NORTH BATTLEFORD, Sask. — Brad Jacobs of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., picked up where he left off from last year to start his 2017 campaign at the Meridian Canadian Open.
Jacobs, who capped 2016 winning the Boost National in his hometown, bounced back and held on for a 5-4 victory over Scotland’s Kyle Smith during Draw 3 action Wednesday.
The reigning Olympic champ Jacobs opened with the hammer and scored a deuce in the second. Smith settled for a single in three and stole two in the sixth to go up 3-2 as he sat a pair and Jacobs’s last went through the port.
Jacobs rebounded with an open hit for three in the seventh to pull back into the lead and Smith was only able to count one with the hammer coming home in eight.
Team Jacobs takes on Team Gushue in the next round of the A event of the triple knockout preliminary round while Smith fell to B.
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Reigning world champ Kevin Koe of Calgary stole one in the extra end to slip past Edmonton’s Charley Thomas 8-7.
Sweden’s Niklas Edin, winner of two Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling titles this season, picked up a 4-3 victory over American Heath McCormick to stay in the A.
In women’s division action, Edmonton’s Kelsey Rocque edged Casey Scheidegger of Lethbridge, Alta., 5-4.
Michelle Englot and her Winnipeg team also squeaked out a 5-4 win over Calgary’s Chelsea Carey.
NOTES: The Meridian Canadian Open is the fourth event and third major of the 2016-17 Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling season. … TV coverage begins Thursday at 11:30 a.m. CT on Sportsnet. … The event features a triple knockout preliminary round where teams must win three games before they lose three in order to qualify for the playoffs. … Winners of the Meridian Canadian Open qualify for the season-ending Humpty’s Champions Cup taking place at the end of April in Calgary. … Meridian Canadian Open action continues Wednesday at 3 p.m. CT and runs through to Sunday at the Civic Centre in North Battleford.
