# 2001 Telus Canadian Open

The 2001 Telus Canadian Open curling men's Grand Slam tournament was held December 13–16, 2001 at the Peace Memorial Multiplex in Wainwright, Alberta.
It was the very first Grand Slam event ever, with the Slam series beginning that season. The event featured a purse of $100,000 with the winning team receiving $30,000.
Telus was brought on as a sponsor in late November. It was originally planned to feature 32 teams, but was reduced to 24 due to the reluctance of some tour teams to boycott playdowns for the Brier, due to an ongoing dispute between the World Curling Players Association and the Canadian Curling Association. Local teams were added to the event at the last minute with the promise of not having to boycott playdowns.
The semifinals and final were televised on Sportsnet.
The final pitted Wayne Middaugh of Midland, Ontario against Jeff Stoughton from Winnipeg. Middaugh won the match 8–7.
The event was seen as a success for the fledgling tour. World Curling Tour executive director Chad McMullan (who also competed in event) indicated that the event had near-sellout crowds. It also saw a television audience of 250,000, more than twice the average for 10 events Sportsnet aired the previous season, and not far behind the 369,000 average viewership of the 2001 Nokia Brier which aired on rival TSN.

## Teams

Teams included 13 of the top 25 teams on the World Curling Players Association ranking system, as well as five local teams. Notable absences were Russ Howard (due to family health problems), Bert Gretzinger and Greg McAulay. Teams that did not boycott the Brier (Randy Ferbey, John Morris and Guy Hemmings) were deemed ineligible.

## Format

The event was a 24-team triple-knockout competition.

## Knockout brackets
### A Event

Scores:
| A | A | | | Qualifier 1 | Qualifier 1 |
| Wayne Middaugh | 7 | | | | |
| Pierre Charette | 6 | | | | |
| Pierre Charette | 6 | Wayne Middaugh | 8 | | |
| | | Kevin Park | 4 | | |
| Dave Boehmer | 6 | Kevin Park | 4 | | |
| Kevin Park | 8 | | | | |
| Kevin Park | 8 | | | Wayne Middaugh | 6 |
| | | | | William Lyburn | 1 |
| Kerry Burtnyk | 6 | | | | | William Lyburn | 1 |
| William Lyburn | 9 | | | | |
| William Lyburn | 9 | William Lyburn | 6 | | |
| | | Glen Despins | 1 | | |
| Glen Despins | 9 | Glen Despins | 1 | | |
| Mert Thompsett | 2 | | | | |
| Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Qualifier 2 | Qualifier 2 |
| Mell Wells | 5 | | | | |
| Ken Berg | 4 | | | | |
| Ken Berg | 4 | Mell Wells | 4 | | |
| | | Allan Lyburn | 9 | | |
| Allan Lyburn | 7 | Allan Lyburn | 9 | | |
| Brad Hannah | 5 | | | | |
| Brad Hannah | 5 | | | Allan Lyburn | 3 |
| | | | | Glenn Howard | 5 |
| Jeff Stoughton | 2 | | | | | Glenn Howard | 5 |
| Dale Duguid | 8 | | | | |
| Dale Duguid | 8 | Dale Duguid | 3 | | |
| | | Glenn Howard | 4 | | |
| Glenn Howard | 6 | Glenn Howard | 4 | | |
| Dean Olson | 4 | | | | |
| Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Qialifier 3 | Qialifier 3 |
| Kevin Martin | 10 | | | | |
| Rick Snethum | 3 | | | | |
| Rick Snethum | 3 | Kevin Martin | 10 | | |
| | | Chad McMullan | 7 | | |
| Chad McMullan | 9 | Chad McMullan | 7 | | |
| Scott Patterson | 2 | | | | |
| Scott Patterson | 2 | | | Kevin Martin | 7 |
| | | | | Vic Peters | 1 |
| Bruce Korte | 7 | | | | | Vic Peters | 1 |
| Tim Schneider | 6 | | | | |
| Tim Schneider | 6 | Bruce Korte | 6 | | |
| | | Vic Peters | 8 | | |
| Vic Peters | 7 | Vic Peters | 8 | | |
| Rich Moffatt | 6 | | | | |

### B Event

Scores:
| B | B | | | | | Qualifier 4 | Qualifier 4 |
| Pierre Charette | 4 | | | | | | |
| Dave Boehmer | 8 | | | | | | |
| Dave Boehmer | 8 | Chad McMullan | 4 | | | | |
| | | Dave Boehmer | 5 | | | | |
| | | | | Dave Boehmer | 7 | | |
| | | | | Kerry Burtnyk | 6 | | |
| | | Bruce Korte | 6 | | | | |
| | | Kerry Burtnyk | 7 | | | | |
| Kerry Burtnyk | 6 | Kerry Burtnyk | 7 | | | | |
| Mert Thompsett | 4 | | | | | | |
| Mert Thompsett | 4 | | | | | Dave Boehmer | 10 |
| | | | | | | Allan Lyburn | 6 |
| B | B | | | | | Qualifier 5 | Qualifier 5 |
| Ken Berg | 8 | | | | | | |
| Brad Hannah | 7 | | | | | | |
| Brad Hannah | 7 | Kevin Park | 9 | | | | |
| | | Ken Berg | 8 | | | | |
| | | | | Kevin Park | 5 | | |
| | | | | Jeff Stoughton | 8 | | |
| | | Glen Despins | 6 | | | | |
| | | Jeff Stoughton | 7 | | | | |
| Jeff Stoughton | 8 | Jeff Stoughton | 7 | | | | |
| Dean Olson | 4 | | | | | | |
| Dean Olson | 4 | | | | | Jeff Stoughton | 4 |
| | | | | | | Vic Peters | 6 |
| B | B | | | | | Qualifier 6 | Qualifier 6 |
| Rick Snethum | 7 | | | | | | |
| Scott Patterson | 6 | | | | | | |
| Scott Patterson | 6 | Mell Wells | 9 | | | | |
| | | Rick Snethum | 1 | | | | |
| | | | | Mell Wells | 2 | | |
| | | | | Rich Moffatt | 8 | | |
| | | Dale Duguid | 5 | | | | |
| | | Rich Moffatt | 10 | | | | |
| Tim Schneider | 4 | Rich Moffatt | 10 | | | | |
| Rich Moffatt | 10 | | | | | | |
| Rich Moffatt | 10 | | | | | Rich Moffatt | 4 |
| | | | | | | William Lyburn | 11 |

### C Event

Scores:
| C | C | | | | | | Qualifier 7 | Qualifier 7 |
| | | Chad McMullan | 2 | | | | | |
| | | Bruce Korte | 10 | | | | | |
| | | | | Bruce Korte | 7 | | | |
| | | | | Glen Despins | 6 | | | |
| Ken Berg | 4 | | | | | Glen Despins | 6 | |
| Glen Despins | 9 | | | | | | | |
| Glen Despins | 9 | Glen Despins | 10 | | | | | |
| | | Mell Wells | 6 | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | Bruce Korte | 1 |
| | | | | | | | Jeff Stoughton | 2 |
| | | Kerry Burtnyk | 8 | | | | | |
| | | Dale Duguid | 4 | | | | | |
| Rick Snethum | 6 | Dale Duguid | 4 | | | | | |
| Dale Duguid | 8 | | | | | | | |
| Dale Duguid | 8 | | | Kerry Burtnyk | 6 | | | |
| | | | | Jeff Stoughton | 7 | | | |
| C | C | | | | | | Qualifier 8 | Qualifier 8 |
| | | | | Rich Moffatt | 8 | | | |
| | | | | Mert Thompsett | 10 | | | |
| Mert Thompsett | 11 | | | | | Mert Thompsett | 10 | |
| Pierre Charette | 6 | | | | | | | |
| Pierre Charette | 6 | Mert Thompsett | 8 | | | | | |
| | | Kevin Park | 2 | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | Mert Thompsett | 1 |
| | | | | | | | Brad Hannah | 6 |
| | | | | Allan Lyburn | 5 | | | |
| | | | | Brad Hannah | 7 | | | |
| Brad Hannah | 8 | | | | | Brad Hannah | 7 | |
| Dean Olson | 3 | | | | | | | |
| Dean Olson | 3 | Brad Hannah | 7 | | | | | |
| | | Scott Patterson | 3 | | | | | |
| Scott Patterson | 8 | Scott Patterson | 3 | | | | | |
| Tim Schneider | 2 | | | | | | | |

## Playoffs

The playoff bracket was as follows:
| Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Final | Final |
| Wayne Middaugh | 6 | | | | |
| William Lyburn | 4 | | | | |
| William Lyburn | 4 | Wayne Middaugh | 7 | | |
| | | Glenn Howard | 6 | | |
| Glenn Howard | 7 | Glenn Howard | 6 | | |
| Vic Peters | 2 | | | | |
| Vic Peters | 2 | | | Wayne Middaugh | 8 |
| | | | | Jeff Stoughton | 7 |
| Jeff Stoughton | 5 | | | | | Jeff Stoughton | 7 |
| Dave Boehmer | 4 | | | | |
| Dave Boehmer | 4 | Jeff Stoughton | 9 | | |
| | | Kevin Martin | 8 | | |
| Brad Hannah | 5 | Kevin Martin | 8 | | |
| Kevin Martin | 7 | | | | |

### Final

| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | Final |
| Wayne Middaugh | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 8 |
| Jeff Stoughton | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |