(5PM: November 14) Lionel Walz and his team from Pembina CC (Gord MacKay, Bill Mamchuk, Brian DeRiviere) won the 2^nd Bob Picken-Valour Road Master’s Bonspiel today at the Thistle Curling Club, winning the Global News Radio – 680 CJOB Championship final.

Walz posted an 8-2, six end win over Carl German’s East St. Paul foursome. German led 2-1 after three ends and appeared in control on the fourth but Walz’ third, Gord MacKay made a double runback to remove one of two German stones in the four foot circle. Not yet out of trouble, the Walz team benefitted from the German team’s misfortune when a jam removed that second rock. By the end of that fourth end, Walz had a steal of three and a 4-2 lead enroute to the six-end win.

Global News Radio – 680 CJOB Championship
LIONEL WALZ
001 313 xx =8

CARL GERMAN
020 000 xx =2

In the St. James Rehabilitation Physiotherapy event, Dave Fisher jumped out to a three point lead after two ends but Karen Sheldon (skipping the Nancy Scammell entry) fought back to tie after six ends. Sheldon forced Fisher to a single on the seventh and had an open hit with her last rock for victory.

St. James Rehabilitation Physiotherapy Center
DAVE FISHER
030 010 10 =5

KAREN SHELDON (Nancy Scammell entry)
001 002 03 =7

In the Valour Road Past President event, Ron Westcott (skipping the Larry Dewis entry) took one on the second end after blanking the first – but never scored again. After scoring a single on the third end, Dave Johannson made a 4-rock combination raise to remove a Westcott rock in the four foot and set of a steal. He set up another steal on the fifth end when he made an angle raise to remove another Westcott four-foot counter. The game ended after six with a Johannson steal of three more when Westcott’s last rock could not negotiate a very narrow port on an attempted draw to the four foot.

Valour Road Past President Event
DAVE JOHANNSON
001 002 x =6

RON WESTCOTT (Larry Dewis entry)
0010 000 x =1

Although there was a relatively small entry of only 12 teams, due mainly to a rescheduling from early in the year as a covid precaution, the bonspiel has been deemed to be a success. Planning for the third Bob Picken Masters Bonspiel, including the question of scheduling for 2022, will be beginning in the near future.

(5PM: November 13) WALZ, GERMAN UNBEATEN, PLAY FOR CHAMPIONSHIP …. Final round wins by Lionel Walz (over Laurie Hogg) and Carl German (over Bruce Burton) while Ron Westcott was losing to Don Archer leaves Walz and German the only undefeated teams and set to meet in Sunday’s Bob Picken ‘Spiel championship final.

Five teams finished with 2W-1L records. Despite the last shot kill for two, and the win over Westcott, Archer’s team will find themselves on the outside looking in as the three event final games take place

Walz and German will play for the Global News Radio 680 CJOB championship.

Based on the bonspiel’s tiebreaker formula, Dave Fisher will play Nancy Scammell in the St. James Rehabilitation Physiotherapy Center Ltd. event and Westcott, skipping the Larry Dewis entry, will play Dave Johannson in the Valour Road Past President event.

The three finals are set for 10AM Sunday at the Thistle Curling Club.

(8PM: November 12) THREE TEAMS AT 2W-0L in PICKEN BONSPIEL …. It was a dramatic end to the second day of play in the Bob Picken-Valour Road Masters Bonspiel at Winnipeg`s Thistle Curling Club (formerly the Valour Road CC) as Laurie Hogg threw a wide out-turn tap of his own stone to full four foot, a count of three, and a 7-6 win.

Watching the shot come down the ice, Brian Kushner was convinced he was only giving up two and a tie – he was preparing to go to an extra end. Watching the draw run down the ice, Hogg thought he had missed – admitting he was trying to throw a draw that had to curl inside his own stone to get to the four-foot circle for the third point.

Hogg, who won the first Bob PIcken Bonspiel in 2019, has a 1W-1L record after two games. Within his pool, Hogg trails former Manitoba Senior Men`s champion Lionel Walz who improved to 2W-0L with a win today over Karen Sheldon (skipping the Nancy Scammell entry). Walz led 6-5 coming home and Sheldon just missed on a last shot attempt to rub and roll to the four foot circle for a tie and an extra end.

Former Canadian Senior men`s champion Carl German posted his second win, a short game victory over the Coutts entry while another former Manitoba champion, Ron Westcott (skipping the Larry Dewis entry) beat Norm Magnusson to also improve to 2W-0L.

(9PM: November 11) WINTER RETURNS AS PICKEN `SPIEL OPENS ….. The Bob Picken Masters Bonspiel at Thistle was greeted today by the first blast of winter but the veteran curlers entered in the bonspiel have seen worse in their time. All games started on schedule.

Keen ice greeted the players and more than one of them was heard to marvel at the amount of curl – conducive to a lot of rocks in play in most games.

Nancy Scammel opened the bonspiel with a win over Laurie Hogg, who won the 2019 version of the bonspiel. Scammel and two of her teammates are former Manitoba Masters Women`s champion.

Former Manitoba Senior Men`s champions Ron Westcott (skipping the Larry Dewis entry), Carl German, and Lionel Walz all won their opening games. Wins were also posted by Barry Mandryk (skipping the Bruce Burton entry) and by Don Archer.

 (10PM: November 10) BOB PICKEN MASTERS BONSPIEL THIS WEEKEND….The Bob Picken-Valour Road Masters Bonspiel takes place November 11-14 at the Thistle Curling Club.

The second Bob Picken Bonspiel is occurring over two years after the original bonspiel in 2019 due to the covid-cancellation of last year’s curling season and a decision by the committee to move the bonspiel later into the season for this year.

That decision was made recognizing that the older demographic involved in the bonspiel should be given a few weeks of club curling to “get their feet under them again” before taking on the challenge of several days in a row curling.

The bonspiel is going ahead with a smaller field of 12 teams playing a round-robin in three pools of four. The teams will play a game a Thursday (1PM & 3:30PM), Friday (1PM & 3:30PM) and Saturday (10AM & 1PM) and six teams will advance to playoffs on Sunday.

Among the competing teams are former Manitoba champions Carl German, Lionel Walz, and Ron Westcott (with the Larry Dewis entry).

The bonspiel’s Championship is sponsored by GLOBAL NEWS RADIO – 680 CJOB where Bob’s sports reports at “25 after the hour” were the go-to for sports fans, and especially curling fans, in Manitoba for many years.

The other events are the St. James Rehabilitation Physiotherapy Center Ltd. and the Valour Road Curling Club Past President events, named in honour of the sponsor and in tribute to Bob Picken who had also served as a Valour Road CC President.

Other contributing supporters include Asham Curling Supplies, INHOUSE Strategies, thecurler.com, and the Thistle Curling Club.

Proceeds from the bonspiel will continue to find the Bob Picken Junior Legacy Fund. After the 2019 bonspiel grants of $500 each were provided to support the junior programs at the Thistle, Oakville and Riverview Curling Clubs. Plans for junior program support in 2021 will be announced in the near future.