Canadian skip Rachel Homan achieved a significant milestone on Sunday by leading her Ottawa-based team to an impressive 8-2 victory over Switzerland’s Silvana Tirinzoni in the CO-OP Tour Challenge final held in Nisku, Alberta. This win marked Homan’s 19th Grand Slam title, surpassing the record previously held by Alberta’s Kevin Martin in terms of most titles won by a skip in both divisions.
Hailing from nearby Beaumont, Alberta, Homan secured her triumph in front of a supportive crowd comprising family, friends, and enthusiastic fans. Alongside her teammates – third Tracy Fleury, second Emma Miskew, and lead Sarah Wilkes – Homan earned a prize of $34,500 for their outstanding performance.
The final between Homan and Tirinzoni marked their third consecutive encounter and ninth overall in a Grand Slam women’s final. While Tirinzoni claimed victory in the Players’ Championship last April, Homan emerged triumphant in the recent AMJ Masters. Notably, Homan leads the head-to-head battles with a score of 7-2.
Reflecting on her achievement, Homan expressed her gratitude for the support, stating, “You couldn’t ask for anything more than that to have your home Slam be the one that you break records. It’s just really surreal right now to be able to do it in front of friends and family.”
In the final match, Homan started strong by scoring four points in the opening end, ultimately securing a 5-2 lead after four ends. She solidified her victory with a steal of one in the fifth end and two more points in the sixth.
On the men’s side, Scotland’s Bruce Mouat clinched a 5-2 win over Matt Dunstone from Winnipeg, Manitoba, by scoring deuces in the first and fourth ends. This win marked Mouat’s 11th Grand Slam title, while Dunstone had previously secured his second Grand Slam title at the AMJ Masters in London, Ontario.
The match was a highly anticipated rematch of the 2016 world junior final, where Dunstone claimed bronze for Canada, and Mouat secured gold for Scotland.
