NEWS RELEASE

Glenn Howard Seizes Lead in Capital One Cup Standings
Defending champion Jennifer Jones continues to lead the women’s Capital One Cup points race heading into the season’s final Slam event

TORONTO, January 25, 2010 – After reaching the finals of last weekend’s BDO Classic Canadian Open in Winnipeg, Man., Glenn Howard (Coldwater, Ont.) has soared to the top of the men’s 2009-10 Capital One Cup standings.

Howard’s runner-up finish to Kevin Martin (Edmonton, Alta.) at the BDO Classic Canadian Open gave the defending Capital One Cup champion nine additional points, for a total of 16.  Randy Ferbey (Edmonton, Alta.) currently sits in second place with 14 points while Martin and Brad Gushue (St. John’s, Nfld.), The Swiss Chalet National champion, are tied for third place with 13 points each.

 Jennifer Jones (Winnipeg, Man.), who captured the inaugural 2008-09 Capital One Cup, continues to lead the women’s standings with 21 points.  Kelly Scott (Kelowna, B.C.) is in second place with 14 points.  Canadian 2010 Olympic representative Cheryl Bernard (Calgary, Alta.), Amber Holland (Regina, Sask.) and Cathy King (Edmonton, Alta.) are all currently tied for third place with 10 points a piece.

The Capital One Cup is a points-based competition that awards each curling team a point value based on their performance during selected Capital One Grand Slam of Curling events.  Following the conclusion of the curling season, a purse totalling $170,000 (CDN) will be awarded to the top three men’s and women’s teams which record the highest cumulative results during the Capital One Grand Slam of Curling events. 

 The 2010 Grey Power Players’ Championship represents the final opportunity for teams to earn Capital One Cup points.  The season’s final Capital One Grand Slam of Curling event is scheduled from April 13-18 at the EnCana Events Centre in Dawson Creek, B.C.

 In 2009-10, women will receive Capital One Cup points at the Trail Appliances Autumn Gold Curling Classic, the Manitoba Lotteries Women's Curling Classic and the Grey Power Players’ Championship. Men will receive Capital One Cup points based on their results in The Swiss Chalet National, the BDO Classic Canadian Open and the Grey Power Players’ Championship.

 Following the conclusion of the season ending Players’ Championship, the top men’s and women’s teams in the Capital One Cup standings will each receive $50,000 (CDN).  The second and third place men’s and women’s squads will each receive $25,000 (CDN) and $10,000 (CDN) respectively.

The following is an overview of the current leaders in the men’s and women’s Capital One Cup standings.

Men

Women

 
The following is an overview of the point system for the Capital One Cup.  Following the first four selected Capital One Grand Slam of Curling events, the point values are doubled for the Grey Power Players’ Championship.