Brad Gushue downs Glenn Howard 8-1 in opening draw of Tour Challenge

REGINA – Brad Gushue is off to a perfect start at the Tour Challenge curling tournament.

The St. John’s, N.L., skip opened the Grand Slam of Curling event Tuesday afternoon with an 8-1 victory over Glenn Howard. Gushue, this year’s Brier champion, shot 100 per cent en route to the victory.

He scored a deuce in the second end, one in the third, four in the fifth and a single in the sixth.

On the women’s side, Casey Scheidegger of Lethbridge, Alta., beat Allison Flaxey of Caledon, Ont., 9-2 and Bingyu Wang of China edged Scotland’s Eve Muirhead 7-5 in an extra end in the first draw.

Ottawa’s Rachel Homan highlighted the night draw with a 7-6 loss to Jacqueline Harrison of Mississauga, Ont., while Toronto’s John Epping downed Winnipeg’s Pat Simmons 10-3 in six ends.

In other action, Michelle Inglot of Winnipeg toppled Sweden’s Anna Hassleborg 9-3, American John Shuster defeated Calgary’s Kevin Koe 5-4 and John Morris of Vernon, B.C., fell 6-5 to Saskatoon’s Steve Laycock.