| 2023 Princess Auto Players' Championship | |
|---|---|
| Host city | Toronto, Ontario |
| Arena | Mattamy Athletic Centre |
| Dates | April 11–16 |
| Men's winner |  Team Koe |
| Curling club | The Glencoe Club, Calgary |
| Skip | Kevin Koe |
| Third | Tyler Tardi |
| Second | Brad Thiessen |
| Lead | Karrick Martin |
| Finalist |  Yannick Schwaller |
| Women's winner |  Team Wranå |
| Curling club | Sundbybergs CK, Sundbyberg |
| Skip | Isabella Wranå |
| Third | Almida de Val |
| Second | Maria Larsson |
| Lead | Linda Stenlund |
| Coach | Jason Gunnlaugson |
| Finalist | Silvana Tirinzoni |
« 2022 2024 » | |
The 2023 Princess Auto Players' Championship was held from April 11 to 16 at the Mattamy Athletic Centre in Toronto, Ontario.[1] It was the fifth Grand Slam event and final major of the 2022–23 curling season.
In the women's final, Sweden's Isabella Wranå won her first Slam title, defeating the World Champion Silvana Tirinzoni rink from Switzerland 6–5. In the game, Wranå took a commanding lead in the fourth end, making an open hit for three to take a 4–1 lead. Tirinzoni scored a single in the fifth, but Wranå replied by getting a deuce in the sixth. The Tirinzoni rink had a chance to score three in the seventh to even the gap, but fourth thrower Alina Pätz missed a split attempt, but did end up getting two, as at least her shooter rolled in the house to score. In the final end, Wranå only had to hit one Tirinzoni rock on her last to win the title.[2]
In the men's final, Calgary's Kevin Koe rink, defeated Switzerland's Yannick Schwaller team 5–4, giving Koe his fifth Grand Slam title as a skip. Up 1–0 after the first, Koe missed a long raise takeout in the second, allowing Schwaller's last rock thrower Benoît Schwarz to draw for two. Schwaller went up 3–1 after Koe missed an angle raise double in the fourth. Koe made a hit and stick for one in the fifth, and Schwarz replied with a draw to the button in the sixth to go up 4–2. The seventh end was blanked, and in the eighth and final end, Koe with his clock in the single digits on his last rock, made a triple takeout to score three to give his team the win. Koe was in a similar situation in the semifinal, where he had to make a slash double against the Brad Gushue rink with only seconds on remaining on his clock. The game would be the last for Koe's second Bradley Thiessen who stepped back from the game.[3]
Both Teams Wranå and Koe won $40,000 with their wins.
- ^ "Princess Auto Players' Championship". Grand Slam of Curling. Retrieved March 16, 2023.
- ^ "Wrana wins Players' Championship for first Grand Slam women's title". Sportsnet. Retrieved April 17, 2023.
- ^ "Koe claims Princess Auto Players' Championship men's title in comeback victory". Sportsnet. Retrieved April 17, 2023.