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Morris winless in Okotoks

John Morris has yet to master the win column in Okotoks, Alta.
Kamloops B.C.Mar4_2014.Tim Hortons Brier.B.C. third Jim Cotter,skip John Morris.CCA/michael burns photo
Johnny Morris

Morning Star Staff

John Morris has yet to master the win column in Okotoks, Alta.

Morris, Vernon’s Jim Cotter and the Kelowna-Vernon front end of Tyrel Griffith and Rick Sawatsky found themselves at 0-3 heading into their final preliminary round match today at at the Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling’s The WFG Masters at the Pason Centennial Arena.

Morris will face Kyle Smith of Stirling, Scotland, the 2013 world junior champion, in his final match of the round robin.

Morris and company opened the Masters with an 8-3 loss to Winnipeg’s Reid Carruthers, the same rink that knocked them out of the quarterfinals at the Canad Inns Men’s Classic in Portage La Prairie, Man. two weeks ago.

Carruthers snapped a 3-3 tie with three in the seventh and stole two more in the eighth and final end.

Up next was another Winnipeg foursome, skipped by Mike McEwen, who scored a 7-6 win over Morris.

Trailing 5-3 after six ends, McEwen took the lead with a three-spot in the seventh. Morris could only score one with hammer, forcing an extra end. McEwen used the final stone to score the winning point.

Morris then fell 5-4 to David Murdoch of Stirling, the 2014 Olympic silver medalist.

Murdoch had the hammer and began the match with one in the first. The teams traded deuces in the third and fourth ends, then swapped single points with hammer the rest of the way.

The Masters features 15 men’s and 15 women’s teams with both divisions splitting into three pools of five teams for round robin play.

The top eight teams qualify for the playoffs.

Meanwhile, the 67th Silver Star Ladies Bonspiel goes this weekend with Friday’s first draw at 5:15.

The sponsors are: A event Kemp Harvey Laidman-Betts; B event Vernon Veterinary Clinic; Lisa VanderVelde/Morning Star; C event Red Head Real Estate/Denise Dobie; D event The Rise Golf Course. Entertainment will be provided by Johnston Meier Insurance.

The semifinals go Sunday at 11:30 a.m. and ther finals at 2 p.m.

There is a second draw Friday at 7:30 with Saturday draws at 8 a.m., 10:15 a.m., 1, 3:15 and 7 p.m. There is a Sunday 9 a.m. draw.

Bonspiel director Gail Powls was expecting a full field of 24.