THE CANADIAN PRESS
KINGSTON, Ont. — Brad Jacobs led his rink to a 4-3 upset of Olympic champion Kevin Martin on Wednesday in the first draw of the BDO Canadian Open, the second leg of the 2011-12 Capital One Grand Slam of Curling.
Jacobs, from Sault Ste. Marie,Ont., stole one in the first end against Edmonton’s Martin, then increased his lead to 3-1 with two in the fifth end.
Martin came back to tie with two in the sixth, but Jacobs kept control of the hammer by blanking the seventh and then scored one in the eighth to seal the win.
Martin is coming off a win at the Capital One Canada Cup of Curling on Dec. 4.
In other Draw 1 action, Glenn Howard of Coldwater, Ont., beat Saskatoon’s Steve Laycock 7-1.
Howard, who won the first leg of the Grand Slam of Curling in early November, opened with two points then scored three in the fourth to blow open a match that lasted just six ends.
Edmonton’s Kevin Koe edged Jean-Michel Menard of Levis, Que., 5-4, Winnipeg’s Jeff Stoughton scored one in the eight end to beat Rob Fowler of Brandon, Man., and Winnipeg’s Mike McEwen easily beat Toronto’s Mark Kean 8-2.
All of the teams playing this week will be competing under a different set of rules than usual, with the new five-rock rule being tested for the first time in competition.
Designed to create more offence, the rule prevents any stones in the free guard zone from being removed until the sixth stone of the end has been thrown. Each team is therefore essentially given two "free" guard stones, altering the teams’ strategy for each end.
"I think we’re really going to enjoy (the five-rock rule), I think it’s great for the game," Howard said. "The team that’s down will like it, but the team that’s up won’t like it so much because it really gives teams a chance to come back. Overall I think it’ll be great for the game."