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World champ defeats Thompson's Team Graham

It was a promising start to the competitive curling season for Thompson's Team Graham, consisting of skip Travis Graham, third Farrol Asham, second Grant Brown and lead Glen Ringrose, at the White's Drug Store Curling Classic in Swan River Nov.
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Glen Ringrose, Grant Brown, Farrol Asham and Travis Graham

It was a promising start to the competitive curling season for Thompson's Team Graham, consisting of skip Travis Graham, third Farrol Asham, second Grant Brown and lead Glen Ringrose, at the White's Drug Store Curling Classic in Swan River Nov. 6-9, a World and Manitoba Curling Tour event offering a total prize purse of $42,000.

The weekend started great thanks to a score of four in the sixth end of a 7-2 victory over Dauphin's Greg Todoruk, followed by a 6-2 loss to 2006 Manitoba provincial finalist Reid Carruthers from Winnipeg, where the difference was two shots that could have gone either way. The team left this game with confidence, which showed against the defending and three-time Manitoba bonspiel champions skipped by Allan Lyburn from Brandon.

Team Graham jumped out to a 4-0 lead by stealing two in the third end but Lyburn battled back for a 5-4 lead. Team Graham scored a deuce in the seventh and held Lyburn to one in the eighth to force an extra end while holding last rock. Travis Graham drew the button for a 7-6 victory, setting up a match with the 2008 world champion and two-time defending Brier champions skipped by Kevin Martin of Edmonton.

The teams exchanged deuces before Martin broke the game open with three points each in the third and fifth ends to score an 8-3 victory. The team took a lot of positives from the match against Martin and hopes to use the experience to build momentum for the rest of the season.

On Sunday morning, Team Graham needed two victories to advance to the playoffs. Up first was Saskatchewan 2009 mixed champion Jason Ackerman of Regina. Team Graham scored a deuce in the fifth end and stole two in the sixth before running Ackerman out of rocks for a 6-4 victory.

Next up was a game against former bonspiel champion and 2009 Manitoba mixed champion Dave Boehmer of Petersfield that came down to the final end with Boehmer leading 4-3 but Team Graham having the hammer. When Boehmer's last-rock hit-and-roll attempt wrecked on a guard, Team Graham had an opportunity to draw for two points and the win but the rock slid a little too far. In the extra end, Team Graham had a chance to freeze to Boehmer's rock in the four-foot but the rock picked resulting in Boehmer scoring two for a 6-4 victory.

In the playoffs, Boehmer advanced to the final against Kevin Martin, who scored four in the third end for a 6-3 victory and the $10,000 first prize.

Team Graham ended the bonspiel with three wins and three losses. The teams that defeated Team Graham ended up first, second and third in the final standings.

Next up for Team Graham is the Safeway Championship Northern Berth Bonspiel in The Pas Nov. 20-22. The winner earns a berth in the 2010 Safeway Championship in Steinbach. Burntwood Curling Club teams skipped by Rae Hainstock and Sam Antila will also compete in The Pas.

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