Masters of curling

As the 2009 Canadian Masters wraps up today in Saskatoon, I’d thought I’d look at the list of former champions of the masters and some of the notable names from the over-60 national curling championship.
There are several curlers on this list who have done the masters-seniors double. The very first men’s champions from Ontario in 2000, Jim Sharples, Brian Longley, Joe Gurowka and Art Lobel, had also won the seniors crown as a team 1992. The only difference then was that Lobel was at third and Longley was the lead in 1992, roles they switched in 2000.
The same team won the seniors title in 1989 except with Peter Warren at lead instead of Longley. In the masters, Longley would come back and win another title as second for 2007 champ Bob Edmondson.
Lobel is one of two men to pull off the trifecta — the Brier, the Seniors and the Masters.
Lobel was Jim Ursel’s third when Quebec won the Brier in 1977.
The other man on the list who has pulled off the trifecta is John Helston of Manitoba.
Helston won the masters playing third for Martin Bailey in 2004. In 1991, Helston was the second for Jim Ursel’s seniors winning team from Manitoba. In 1984, he played second for Mike Riley’s Brier-winning rink.
There are a couple of other Brier winners on this list.
In 2001, former Brier-winning skips Barry Fry (1979) and Don Duguid (1970, ’71 and 1965 as third for Terry Braunstein) won the masters with Fry at skip and Duguid at third.

Canadian Masters
Men’s
2000 Ontario
Jim Sharples, Brian Longley, Joe Gurowka, Art Lobel Toronto, Royals CC

2001 Manitoba
Barry Fry, Don Duguid, Winston Warren, Barry Coleman

2002 Manitoba
Ken Grove, John Usackis, Bob Lesko, Richard Schroeder

2003 Quebec
Dave Moon, Mac Baines, Bob Suderman, Dan McConnell

2004 Manitoba
Martin Bailey, John Helston, Brian Taylor, Gary Smith

2005 Manitoba
Doug Armour, Frank Gudz, Don Barr, Ken Sabad

2006 British Columbia
Dale McKenzie, Roy Giles, Sheldon Paulger, Fred Trussell

2007 Ontario
Bob Edmondson, David Stewart, Brian Longley, Graham MacEachern – Oakville CC

2008 British Columbia
Rick Pughe, John Zawarych, Jack Finnbogason, Bob Bryn – Royal City CC

The only woman who has won both the seniors and masters crown is Betty Clarke of Alberta, who won as lead for Linda Wagner in 2007. Clarke won the seniors title in 1994 as second for Cordella Schwengler.
The other notable name is Sue Ann Bartlett, masters champion skip in 2006 for Nova Scotia. Although this was her first national crown, Bartlett is better known for representing Newfoundland at 12 national women’s championships.
She came close to winning twice for Newfoundland, losing in the final in 1981 to Alberta’s Susan Seitz (in Newfoundland, no less) and in 1985 to B.C.'s Linda Moore.


Women’s
2000 Alberta
Phyl Raymond, Toni Ironside, Vida Rosebloom, Jackie Ogryzlo - Calgary CC

2001Alberta
Shirley Tucker, Ruth Kimmitt, Lorna Priddle, Betty Jean Buchanan

2002 New Brunswick
Marlene Vaughan, Ellen Brennan, Rose Donovan, Pierette MacNaughton

2003 Ontario
Gloria Sorley, Jacki Lococo, Lynne Coull, Marg Newton

2004 New Brunswick
Marlene Vaughan, Ellen Brennan, Sandra Franey, Fran Meehan

2005 Ontario
Gloria Sorley, Jacki Lococo, Lynne Coull, Marg Newton

2006 Nova Scotia
Sue Ann Bartlett, Adine Boutilier, Carol Whitmore, Marjorie MacKay

2007 Alberta
Linda Wagner, Sandra Turner, Marilyn Toews, Betty Clarke - Calgary CC

2008 Alberta
Mary Lynn Oates, Heather Paul Scott, Sylvia Babich, Linda Pratt - Calgary CC