Brandon’s Rob Fowler found the win column to open the Safeway Championship in Winnipeg on Wednesday at the MTS Iceplex.
The third-seeded Fowler foursome scored a pair in the fifth and ninth ends to get past Gladstone’s Geoff Trimble 7-4 to advance to the A-Side’s Round of 16.
The former Manitoba champ and Brier bronze medalist is leaning on the past championship experience at the provincial men’s playdowns.
"In 2012, we started off a lot like we did today. We didn’t play our best game at the start of the week, we played our best game at the end of the week. Other years, we were dominant early and we weren’t that way on the weekend. So you’ve just got to pick up momentum as you move forward," said Fowler.
Neepawa’s Kelly Robertson got momentum early, scoring five in the first end to beat Virden’s Graham Freeman 10-2 on Wednesday.
"First game, even though every team’s been here before, it’s still different ice to play on. Graham just got caught with his first stone, by just being a little heavy and it was really slick on the outside. It was a great start," said Robertson.
Brandonite Steve Irwin, Carberry’s William Kuran, top-seed Jeff Stoughton, second-seed Mike McEwen, fifth-seed William Lyburn were also winners on Wednesday.
Trimble and Minnedosa’s Glenn Parrott were among those eliminated while Freeman is stay alive on the B-Side.
Thursday’s 8:30 a.m draw will see Lyburn and Kuran facing off against each Fowler also in action.
Robertson meets McEwen at 12:15 p.m. with Stoughton and Irwin also on the ice.
