YORKTON, Sask. — Local hero Steve Laycock kicked off the Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling Canadian Open with an 8-5 win in seven ends over Sweden’s Niklas Edin during the opening draw Tuesday night.
Laycock pulled ahead early 6-2 with triples in the first and third ends. Edin, the reigning European champion, scored deuces in the second and fourth to keep it close but Laycock added to his total with a single in the fifth and a steal of one in six. Edin was held to one in the seventh and the two rinks shook hands.
“The first game in front of the home crowd there’s some heart-racing a couple times early on so to get that three-ender in the first was really nice to calm us down,” Laycock said. “From there you know with the five-rock rule they’re going to have some chance to come back so we just made sure it wasn’t more than two and they made good shots to get their two points but we kept on answering back to get some scores.”
The Yorkton-born Laycock looks to win his first career Grand Slam title on home ice and said it was fantastic to have the crowd on his side during the game.
“To see so many familiar faces up there in the crowd makes it more rewarding to get a win but also there’s that extra pressure,” Laycock said. “To get that win early in the event is obviously nice.”
Elsewhere in Draw 1 action, Toronto’s John Epping pulled ahead with a triple in the second and iced the game with a steal of two in the seventh during an 8-4 win over Scotland’s David Murdoch.
In the women’s division, Switzerland’s Silvana Tirinzoni grabbed a triple in the sixth and stole one in the seventh to earn an 8-4 win over Edmonton’s Chelsea Carey.
Scotland’s Eve Muirhead stole two in the opening end and closed the game with a triple steal in eight during a 7-2 victory over Regina’s Chantelle Eberle.
Winnipeg’s Kristy McDonald scored one in the extra end to defeat reigning world champion Binia Feltscher from Switzerland 6-5. McDonald led 5-3 after six ends but Feltscher charged back with a single in the seventh and a steal of one in the eighth to force the extra frame.
The Canadian Open continues Wednesday morning with Draw 2 action starting at 9:30 a.m. CT.
