipped by Kathy O’Rourke, are now out of the competition after suffering their third loss this morning, a close 4-3 contest against Montreal’s Eve Belisle. O’Rourke led 2-1 at half-time, but Belisle stole the next two ends to take the lead, and the teams traded singles in the final two ends to give the win to the Quebec skip.
Other members of the Birt rink are Shelly Bradley, Michelle McQuaid, and Susan McInnis.
Heather Smith-Dacey and her Halifax rink also qualified for the money round this afternoon.
Tomorrow’s event champion will go home with $5000, with $2600 going to the runner-up. Third and fourth place will receive $1700 each, with the losers of the quarters getting $1000 per team. The semi-finals go at 1:30 pm Atlantic, with the final at 4:30.
Results website: www.worldcurl.com/events.php?eventid=3064