1993 Seagram's VO Cup
Host city	Calgary, Alberta
Arena	Calgary Curling Club
Dates	February 17–21
Winner	Team Howard
Curling club	Penetanguishene CC, Penetanguishene
Skip	Russ Howard
Third	Glenn Howard
Second	Wayne Middaugh
Lead	Peter Corner
Finalist	Paul Savage
1994 »

The 1993 Seagram's VO Cup, was the first edition of the Players' Championship, the championship tournament for the inaugural season of the World Curling Tour. It was held February 17–21, 1993 at the Calgary Curling Club in Calgary, Alberta.^[1] The total purse for the event was $120,000, with the winning team receiving $40,000.^[2]

The semifinals and finals were broadcast on TSN.^[1]

The event featured the "free guard zone", wherein the first three rocks of an end couldn't be removed if they were in the guard zone. This rule would later be adopted into the official rules of curling.^[3]

In an all-Ontario final, Russ Howard of Penetanguishene won his first of two Players' Championships, defeating Paul Savage of Toronto, 8–2.

Qualification

The top 30 men's teams on the "V.O. Cup standings" as of December 31, 1992 qualified for the event based on results from Tour events that season, along with the winner of a qualifying event and a sponsor's exemption.^[1] Adrian Bakker of Calgary qualified through winning the preliminary event and Tormod Andreassen of Norway was the sponsor's exemption.^[4]

V.O. Cup standings

Top 30 teams on the V.O. Cup standings, as of January 6, 1993. Struck out teams declined their invitation or were not registered. Teams ranked "x" were substitutes.^[5]

Rank	Skip	Locale	Points
1	Ed Werenich	Toronto, Ontario	323
2	Vic Peters	Winnipeg, Manitoba	241
3	Ed Lukowich	Calgary, Alberta	233
4	Russ Howard	Penetanguishene, Ontario	220
5	Kevin Martin	Edmonton, Alberta	170
6	Mark Dacey	Saskatoon, Saskatchewan	156
7	Rick Folk	Kelowna, British Columbia	123
8	Bryan Derbowka	Yorkton, Saskatchewan	122
9	Eugene Hritzuk	Saskatoon, Saskatchewan	121
10	John Bubbs	Winnipeg, Manitoba	116
	Markus Eggler	Basel, Switzerland	116
12	Al Hackner	Thunder Bay, Ontario	111
13	Harold Breckenridge	Calgary, Alberta	95
14	David Smith	Scotland	90
15	Kerry Burtnyk	Winnipeg, Manitoba	86
	Eigil Ramsfjell	Norway	86
17	Lorne Campbell	Peace River, Alberta	84
18	Ron Gauthier	Winnipeg, Manitoba	81
19	Rob Ewen	Jansen, Saskatchewan	77
20	Jeff Ryan	Winnipeg, Manitoba	75
	Arnold Anderson	Shellbrook, Saskatchewan	75
22	Brent Giles	Vancouver, British Columbia	67
	Mike Harris	Toronto, Ontario	67
24	Jim Armstrong	Vancouver, British Columbia	58
	Rob Schlender	Leduc, Alberta	58
26	Jim Sharples	Toronto, Ontario	57
27	Paul Savage	Toronto, Ontario	56
	Brad Heidt	Kerrobert, Saskatchewan	56
29	Mike Vavrek	Grande Prairie, Alberta	53
	Rick Lang	Thunder Bay, Ontario	53
X	Mickey Pendergast	Calgary, Alberta	49
	John Base	Oakville, Ontario	45
	Don Walchuk	Edmonton, Alberta	45

After further drop outs, Doran Johnson of Lethbridge, Alberta, Bill Adams of Thunder Bay and Ron Mills of Saskatoon were invited to play, replacing Folk, Armstrong and Vavrek.

Qualifying event

One team qualified by winning the Acadia Recreational Complex cash bonspiel. The event was held at the Acadia Recreational Complex from January 29-31, in Calgary, and came with a purse of $10,500,^[2] and a top prize of $3,000. The winning team of Adrian Bakker, Jim Lautner, Ron Riggall and Scott Rankin of Calgary won the event, defeating Ken McLean of Regina, Saskatchewan in the final.^[6]

Knockout rounds

The scores were as follows:^{[7][8][9][10][11]}

A event

	First Knockout				Quarterfinals				Semifinals				Qualifier 1
	Harold Breckenridge	7
	Tormod Andreassen	6			Harold Breckenridge	8
	Kevin Martin	7			Kevin Martin	7
	Don Walchuk	6							Harold Breckenridge	6
	Russ Howard	7							Russ Howard	5
	Mike Harris	2			Russ Howard	8
	Kerry Burtnyk	6			Kerry Burtnyk	7
	Doran Johnson	3											Harold Breckenridge	6
	Rob Ewen	7											Rob Ewen	3
	Ronald Anderson	4			Rob Ewen	8
	Ed Werenich	9			Ed Werenich	6
	Brad Heidt	7							Rob Ewen	11
	Eugene Hritzuk	7							Eugene Hritzuk	4
	John Base	6			Eugene Hritzuk	7
	Rob Schlender	7			Rob Schlender	4
	Markus Eggler	6

	First Knockout				Quarterfinals				Semifinals				Qualifier 2
	Mark Dacey	7
	Adrian Bakker	3			Mark Dacey	10
	Al Hackner	7			Al Hackner	4
	Rick Lang	5							Mark Dacey	5
	Mickey Pendergast	8							Mickey Pendergast	2
	Ed Lukowich	2			Mickey Pendergast	8
	Bill Adams	8			Bill Adams	4
	Lorne Campbell	5											Mark Dacey	7
	Bryan Derbowka	5											Bryan Derbowka	5
	Paul Savage	4			Bryan Derbowka	6
	Brent Giles	8			Brent Giles	4
	John Bubbs	1							Bryan Derbowka	5
	Vic Peters	9							Vic Peters	4
	Jeff Ryan	7			Vic Peters	7
	Ron Mills	9			Ron Mills	4
	Ron Gauthier	7

B Event

	Second Knockout					Round 2					Quarterfinals					Semifinals					Qualifier 3
	Brad Heidt		10
	Ronald Anderson		9			Kevin Martin		6
						Brad Heidt		5
											Kevin Martin		6
											Kerry Burtnyk		2
						Kerry Burtnyk		6
	John Base		11			John Base		5
	Markus Eggler		8													Rob Ewen		7
																Kevin Martin		5
																					Rob Ewen		6
	Tormod Andreassen		5																		Ed Werenich		5
	Don Walchuk		4			Ed Werenich		10
						Tormod Andreassen		3
											Ed Werenich		7
	Doran Johnson		7								Mickey Pendergast		6
	Mike Harris		3			Doran Johnson		8
						Rob Schlender		4
																Ed Werenich		7
																Doran Johnson		6
											Doran Johnson		8
											Vic Peters		6

	Second Knockout					Round 2					Quarterfinals					Semifinals					Qualifier 4
	Ed Lukowich		6
	Lorne Campbell		4			Ed Lukowich		9
						Brent Giles		5
											Ed Lukowich		8
											Russ Howard		6
																Ed Lukowich		10
	Adrian Bakker		10													Ron Mills		2
	Rick Lang		6			Ron Mills		6
						Adrian Bakker		4
											Ron Mills		8
											Eugene Hritzuk		6
																					Ed Lukowich		7
	Paul Savage		8																		Bill Adams		6
	John Bubbs		3			Bill Adams		6
						Paul Savage		5
											Bill Adams		9
	Ron Gauthier		6								Al Hackner		0
	Jeff Ryan		5			Al Hackner		10
						Ron Gauthier		2
																Bill Adams		8
																Bryan Derbowka		3

C Event

	Third Knockout					Quarterfinals					Semifinals					Qualifier 5
						Kerry Burtnyk		7
	John Bubbs		7			Tormod Andreassen		4
	Jeff Ryan		5								Kerry Burtnyk		9
											Ron Mills		8
						Mickey Pendergast		6
	Tormod Andreassen		9			John Bubbs		5
	Rob Schlender		5													Kerry Burtnyk		7
																Mickey Pendergast		4
											Mickey Pendergast		9
											Kevin Martin		5

	Third Knockout					Quarterfinals					Semifinals					Qualifier 6
						John Base		7
						Brad Heidt		6
											John Base		10
											Vic Peters		8
						Vic Peters		10
	Lorne Campbell		8			Lorne Campbell		4
	Rick Lang		4													John Base		6
																Bill Adams		5

	Third Knockout					Quarterfinals					Semifinals					Qualifier 7
						Russ Howard		8
	Markus Eggler		9			Markus Eggler		1
	Ronald Anderson		2								Russ Howard		8
											Al Hackner		0
						Al Hackner		8
	Adrian Bakker		9			Adrian Bakker		6
	Brent Giles		6													Russ Howard		8
																Ed Werenich		7

	Third Knockout					Quarterfinals					Semifinals					Qualifier 8
						Paul Savage		9
						Ron Gauthier		8
											Paul Savage		10
	Mike Harris		7								Doran Johnson		7
	Don Walchuk		4			Eugene Hritzuk		8
						Mike Harris		3
																Paul Savage		5
																Eugene Hritzuk		4
											Eugene Hritzuk		7
											Bryan Derbowka		2

Playoffs

	Quarterfinals					Semifinals					Finals
	Harold Breckenridge		6
	Russ Howard		10
						Russ Howard		9
						Rob Ewen		7
	Rob Ewen		11
	Kerry Burtnyk		5
											Russ Howard		8
											Paul Savage		2
	Mark Dacey		8
	John Base		3
						Mark Dacey		5
						Paul Savage		7
	Ed Lukowich		6
	Paul Savage		7

Quarter-finals

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Final
Harold Breckenridge	1	0	0	3	0	1	0	1	0	X	6
Russ Howard	0	1	2	0	3	0	1	0	3	X	10

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Final
Ed Lukowich	1	0	1	0	0	2	1	0	1	0	6
Paul Savage	0	2	0	1	1	0	0	1	0	2	7

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Final
John Base	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	1	0	X	3
Mark Dacey	0	2	0	0	2	1	1	0	2	X	8

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Final
Rob Ewen	1	0	0	5	0	2	0	3	X	X	11
Kerry Burtnyk	0	1	0	0	2	0	2	0	X	X	5

Semifinals

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Final
Mark Dacey	0	0	0	0	2	0	2	0	1	0	5
Paul Savage	0	0	0	3	0	1	0	2	0	1	7

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Final
Russ Howard	1	0	0	3	0	2	0	0	3	X	9
Rob Ewen	0	0	1	0	2	0	0	1	0	X	7

Final

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Final
Russ Howard	1	0	1	0	3	1	1	1	X	X	8
Paul Savage	0	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	X	X	2

References