Gushue wins 15th GSOC title at Princess Auto Players’ Championship in thrilling fashion

TORONTO — Canada’s Brad Gushue captured a 15th career Grand Slam of Curling title after fending off Italy’s Joël Retornaz 7-6 during an intense Princess Auto Players’ Championship men’s final Sunday.

Although Great Big Sea’s “Ordinary Day” played over the loud speakers at the Mattamy Athletic Centre during the trophy celebration, this was far from an ordinary Grand Slam win for Gushue and his crew from St. John’s, N.L., featuring third Mark Nichols, second E.J. Harnden and lead Geoff Walker.

Gushue held the hammer coming home with the score tied at 6-6 and missed on his first skip shot as his runback sailed straight through the port untouched. That allowed Retornaz to sit three, forcing Gushue into a tricky draw on his last.

The slow claps from the crowd picked up as Gushue’s rock rolled down the sheet, and a range of emotions echoed as it pinballed in and settled at the back of the four-foot circle for the winning point.

Gushue now holds sole possession of second place on the Grand Slam of Curling’s all-time men’s title wins list among skips. He previously shared the mark with Glenn Howard and inched one step closer to Kevin Martin’s record of 18.

It was also Harnden’s 41st birthday and what a way to celebrate.

Team Gushue and Team Retornaz arrived at the event straight from the world championship in Switzerland where both finished on the podium — although not on the top step as Gushue earned silver while Retornaz took bronze. Their clubs may have been fighting fatigue all week here, but were intent on delivering until the end with the summer break on the horizon.

The teams drew to the button to determine the hammer to start and Gushue landed right on the lid to secure last-rock advantage. Retornaz sat two rocks across the rings, though, to force Gushue to hit for just a single in the first end.

Retornaz then went to work in the second and was able to hit for two, but Gushue responded right back in the third with a draw for a deuce to retake the lead.

Deuces were wild as Retornaz punched Gushue’s rock off the button in the fourth to count another couple of points, and Gushue drew for two more to jump back ahead.

The back-and-forth pattern came to a halt in the sixth as Retornaz’s run double attempt missed the back counter to give up a steal and give Gushue a 6-4 lead.

Retornaz sat the tying two points on the button in the seventh and looked to raise his guard in for possibly another one, however, he didn’t get it quite right and only got the equalizer that set the table for the thrilling final frame of the season.

Retornaz, third Amos Mosaner, second Sebastiano Arman and lead Mattia Giovanella won three consecutive Grand Slams to start the season and were looking for a series record fourth title on the year.

Earlier, Switzerland’s Team Silvana Tirinzoni topped Sweden’s Team Isabella Wranå 6-5 to win the Princess Auto Players’ Championship women’s title.

The Grand Slam of Curling returns in the fall with the HearingLife Tour Challenge kicking off the 2024-25 campaign, Oct. 1-6, at Charlottetown’s Bell Aliant Centre.

More from Sportsnet

Tirinzoni tops Wrana to take Princess Auto Players’ Championship women’s title

Jennifer Jones bids farewell following final GSOC game in Players’ Championship