PORT HAWKESBURY, N.S. — John Morris has captured the Princess Auto Elite 10 title with a 1-up win over Brad Jacobs in Sunday’s final.
With four in the house during the final frame, but not sitting shot, Team Morris fourth Jim Cotter angle raised one of their own to chip out Jacobs’s counter and capture the Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling championship.
It’s the 11th time Morris has found the winner’s circle in the series, but his first with Cotter, second Tyrel Griffith and lead Rick Sawatsky.
Team Morris also qualified for the season-ending Humpty’s Champions Cup.
The geometry didn’t work out for Jacobs to start. Opening with hammer, Jacobs looked to angle raise and take out Morris’s stone, however, he also took out one of his own and left another counter untouched to concede the first.
Things went better for the reigning Olympic champ in the second end with a textbook peel to sit two and tie it up.
Facing four in the third end, Team Morris fourth Jim Cotter landed right on the lid with his last to avoid a steal and push. Cotter made a great double bump to grab shot rock in the fourth and Jacobs’s last sailed through the house for another steal.
Morris sat shot rock protected in the fifth and Jacobs looked to go through a narrow port to raise and take it out, but the run missed the mark. Cotter plugged up the hole, so Jacobs went around the other way and managed to make it down the line to tap one of his own, bump back the counter and win the end to bring things level.
Quick-draw Cotter was on the mark again in the sixth. Looking at four counters, Cotter landed in the four-foot circle to push.
Cotter managed to put it in the pocket to lie shot partially buried, Jacobs caught a piece of it, but bumped his other stone to only sit one.