The Jamie Newson rink is the first of four teams to qualiify for the championship round at the PEI Tankard Provincial Men’s Curling Championship being played at the Montague Curling Rink. The Charlottetown Curling Complex team scored four points in the ninth end to beat the defending champion Eddie MacKenzie team, also from Charlottetown, 8-4 this afternoon, and capture the “A” qualifier. This win advances Newson in the Page A vs B game, Saturday at 7 pm. MacKenzie now faces clubmate Robert Campbell in the “B” qualifier at 7 this evening.

Other members of the Newson rink are Andrew Robinson, Sean Clarey, and John Desrosiers, with alternate player Phillip McInnis, and coach Peter Gallant.

Newson (file photo)

Campbell beat last year’s runner-up, Rod MacDonald, 9-7 this afternoon, helped out by a 4 point sixth end, to advance to the “B” qualifier. The winner of this game will face Newson in the Page A vs B game. The “C” and “D” qualifiers out of the triple knockout go Saturday at 2 pm. MacDonald and his Charlottetown team will face the winner of a 7 pm game this evening between Bill Hope of Cornwall and Blair Weeks of Charlottetown in the “D” qualifier, while the loser of the “B” qualifier will play  the winner of the 7 pm game between Tyler Harris or Blair Jay in the “C”. The Page C vs D playoff game is also Saturday at 7. The semi-final goes Sunday at 2 p.m., with the final at 7 p.m.

End by end results are available at PEICurling.com/tankard

The winning team from the final will advance to the Tim Hortons Brier, March 1-9 at the Interior Savings Centre in Kamloops, BC.