Howard off to a quick start

THE CANADIAN PRESS

STRATFORD, Ont. -- Six-time defending champion Glenn Howard won his first two matches Monday to take an early share of the lead at the Dominion Tankard Ontario men's curling championship.

Howard's rink from Coldwater, coming off a Grand Slam win over Kevin Martin at The National just over a week ago, started his road back to the Tim Hortons Brier with a 12-6 win over Brampton's Dayna Deruelle. He followed that up with a 9-6 win over Winchester's Bryan Cochrane. Howard opened up a 6-6 tie with three points in the ninth end.

Former champion Peter Corner also started off with a pair of wins, leading his Brampton rink to a 9-3 win over Mark Kean and a 9-4 victory over Woodstock's Wayne Tuck Jr.

Thornhill's Mike Anderson was also undefeated at 1-0 with a 9-2 win over Deruelle in Monday's early draw.

Cochrane, Greg Balsdon of the Loonie Curling Club, Kean, Tuck and Harriston's Jake Higgs are at 1-1.

Arnprior's Chris Gardner is 0-1, while Deruelle and Listowel's Daryl Shane are 0-2.