The 2015 GSOC Tour Challenge was held from September 8 to 13 at the Paradise Double Ice Complex in Paradise, Newfoundland and Labrador. It was the first Grand Slam event of the 2015–16 curling season for both the men's and women's World Curling Tour.
In the tier 1 events, Kevin Koe defeated Brad Gushue on the men's side, Koe's fourth slam title. On the women's side, Silvana Tirinzoni won her first slam by upsetting Rachel Homan in the final.
the tier 2 winners Jim Cotter and Kerri Einarson both qualified for the 2015 The Masters Grand Slam of Curling.
The event introduced the curling world to a new kind of sweeping strategy employed by the Gushue rink. Up until this season, most curling teams would use two sweepers for each rock thrown, but the Gushue rink only used one at the Tour Challenge. The thought process by the Gushue team was that having two sweepers would "cancel out" the directional sweeping of each other. The change in sweeping strategy by the team marked the beginning of a tumultuous curling season which led to the banning of new brush head fabrics as part of the "broomgate" scandal.
Men
Tier I
Teams The teams are listed as follows: Skip Third Second Lead Locale Brendan Bottcher Tom Appelman Brad Thiessen Karrick Martin Edmonton, Alberta Reid Carruthers Braeden Moskowy Derek Samagalski Colin Hodgson West St. Paul, Manitoba Adam Casey David Mathers Anson Carmody Robbie Doherty Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island Benoît Schwarz (fourth) Claudio Pätz Peter de Cruz (skip) Valentin Tanner Geneva, Switzerland Niklas Edin Oskar Eriksson Kristian Lindström Christoffer Sundgren Karlstad, Sweden John Epping Mathew Camm Patrick Janssen Tim March Toronto, Ontario Brad Gushue Mark Nichols Brett Gallant Geoff Walker Newfoundland and Labrador Glenn Howard Richard Hart Adam Spencer Scott Howard Penetanguishene, Ontario Brad Jacobs Ryan Fry E. J. Harnden Ryan Harnden Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario Kevin Koe Marc Kennedy Brent Laing Ben Hebert Calgary, Alberta Steve Laycock Kirk Muyres Colton Flasch Dallan Muyres Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Mike McEwen B. J. Neufeld Matt Wozniak Denni Neufeld Winnipeg, Manitoba Sven Michel Marc Pfister Enrico Pfister Simon Gempeler Adelboden, Switzerland David Murdoch Greg Drummond Scott Andrews Michael Goodfellow Stirling, Scotland John Shuster Tyler George Matt Hamilton John Landsteiner Duluth, Minnesota
Round-robin standings Final round-robin standings KeyTeams to Playoffs Pool A W L Reid Carruthers 4 0 Brad Gushue 3 1 Adam Casey 1 3 Niklas Edin 1 3 David Murdoch 1 3 Pool B W L Kevin Koe 3 1 Mike McEwen 3 1 John Shuster 2 2 Peter de Cruz 1 3 John Epping 1 3 Pool C W L Brendan Bottcher 3 1 Glenn Howard 3 1 Brad Jacobs 3 1 Steve Laycock 1 3 Sven Michel 0 4
Round-robin results All draw times are listed in Newfoundland Time Zone.
Draw 1 Tuesday, September 8, 7:00 pm
Draw 2 Wednesday, September 9, 9:00 am
Draw 3 Wednesday, September 9, 12:30 pm
Draw 4 Wednesday, September 9, 4:00 pm
Draw 5 Wednesday, September 9, 7:30 pm
Draw 6 Thursday, September 10, 9:00 am
Draw 7 Thursday, September 10, 12:30 pm
Draw 8 Thursday, September 10, 4:00 pm
Draw 9 Thursday, September 10, 7:30 pm
Draw 10 Friday, September 11, 9:00 am
Draw 11 Friday, September 11, 12:30 pm
Draw 12 Friday, September 11, 4:00 pm
Playoffs
Quarterfinals Saturday, September 12, 11:00 am
Semifinals Saturday, September 12, 7:00 pm
Final Sunday, September 13, 6:30 pm
Tier II
Round-robin standings Final round-robin standings KeyTeams to PlayoffsTeams to Tiebreakers Pool A W L Mark Kean 4 0 Kyle Smith 3 1 James Grattan 2 2 Travis Fanset 1 3 Rick Rowsell 0 4 Pool B W L Greg Balsdon 4 0 Shawn Adams 3 1 Josh Heidt 2 2 Rene Comeau 1 3 Greg Smith 0 4 Pool C W L Jim Cotter 4 0 Tom Brewster 3 1 Chad Stevens 2 2 Colin Thomas 1 3 Andrew Symonds 0 4
Tiebreaker Friday, September 11, 8:30 pm
Playoffs
Quarterfinals Saturday, September 12, 11:30 am
Semifinals Saturday, September 12, 7:00 pm
Final Sunday, September 13, 6:00 pm
Women
Tier I
Teams The teams are listed as follows: Skip Third Second Lead Locale Chelsea Carey Amy Nixon Jocelyn Peterman Laine Peters Edmonton, Alberta Binia Feltscher Irene Schori Franziska Kaufmann Christine Urech Flims, Switzerland Tracy Fleury Crystal Webster Jenn Horgan Amanda Gates Sudbury, Ontario Julie Hastings Christy Trombley Stacey Smith Katrina Collins Thornhill, Ontario Rachel Homan Emma Miskew Joanne Courtney Lisa Weagle Ottawa, Ontario Jennifer Jones Kaitlyn Lawes Jill Officer Jennifer Clark-Rouire Winnipeg, Manitoba Kim Eun-jung Kim Kyeong-ae Kim Seon-yeong Kim Yeong-mi Uiseong, South Korea Kristy McDonald Kate Cameron Leslie Wilson-Westcott Raunora Westcott Winnipeg, Manitoba Sherry Middaugh Jo-Ann Rizzo Lee Merklinger Leigh Armstrong Coldwater, Ontario Eve Muirhead Anna Sloan Vicki Adams Sarah Reid Stirling, Scotland Alina Pätz Nadine Lehmann Marisa Winkelhausen Nicole Schwägli Zürich, Switzerland Kelsey Rocque Laura Crocker Taylor McDonald Jen Gates Edmonton, Alberta Anna Sidorova Margarita Fomina Aleksandra Saitova Alina Kovaleva Moscow, Russia Val Sweeting Lori Olson-Johns Dana Ferguson Rachelle Brown Edmonton, Alberta Silvana Tirinzoni Manuela Siegrist Esther Neuenschwander Marlene Albrecht Aarau, Switzerland
Round-robin standings Final round-robin standings KeyTeams to PlayoffsTeams to Tiebreakers Pool A W L Sherry Middaugh 3 1 Kristy McDonald 3 1 Jennifer Jones 2 2 Chelsea Carey 2 2 Anna Sidorova 0 4 Pool B W L Rachel Homan 4 0 Kelsey Rocque 3 1 Julie Hastings 1 3 Binia Feltscher 1 3 Val Sweeting 1 3 Pool C W L Kim Eun-jung 3 1 Silvana Tirinzoni 2 2 Eve Muirhead 2 2 Tracy Fleury 2 2 Alina Pätz 1 3
Round-robin results The draw is listed as follows:
Draw 1 Tuesday, September 8, 7:00 pm
Draw 2 Wednesday, September 9, 9:00 am
Draw 3 Wednesday, September 9, 12:30 pm
Draw 4 Wednesday, September 9, 4:00 pm
Draw 5 Wednesday, September 9, 7:30 pm
Draw 6 Thursday, September 10, 9:00 am
Draw 7 Thursday, September 10, 12:30 pm
Draw 8 Thursday, September 10, 4:00 pm
Draw 9 Thursday, September 10, 7:30 pm
Draw 10 Friday, September 11, 9:00 am
Draw 11 Friday, September 11, 12:30 pm
Draw 12 Friday, September 11, 4:00 pm
Draw 13 Friday, September 11, 7:30 pm
Tiebreakers Saturday, September 12, 8:00 am
Playoffs
Quarterfinals Saturday, September 12, 2:30 pm
Semifinals Saturday, September 12, 5:30 pm
Final Sunday, September 13, 11:30 am
Tier II
Round-robin standings Final round-robin standings KeyTeams to PlayoffsTeams to Tiebreakers Pool A W L Suzanne Birt 2 2 Sylvie Robichaud 2 2 Cathy Overton-Clapham 2 2 Nina Roth 2 2 Michelle Montford 2 2 Pool B W L Kerri Einarson 4 0 Jill Thurston 3 1 Anna Hasselborg 1 3 Mary-Anne Arsenault 1 3 Heather Strong 1 3 Pool C W L Barb Spencer 4 0 Jamie Sinclair 3 1 Amber Holland 2 2 Stacie Curtis 1 3 Cissi Östlund 0 4
Tiebreakers Saturday, September 12, 8:30 am
Playoffs
Quarterfinals Saturday, September 12, 3:00 pm
Semifinals Saturday, September 12, 7:00 pm
Final Sunday, September 13, 11:30 am
References
External links