Canada’s Team Einarson got out to a hot start to the season, claiming the Saville Shootout women’s title with a 7-0 shutout over South Korea’s Team Gim in Sunday’s final.
The Gimli, Man., team of skip Kerri Einarson, third Val Sweeting, second Shannon Birchard, lead Karlee Burgess and alternate Krysten Karwacki completed an unbeaten 7-0 run through the tournament.
Birchard made her return to the lineup after missing almost all of last season due to a knee injury. The team had relied on several spares until Burgess, who previously played with Team Carey, joined in January.
Einarson, who is fifth in the world rankings, opened the final with the hammer and the two-point conversion was good with a draw for a deuce in the first.
Gim gave up a single steal in the second end when her angle raise wrecked, and things went from bad to worse in the third. With Einarson sitting three, Gim crashed on her own guard and redirected in, conceding two more points and falling behind 5-0.
The world No. 6 Gim attempted a cross-house double to possibly score two in the fourth, but her shooter rolled under and missed the second Einarson rock to give up another point.
Facing four Einarson stones in the fifth, Gim’s shooter over-curled, leading to a final single steal, and out came the handshakes.
Earlier Sunday, Einarson eliminated South Korea’s Team Park 8-2 in the quarterfinals and Team Peterson of the United States 7-4 in the semifinals.
Gim, who also went undefeated in pool play, edged Edmonton’s Team Richards 5-4 in the quarterfinals and Edmonton’s Team Gray-Withers 5-1 in the semis.
Meanwhile, Victoria's Team de Jong took the men's title with a 7-1 victory over Vancouver's Team Blandford.
De Jong finished the week with a 6-1 record.
