The Brad Gushue rink, which includes PEI native Brett Gallant at second, were the winners at the $45,400 (total purse) Shorty Jenkins Classic, which wrapped up today at the Cornwall Ontario Curling Centre. The St. John’s NL team edged Ontario’s Glenn Howard rink 5-4 in an extra end to capture the final.
L-R: Mark Nichols, Brett Gallant, R-L: Geoff Walker, Brad Gushue
The semi-finals saw Gushue knock out another Ontario rink, the defending champion Brad Jacobs foursome, with a 5-3 score, while Howard downed Jean-Michel Menard of Quebec City 7-2.
Gushue currently leads this year’s Canadian Team Ranking System standings, with a win in the Oakville Stu Sells Tankard, a runner-up finish at last week’s Grand Slam event in Paradise, NL, and this win.
PEI’s Adam Casey rink, who were runners-up to Jacobs in the “Shorty” last year, finished with 3 wins and 2 losses, falling just short of qualifying for the quarter-finals, after shooting percentages and other team ranking rules were used.
The $18,000 women’s event was won by Korea’s Eun Jung Kim, who edged Ontario’s Allison Flaxey 5-4 in the final. Kim doubled PEI’s Suzanne Birt rink 8-4 in the semi-final round to advance to the championship game. Birt advanced to the semis with a 3-2 win-loss record in the round robin.
This event is normally held at the Brockville Country Club, but, due to compressor issues, it was moved to Cornwall at the last minute.