CORNER BROOK — Scott Davidge scored a single point in the ninth end to eke out an 8-7 victory over Corner Brook’s Mike Mullins in the men’s championship game at the Dominion Curling Championships Sunday afternoon.
Davidge, who curls out of the Gander Curling Club, finished in a three-way tie for second spot with Matthew Smith of Bally Haly of St. John’s and Bob Osborne of Re/Max Centre of St. John’s with identical 6-2 records in round-robin play so a tie-breaking formula had to be used to determine who would meet Mullins, first in round-robin play with a 7-1 record with his only loss a 5-2 loss to Osborne in the tournament opener. Davidge downed Osborne 4-3 in the tie-breaking matchup before earning a berth in the final as a result of a 7-2 triumph over Smith in a semifinal matchup Sunday morning at the Corner Brook Curling Club.
Kenny Young of Corner Brook finished in fourth place with a 5-3 round-robin effort, while Don Hawco of Re/Max Centre of St. John’s finished with a respectable 3-5 record and Baxter House of the Gateway Curling Club of Port aux Basques had two wins in eight games. Barry Lomond of the Caribou Curling Club in Stephenville (1-7) and Gary O’Brien of the Gateway Curling Club of Port aux Basques rounded out the men’s field.
On the women’s side, Pam Osborne of St. John’s downed Susan Curtis of Corner Brook 11-3 to capture the crown and the right to represent Newfoundland and Labrador at the national Dominion curling championships next month. Osborne finished in top spot with a perfect 7-0 round-robin record, including a 6-5 win over Curtis in round-robin play, so she had to be beaten twice in the final.
Curtis, who finished second with a 6-1 record, came up with a gallant effort in the first game of the final, roaring back from an early 7-0 deficit after four ends to register eight unanswered points for an 8-7 victory in front of an appreciative hometown crowd at the Corner Brook Curling Club.
Sandra Sparrow of Bally Haly Golf and Curling Club of St. John’s and Wendy Dunne of Re/Max Centre of St. John’s finished tied for third spot overall with identical 4-3 round-robin records.
Donna Davis of Corner Brook Curling Club finished in fifth place with a 3-4 record, including a 6-5 loss to Curtis and a 6-4 setback at the hands of Osborne. Mary Byrne of the Caribou Curling Club of Stephenville finished with a 1-6 record, while Linda Davis Kettle of the Gateway Curling Club of Port aux Basques and Christina Lillico of the Gander Curling Club finished with identical 1-6 records.
