Bruce Mouat Takes Gold in Saint John's
Bruce Mouat secured another hat trick in the Grand Slam of Curling, leading his Scottish team to a third consecutive men’s title by defeating Canada’s Team Brad Jacobs 5-3 in Sunday’s final at the KIOTI National.
This victory marks Mouat’s ninth Grand Slam championship, as well as his third with teammates Grant Hardie, Bobby Lammie, and Hammy McMillan Jr., who finished the tournament with a 6-1 record. The win earned them $38,000 from the prize purse.
Team Mouat had a dominant 2021, claiming three straight Slams, including the Champions Cup and Players’ Championship in the Calgary bubble. They also defeated Jacobs in the following season’s Masters final in Oakville, Ont.
With this win, Mouat moved into sole possession of fourth place on the all-time men’s skip title list, previously tied with Wayne Middaugh. Only Kevin Martin (18), Brad Gushue (15), and Glenn Howard (14) have more Grand Slam victories as skips than Mouat.
In a tightly contested final, Jacobs, a seven-time Grand Slam champion, opened with the hammer but only managed a single point in the first end. He forced Mouat to draw for one in the second to tie the game. The next few ends were marked by defensive strategies, with Jacobs blanking two ends and Mouat preventing a third straight blank in the fifth.
Mouat took the lead for the first time in the game in the sixth, capitalizing on Jacobs’ failed in-off attempt to draw for a deuce and go ahead 3-2. In the seventh, Mouat prevented Jacobs from attempting a double by hitting and rolling to the other side of the house. Jacobs responded with a single to tie the game, but Mouat had the hammer going into the eighth end. A decisive open hit for two points in the final end sealed the championship for Team Mouat.
Mouat, reflecting on his success, credited his teammates, saying, "They're like my family."
In addition to this victory, Mouat had earlier claimed the HearingLife Tour Challenge in October and the Co-op Canadian Open last month, defeating Brad Gushue in both finals.
For Jacobs, it was his first Grand Slam final after joining third Marc Kennedy, second Brett Gallant, and lead Ben Hebert, following his departure from Team Reid Carruthers. Team Jacobs, who went undefeated in the round-robin stage, earned $34,000 as runners-up.
Despite the defeat, Jacobs praised the St. John’s crowd, calling the experience “one of the coolest ever” and expressing a desire for more curling fans like those in the city.
In the women’s final earlier that day, Canada’s Team Rachel Homan defeated Sweden’s Team Anna Hasselborg 6-5 to claim the KIOTI National women’s title. Homan's win marked a record-extending 17th Grand Slam of Curling women’s championship.
