TEAM MOUAT TAKE FOURTH SCOTTISH MEN’S TITLE AT 2023 CHAMPIONSHIPS
Congratulations to Team Mouat (Edinburgh) who are the 2023 Scottish Curling Men’s Champions.
Team Mouat (Bruce Mouat, Grant Hardie, Bobby Lammie, Hammy McMillan) secured their fourth Scottish Men’s title, making them the joint most successful quartet in the championships’ history. They edged victory by a single point in a tight final against Team J Craik (James Craik, Mark Watt, Angus Bryce, Blair Haswell) (Forfar). Prior to the medal game, Team Mouat had gone unbeaten through the round robin and also won their page play-off fixture against Team Whyte (Ross Whyte, Robin Brydone, Duncan McFadzean, Euan Kyle) (Stirling).
In contrast, Team J Craik were fighting for their play-off spot until the very last round robin session. Their fixture against Team O Carson (Orrin Carson, Logan Carson, Archie Hyslop, Charlie Gibb) (Dumfries) was a straight shootout between the two sides, the Forfar outfit coming out on top of that one. Up against Team Whyte in the semi-final, it all came down to the last stone and Team J Craik snatched the win by a single point.
Despite not reaching the play-offs, local side Team O Carson’s achievements throughout the week earned them the Men’s Amateur Prize. The field was rounded out by Team Waddell (Kyle Waddell, Craig Waddell, Mark Taylor, Gavin Barr) (Lanarkshire), Team Bryce (Cameron Bryce, Duncan Menzies, Luke Carson, Robin McCall) (Border), Team R Craik (Ross Craik, Scott Hyslop, Struan Carson, Jack Carrick) (Forfar), and Team Strawhorn (Jack Strawhorn, Hamish Gallacher, Rory McNair, Kaleb Johnson) (Dumfries). Team Bryce third Duncan was voted receiver of the Sportsmanship Award.
FINAL
It’s a fourth Scottish title for Team Mouat who edged a 7-6 win in a tight Scottish Curling Men’s Championship final. The sides were tied on four each at the break and it was all to play for in the second half. Team Mouat got off to a brighter restart, scoring and stealing one respectively in Ends 6 and 7, but Team J Craik responded and got a deuce on the board in a well-worked eighth end. The scores were even once more and Team Mouat blanked End 9 to maintain hammer for the decisive tenth. Playing the penultimate stone, James Craik’s draw slid the narrowest bit too far to lie, meaning Bruce Mouat didn’t even have to play his last stone to be guaranteed a point.
SEMI-FINAL
Team J Craik advanced to the final after seeing Team Whyte off 7-6 in a nail-biting semi-final. Team Whyte had the brighter start to the encounter and managed a slender lead for the better part of proceedings.However, the momentum changed from End 7 onwards. Team J Craik scored one to cut the gap and closed it straight after with a single steal. It all came down to the final stones – James Craik, lying one, placed a centre guard that prompted a big weight take-out attempt from Ross Whyte that crashed off another stone and gave away a single steal that decided the game.
PAGE PLAY-OFF
Team Mouat have bagged a spot in the final following an 8-5 win over Team Whyte in the page play-off. A single point separated the sides at halftime and it was all to play for in the second half. Team Whyte were first to score at the restart and got a single on the board, but Team Mouat responded with a deuce to regain the lead. The Edinburgh outfit landed a crucial punch with a two-points steal that all but decided the encounter.
SESSION 7
The scoreline didn’t quite reflect the game in the 5-1 face-off between Team Mouat and Team Whyte. The Edinburgh side took the advantage from the start and kept coming out the better in a game of tiny margins. With 5-0 on the board at halftime, Team Whyte took their single in End 6 and immediately shook hands. Accordingly, Team Mouat finish top of the table on a perfect seven in nil record with Team Whyte just behind them.
Meanwhile, Team J Craik secured the final play-off spot in a fiercely contested fixture against Team O Carson. The match was a straight shootout with the winner guaranteed to go through to the semi-final. A single point in the Dumfriesians’ favour separated the sides at the break and a low scoring second half followed. With the scores level after 10, it all came down to an extra end. Team J Craik held hammer and used it well to snatch a 7-6 win.
Team Waddell finished the round robin on a high, storming to victory over Team R Craik. Big points in Ends 1, 3, and 5 saw the Lanarkshire outfit lead 11-3 at halftime and with the sixth end blanked, the scores stayed as they were.
Similarly, Team Bryce comprehensively saw off Team Strawhorn 10-2 in their final fixture of the tournament. A five points lead after two ends had the Border side well in control already and a four in End 4 took the sting out of the game. Eventually, Team Strawhorn conceded after six ends, the final scores reading 10-2 in Team Bryce’ favour.
SESSION 6
The 100 per cent record holds for Team Whyte who saw Team R Craik off 7-3 after six ends. Four points in End 1 gave Team Whyte a firm hold of the game from the very start. Team R Craik briefly kept their chances alive with a deuce, but Team Whyte kept edging away and bagged their sixth win of the tournament.
Equally, Team Mouat remain undefeated, courtesy of an 8-0 triumph over Team Waddell. Starting out on a deuce, Team Mouat kept stealing away and didn’t allow their opponents a way into the game.
Meanwhile, Team O Carson kept their play-0ff chances alive with a hard-worked win over Team Bryce. The Dumfries side held the upper hand for most of the encounter, but a three-points steal in End 9 from Team Bryce blew the game wide open again. Team O Carson could only respond with a point that levelled the scores and took proceeding to an extra end where a single steal won them the game.
Also still in play-off contention are Team J Craik who etched out a win against Team Strawhorn. The sides largely cancelled each other and it was all to play for until the very end. Team J Craik went into End 10 two points up but without hammer. Team Strawhorn attempted a tricky hit and roll, but their stone missed its target, instead giving two points away to Team J Craik who took victory on 8-4.
SESSION 5
It was an early night for Team O Carson who saw off Team R Craik 8-2 after the minimum six ends. Team R Craik had briefly taken the lead after three ends, but it was all Team O Carson from there. The Dumfries side took points in the next three ends, scoring and stealing multiples, and comprehensively bagged their second win of the day.
The same could not be said about the three other fixtures of the evening which were all tense until the end. Team J Craik and Team Waddell exchanged punches throughout and nothing could separate the sides for the best part. Going into End 10, Team J Craik were up by a point, but Team Waddell had hammer. When Kyle Waddell’s stone missed its target by millimetres, a single steal and the win at 7-5 went to Team J Craik.
Elsewhere, Team Strawhorn gave Team Mouat a good run for their money, but the Olympic silver medallists eventually snatched the win by a point. The sides copied each others’ scores throughout, meaning there was nothing in it after nine ends. Team Mouat played to their hammer advantage and bagged a decisive point to make it 6-5 in their favour.
The fixture between Team Bryce and Team Whyte meanwhile went all the way to an extra end with the latter eventually coming out the better of the two. Throughout the game, the sides matched each others’ scores end after end and a great shot from Cameron Bryce for two in End 10 made sure to go for one more. Crucially, Team Whyte had hammer and used it well to snatch the win with a point that made it 7-6 on the board.
SESSION 4
Team Mouat kept their 100 per cent record going and earned themselves an early finish. Up against Team R Craik, they opened the scoring in End 2 and stretched out a gap from there. Team R Craik didn’t get on the board until End 5 and there single point did little to faze Team Mouat. A two at the restart was enough to put the game to bed and the sides shook hands with the final scoreline 8-1.
Also maintaining their perfect record were Team Whyte who won their fixture against Team Waddell. The sides were tied on two each early in the game, but Team Whyte took the upper hand from End 4 onwards to secure a 7-4 victory.
Meanwhile on Sheet C, Team O Carson stormed to their second win of the week, seeing off Team Strawhorn 7-2. The home side took the advantage from End 1 and never allowed their opponents back into the game.
Elsewhere, Team J Craik bounced back from a tough day yesterday with victory over Team Bryce. The Forfar outfit were off to a flyer with four in End 1, but Team Bryce fought their way back in over the course of the game and nothing could separate the sides with one end to go. Coming down with hammer, Team J Craik bagged two points to take the win on 9-7.
SESSION 3
The highly anticipated showdown between play-off favourites Team Whyte and Team J Craik lived up to the hype, going all the way to an extra end before the former eventually snatched the win. Team Whyte had the advantage early on and went into the break with a three-points lead. However, Team J Craik swiftly eradicated that and levelled the scores in End 6. There was nothing in it after the regular ends and the sides went back on the ice for one more. Coming down with hammer, Team Whyte bagged a crucial point that earned them a 6-5 triumph.
Meanwhile, fellow play-off favourites Team Mouat kept their winning run going against Team O Carson. Having led by only two points at half time, the Edinburgh side stepped it up a notch at the restart. Two in End 6 stretched out their lead and they put the game to bed for good with a four-points steal in the seventh, 9-1 the final scores on the board.
On Sheet D Team R Craik secured their first win of the tournament against Team Strawhorn. The Forfar outfit led by two points after eight ends, but Team Strawhorn fought back with three points that gave them a slender lead ahead of the final end and made it all to play for again. Unfazed, Team R Craik scored the two they needed to take the game by six points to five.
Elsewhere, Team Waddell bounced back from a tough game in the morning with victory over Team Bryce. Three in the second end gave the Lanarkshire side the lead early on – these points would later prove decisive. The teams matched each other in their scores from there with Team Waddell eventually taking an 8-5 win after nine ends.
SESSION 2
All eyes were on Sheet C and the showdown between play-off favourites Team Mouat and Team J Craik, the former narrowly edging out the win. Team Mouat took an early advantage with three in End 3, but the opposition responded and did not let them run away with it. Indeed, Team J Craik cut their disadvantage down to a single point with one end to go. However, Team Mouat stayed composed and secured the win with a single in End 10 that made it 7-5.
Team Whyte made it two wins in as many games by seeing off Team Strawhorn. The encounter started out cagey with the sides tied on two all at the break. Things continued in a similar fashion until Team Whyte finally made a breakthrough in End 8, stretching out a gap courtesy of a three. If Team Strawhorn had any hope of making their way back into the fixture, they were crushed in the next end when their opponents stole four and took the game 10-3.
Elsewhere, Team Bryce swiftly took control of their match against Team R Craik. After a slow first half that saw both sides sitting on two points, the Border outfit picked up pace at the restart. Scoring one in End 6, they followed it up with three consecutive single steals. Team R Craik were unable to respond and conceded after nine ends, 6-2 the final scoreline.
Tensions were running high on Sheet D where Team O Carson snatched the win over Team Waddell. The Dumfries side took an early lead, up by three points after four ends, but Team Waddell fought back and nothing could separate the sides with one end to go. Cool, calm, and collected Team O Carson secured a crucial point that earned them a 6-5 win.
SESSION 1
Team J Craik earned themselves an early finish on Day 1 of the championship, seeing off Team R Craik after just six ends. A first gap opened in End 4 when Team J Craik followed a deuce up with a single steal to stretch out a three-points advantage. The decisive punch, however, was dealt right after the break with four points that made it 8-2 on the scoreboard and enough for Team R Craik to shake hands.
Meanwhile on Sheet D, Team Mouat were in control of their fixture against Team Bryce. The Edinburgh side opened the scoring and from there onwards answered singles with doubles to stretch out a gap. Eventually, a steal of one in End 7 put the game to bed with Team Bryce conceding at 8-3.
Likewise, Team Whyte secured their opening win with a comprehensive performance against Team O Carson. Although the Dumfriesians were first on the board, Team Whyte swiftly took the upper hand with points from the next three ends. Team O Carson bravely marched on but eventually conceded after nine ends, the board reading 6-3.
Elsewhere, Team Waddell got the better of Team Strawhorn in a low-scoring game. It took until End 3 for the deadlock to be broken and for Team Waddell to take a two-points lead. Another two blanks followed before the sides started trading singles in the second half. The first half deuce proved decisive as the encounter finished 4-2 in Team Waddell’s favour.
