Canadian skip Rachel Homan achieved a significant milestone on Sunday as her team from Ottawa emerged victorious against 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 Kevin Martin from Alberta.
Hailing from nearby Beaumont, Alberta, Homan clinched the final in front of an enthusiastic crowd that included family, friends, and devoted fans. The team, comprising Homan, Tracy Fleury, Emma Miskew, and Sarah Wilkes, secured a prize of $34,500 for their triumph.
This final marked the ninth encounter between Homan and Tirinzoni in a Grand Slam women’s final, with Homan leading the head-to-head matchups 7-2. Following previous meetings where Tirinzoni won the Players’ Championship and Homan claimed the AMJ Masters title, Homan emerged victorious this time.
Expressing her joy, Homan remarked, “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 took an early lead by scoring four points in the first end and maintained control to secure a comfortable win. On the men’s side, Bruce Mouat from Scotland clinched a 5-2 victory over Matt Dunstone from Winnipeg, Manitoba, earning his 11th Grand Slam title. This encounter was a highly anticipated rematch from the 2016 world junior final, where Dunstone claimed bronze for Canada and Mouat secured gold for Scotland.