Scotland’s Team Mouat captures gold at 2025 BKT World Men’s Curling Championship

It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish, and Scotland’s Team Bruce Mouat finished the 2025 BKT World Men’s Curling Championship exactly where it wanted to — on top of the medal podium.

Mouat, backed up by vice-skip Grant Hardie, second Bobby Lammie, lead Hammy McMillan, alternate Kyle Waddell, team coach Michael Goodfellow and national coach Greg Drummond, won a 5-4 nailbiter over Switzerland’s Team Yannick Schwaller Sunday afternoon at the Temple Gardens Centre in Moose Jaw, Sask.

Mouat drew to the four-foot for the win to loud cheers from the sold-out crowd, especially the small but boisterous group of Scottish supporters who made the trip to cheer on their curling heroes, who weren’t at their best through most of the round robin before flipping a switch and winning three straight in the playoffs.

“This win was a bit more of a grind,” said an ecstatic Mouat, 30. “We didn’t necessarily have our best week. We had to come through the quarter-finals, the semis and the final without a (first-end) hammer. To have those opportunities and to come away with the win is just hard to express.”

It was the second time in three years that Mouat’s Scots have prevailed on Canadian soil after taking gold in 2023 in Ottawa, and it’s no secret his team loves playing in Canada.

“Honestly, it’s the crowd,” said Mouat. “Playing in front of this — who wouldn’t want to do that? It’s just amazing to get the experience playing in such a cool arena against such amazing teams with the crowd that’s clapping and applauding for every shot.”

It was a back-and-forth second half of the game after three blanks in the first four ends. The Swiss had been forced to one in the first end, and Scotland showed some patience until they finally got an opportunity for multiple points in the fifth end. Mouat made a precise double-takeout to score a pair.

Swiss last-rock thrower Benoit Schwarz-Van Berkel responded an end later with an open draw for two to retake the lead, but another deuce followed from the Scots as Mouat had to make a precise tap to dislodge a partially frozen Swiss stone.

Scotland turned up the heat in the eighth, and forced Schwarz-Van Berkel to draw for a game-tying single looking at five Scottish counters.

After a blanked ninth, Scotland showed its defensive prowess in the 10th to keep the house clean for Mouat’s game-winning draw.

“It was an unreal game,” said Schwaller. “Both teams played great; they had maybe a couple of big shots more on their side which made the difference in the end.

“I was super happy with the team, how calm and relaxed we were, how everybody was in the game, so that’s something to look forward to and we’re going to analyze and hopefully we can be on top the next time.”

It was a seventh world championship for Scotland in the 66-year history of the World Men’s Championship, while Switzerland fell short in its bid to win a first gold medal since 1992.

Earlier Sunday, Canada’s Team Brad Jacobs claimed the bronze medal with an 11-2 win over China’s Team Xiaoming Xu.

Attendance on Sunday was 4,312, bringing the total for the event to 77,985.

Team Norway vice-skip Martin Sesaker was announced as the winner of the player-voted Collie Campbell Award for sportsmanship.

The 2026 LGT World Men’s Curling Championship will take place March 28-April 5 in Ogden, Utah.

Before that, though, the 2026 BKT World Women’s Curling Championship will take place March 14-22 at the WinSport Event Centre in Calgary. Go to www.curling.ca/2026worldwomen/tickets for ticket information.

For ticket information for the 2025 BKT World Men’s Curling Championship, go to www.curling.ca/2025worldmen/tickets/.

This story will be available in French as soon as possible at www.curling.ca/2025worldmen/nouvelles/?lang=fr.