(By Jonathan Brazeau)
TRURO, N.S. — Sweden’s Team Anna Hasselborg has captured back-to-back Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling titles to start the season.
Hasselborg won her first career championship the series at last month’s Princess Auto Elite 10 and picked up title No. 2 Sunday at the Canadian Beef Masters.
Anna Hasselborg shoots a stone during the Canadian Beef Masters women’s final on Oct. 28, 2018, in Truro, N.S. (Anil Mungal)
Team Hasselborg scored three in the eighth to edge Ottawa’s Team Rachel Homan 8-7.
Here is how it all went down:
1st End: Homan started with the hammer but was forced to hit for just a single. HOMAN 1, HASSELBORG 0
2nd End: Split ‘em up. Homan sat two stones on opposite sides of the house around the eight-foot circumference and Hasselborg drew to knot it up. HOMAN 1, HASSELBORG 1
3rd End: A missed opportunity for Homan. Looking for a tap and boom to eliminate Hasselborg’s stone at the back and score big, Homan was just off the mark connecting with her rock on top of the pile and resulting in another single point. HOMAN 2, HASSELBORG 1
4th End: Homan hit and rolled out with her last and Hasselborg capitalized with a tap for two. HASSELBORG 3, HOMAN 2
5th End: That didn’t quite go as planned for anybody. After Hasselborg’s last hung out there and went heavy through the house, Homan had a cluster of three counting in the four-foot circle and an opportunity to draw for a fourth point. However, it was looking light and sweepers Lisa Weagle and Joanne Courtney couldn’t pull the string as it was just short. Still a three count on the board and the lead for Homan. HOMAN 5, HASSELBORG 2
6th End: Back and forth we go. Homan couldn’t get the double rolling over the top of the second and Hasselborg only needed to ease her last anywhere in the house for the equalizing deuce. HOMAN 5, HASSELBORG 5
7th End: Hasselborg missed the double attempt and Homan cashed in for two. HOMAN 7, HASSELBORG 5
8th End: En guard. Homan couldn’t avoid the guard landing on top and Hasselborg made her pay –cashing in with a hit to score three. HASSELBORG 8, HOMAN 7
Earlier, Toronto’s Team John Epping clipped Calgary’s Team Kevin Koe 7-4 to claim the men’s title. Epping completed a career Grand Slam in the series.
NOTES: The Canadian Beef Masters was the second event and the first major of the 2018-19 Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling season. … Winners took home $30,000 of the $250,000 total purse plus berths to the season-ending Humpty’s Champions Cup in April. … Hasselborg already earned her spot in the Humpty’s Champions Cup by winning the Elite 10. … Points were also on the line for the Pinty’s Cup, which is awarded to the overall season champions following the conclusion of the Players’ Championship.