Homan Clinches Tour Challenge Playoff Berth

GRANDE PRAIRIE - Ottawa's Rachel Homan won 7-3 over Winnipeg's Jennifer Jones on Thursday morning. Team Homan, with Tracy Fleury as skip and Homan throwing fourth stones scored a single in the first end. Emma Miskew and Sarah Wilkes round out the front end. Jennifer Jones, with Karlee Burgess, Mackenize Zacharias and Emily Zacharias in the lineup, scored two in the second end to get the lead. That was all the positive in this game for the Jones team, as they struggled from that point on. Emily Zacharias (83%) out-paced Sarah Wilkes (81%) but the rest of the Homan lineup outplaying Jones by 10+ percentage points. Homan scored two in the third end, stole a single in the fourth end and then stole three more in the fifth end. Jones added a single in the sixth end, shaking hands on a 7-3 decision in favour of Homan. The win gives Homan a 27-23 advantage over Jones in 60 career meetings. With the win, Homan improves to 3-0 and clinches a berth into the Quarterfinals at the Pinty's Grand Slam of Curling stop in Grande Prairie, Alberta, where 32 women's teams and 32 men's teams are competing in multiple divisions, billed at the HearingLife Tour Challenge. The event gives teams on the outside the chance to win the Tier 2 and play in a future Grand Slam Major. Jones falls to 0-3 on the week. Homan next faces Japan's Satsuki Fujisawa on Friday at Noon MT (2pm ET) and will be on the ice on Saturday in the Quarterfinals at 4pm MT (6pm ET). Jones finishes off their event with a tilt against Sweden's Anna Hasselborg, also undefeated at 3-0 and booking their own playoff berth.