Winnipeg skips Mike McEwen and Jeff Stoughton scored big six-end victories Wednesday to kick off the 2015 Safeway Championship and reach the second round of the A-side bracket in Brandon, Man.
McEwen, ranked No. 1 on the World Curling Tour, scored two in the first, stole three-enders in the third and fourth and added another deuce in six during a 10-1 win over Greg Mikolajek.
Stoughton, a record 11-time Manitoba champion, earned deuces in the first and third, added a four-ender in the fifth and stole five points in the sixth to rout Roger Parker 13-2.
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Reid Carruthers of Winnipeg moved on after beating Glen Toews 11-4. Carruthers led by one at the fifth-end break and pulled away with a four-ender in six. Toews was held to a single in seven and Carruthers iced the game scoring three in the eighth.
William Lyburn also advanced after downing Grant Brown 12-3. Lyburn, from Winnipeg, led 6-0 after four ends and earned a deuce in six and a four-ender in eight.
The winner of the Safeway Championship will represent Manitoba at the Tim Hortons Brier, starting Feb. 28 in Calgary.
