Alberta’s Brad Jacobs defeats Gushue 7-5 to advance to Brier final

Brad Jacobs and the Alberta rink advanced to the finals of the Brier Sunday, defeating defending champion Brad Gushue 7-5 (Photo: X@TSNCurling)

Brad Jacobs and his Alberta rink are going to the Brier final.

In a thrilling Sunday semi-final, defending champion Brad Gushue of Team Canada missed a takeout on the final rock in the 10th end, giving Team Jacobs a 7-5 victory.

“We got the biggest break of the year,” said Jacobs, who will play Manitoba’s Matt Dunstone in the evening final.

Jacobs won his lone Brier crown in 2013 while Dunstone is looking to win it for the first time.

The result ended Gushue’s bid for a record fourth straight Brier title and seventh overall.

“Obviously when you have a shot to win the game and you don’t do it, you feel bad for your teammates because they put me in a position for us to win that game,” Gushue said. “I just overthrew that last rock.

“I threw it six feet harder than what I needed to throw it. It’s just unfortunate.”

Jacobs started with the hammer and used it to blank the first three ends. He scored three points in the fifth end for a 3-1 lead but Gushue answered in the eighth with three of his own.

Jacobs made a big-weight hit for two in the ninth end before stealing his way to victory.

“We grinded all game,” Jacobs said. “Both teams did and we were able to just stick with it right until the end.”

The Brier winner will earn a berth in the 2026 playdowns in St. John’s and represent Canada at the March 29-April 6 LGT world men’s curling championship in Moose Jaw, Sask.

Ottawa’s Rachel Homan won the Scotties Tournament of Hearts last month in Thunder Bay, Ont. She will wear the Maple Leaf at the world women’s playdowns starting Friday in Uijeongbu, South Korea.