Jim Cotter’s Vernon/Kelowna rink pocketed $6,000 as quarterfinalists at the $100,000 Players’ Curling Championship last weekend in Toronto.
Playing with third Jason (Gunner) Gunnlaugson, second Ty Griffith and lead Rick Sawatsky, Cotter fell 5-4 in an extra end to Winnipeg’s Jeff Stoughton in the quarters Saturday afternoon.
Winnipeg’s Mike McEwen bounced Stoughton 5-2 in the semis, only to bow 4-3 to Coldwater, Ont.’s Glenn Howard in the final.
Howard collected $26,000 for first place, as well as an additional $50,000 as a part of the Grand Slam of Curling’s $100,000 bonus split between the top three men’s teams of the season, with runner-up McEwen receiving $30,000, and third-place Stoughton taking home $20,000.
“This was by far the biggest championship we won this season,” said Howard. “For us, it’s an outstanding feeling going into the summer with this finish – it can’t get any better.”
This was Howard’s second win of the Grand Slam season after clinching the Canadian Open in Kelowna.
