Virtue rolling along in Dauphin

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This article was published 05/12/2011 (5404 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

BROCK Virtue will be among the favourites heading into today’s playoff round at the Dauphin Clinic Pharmacy Classic curling event in Dauphin, Man.

The Calgary skip is in the playoffs for the sixth time in eight Asham World Curling Tour events this season and will be looking for his second straight bonspiel victory. Virtue grabbed one of eight quarter-final spots with a 7-2 win over local favourite Rae Kujanpaa of Dauphin in a B-side qualifier.

Jared Kolomaya of Stonewall nabbed the other B-side berth with an 11-5 win over Rob Van Kommer of Carberry, thanks to three three-enders.

Winnipeg’s Chris Galbraith and Regina’s Randy Bryden secured passage to the playoffs through the A-side on Saturday. The final four spots were decided through the C-side late Sunday.

With the top teams in Cranbrook, B.C., this week for the Canada Cup of Curling, Virtue is the highest rated player on the tour’s money list on the ice. With $19,500 in earnings so far this year, he’s ranked 16th — but that will improve on today when he adds at least $2,500 to that total.

Virtue won the World Financial Group Classic last month in Calgary.

South of the border, Pete Fenson beat David Brown 6-4 in an all-American final in the Laphroaig Scotch Open in Madison, Wisc. Fenson scored deuces in the first and sixth ends and built a 6-2 before a pair of late singles by Brown made the score close.

On the women’s side, Erika Brown beat Patti Lank 6-4 in a battle of former U.S. national champions. The game played out similar to the men’s final, with Brown scoring a pairs in the first and fifth ends. She also built a 6-2 lead before Lank rallied late to close the gap.

Brown and Lank teamed up to win silver at the 1999 world championships.

— Postmedia News