Masters
The Masters is an annual Canadian Grand Slam of Curling tournament featuring elite men's and women's curling teams.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
The Masters, marketed in recent years as the Masters Grand Slam of Curling, is an annual elite curling tournament in Canada. It is part of the Grand Slam of Curling series and is regarded as one of the sport's leading events for professional men's and women's teams. The competition originated during the 2001–02 World Curling Tour season as one of the original men's Grand Slam events. Its early editions were staged under a succession of commercial titles, including the Kia Masters of Curling, M&M Meat Shops Masters of Curling, Home Hardware Masters of Curling and Rogers Masters of Curling. This naming history reflects the tournament's dependence on presenting sponsors rather than a fixed permanent title. From 2009 through 2011, the men's competition was rebranded as the World Cup of Curling. In 2011, the event was combined with the women's Sun Life Classic, an established World Curling Tour competition held in the Brantford area of Ontario. The merger expanded the Masters into a combined men's and women's tournament. The first edition of the combined format was held in 2012 at the Wayne Gretzky Sports Centre and the Brantford Golf & Country Club in Brantford, Ontario. The event's competitive identity is built around a high-level field of established teams, direct championship play and its place within the wider Grand Slam calendar. It is commonly described as the first Grand Slam event and the first major on the curling tour. The tournament has used different host venues and sponsor-led names over time, but the Masters designation has remained the core identity. The event has also maintained separate men's and women's championship structures, with the broader series historically distinguishing its premier Tier 1 competitions from lower-tier events. Its title and presenting sponsorship have changed repeatedly. The tournament was known as the WFG Masters from 2016, returned to the simpler Masters of Curling name in 2017, adopted Canadian Beef Masters in 2018 and used Masters from 2019 through 2021. WFG returned as sponsor for editions from 2022 through January 2025. From September 2025, the event has been presented as the AMJ Masters, reflecting sponsorship by AMJ Campbell, a Canadian moving company. A Tier 2 competition was added in September 2025, broadening the event's competitive program beyond the established top-level fields. The Masters is therefore best understood not as a conventional consumer product brand but as a recurring sports-event property. Its value is derived from tournament prestige, participation by elite curlers, media exposure, live attendance, sponsor integration and its role in the professional curling calendar. The event remains active, although exact venue, dates, title sponsorship and participating teams vary by edition.
History
The Masters began during the 2001–02 World Curling Tour season as one of the original men's Grand Slam events. Its early history is closely associated with sponsor-led naming changes. The tournament was called the Kia Masters of Curling in 2002, followed by the M&M Meat Shops Masters of Curling in 2003 and 2004. It subsequently appeared under several additional titles, including Masters of Curling, Home Hardware Masters of Curling, Grey Power World Cup of Curling and GP Car and Home World Cup of Curling. Between 2009 and 2011, the men's tournament used the World Cup of Curling name. During this period, the separate women's Sun Life Classic continued as an annual World Curling Tour event in the Brantford, Ontario area. The Sun Life Classic was held at venues including the Paris Curling Club, Brant Curling Club and Brantford Golf & Country Club, but it was not itself a Grand Slam event. In 2011, the men's event and the women's Sun Life Classic were amalgamated. The first combined edition took place in 2012 at the Wayne Gretzky Sports Centre and the Brantford Golf & Country Club in Brantford, Ontario. This change created the modern two-division Masters format, with elite men's and women's competitions presented under the same event property. The tournament continued to rotate through commercial identities. It was known as Rogers Masters of Curling in 2012, Masters of Curling from 2013 to 2015, WFG Masters in 2016, Masters of Curling in 2017 and Canadian Beef Masters in 2018. The shorter Masters title was used from 2019 through 2021. WFG returned as presenting sponsor for editions from 2022 through January 2025. From September 2025, the event has been presented as the AMJ Masters, sponsored by AMJ Campbell. The same period also saw the introduction of a Tier 2 event. The addition widened the tournament structure beyond its established Tier 1 championships and created another competitive level within the Masters program. Across its history, the Masters has remained an important stop on the professional curling calendar. Its core proposition is consistent even when its title sponsor and host arrangements change: bring leading men's and women's teams together in a high-profile Grand Slam competition, provide a prominent platform for broadcasters and sponsors, and award championships recognized within the international curling community.
- 2025
AMJ Masters and Tier 2 expansion
[1]The September 2025 edition became the AMJ Masters and introduced a Tier 2 competition.
- 2022
WFG sponsorship returns
[1]WFG again sponsored the Masters from 2022 through January 2025.
- 2018
Canadian Beef Masters edition
[1]The tournament adopted the Canadian Beef Masters name for the 2018 edition.
- 2016
WFG sponsorship period begins
[1]The event used the WFG Masters title in 2016.
- 2012
First combined men's and women's edition
[1]The first combined-format event was held in Brantford, Ontario, at the Wayne Gretzky Sports Centre and Brantford Golf & Country Club.
- 2011
Amalgamation with the Sun Life Classic
[1]The men's Masters was combined with the women's Sun Life Classic, adding a women's competition to the event property.
- 2009
Renamed World Cup of Curling
[1]The men's tournament adopted the World Cup of Curling name, which it used through 2011.
- 2001
Launch as an original men's Grand Slam event
[1]The Masters originated during the 2001–02 World Curling Tour season as one of the original men's Grand Slam events.
Products and positioning
A premier professional curling tournament positioned within the Grand Slam of Curling as an elite, high-prestige event for top men's and women's teams.
Professional curling tournament · 2001
Men's Tier 1 Masters
The men's Tier 1 competition is the original core of the Masters. It brings leading men's curling teams into a Grand Slam event and awards a championship within the top level of the professional tour. The competition has appeared under several sponsor-linked names but has retained the Masters identity as its central sporting brand.
Professional curling tournament · 2012
Women's Tier 1 Masters
The women's Tier 1 competition was added through the 2011 amalgamation with the Sun Life Classic and first appeared in the combined Masters format in 2012. It gives elite women's teams a parallel Grand Slam championship and forms the second principal competitive division of the event.
Professional curling tournament · 2025
Tier 2 Masters
A Tier 2 competition was added to the Masters program in September 2025. Its introduction expanded the event beyond the established premier men's and women's fields, although detailed information about its format and qualification structure is not specified in the supplied reference material.
Brand decisions
2025
Add a Tier 2 competitionProduct launchBackground
The Masters had historically centered on its top-level men's and women's competitions.
Action taken
A Tier 2 event was added to the program in September 2025.
Aftermath
The Masters expanded its competitive offering, although the supplied sources do not provide further details about qualification, field size or prize structure.
2011
Merge the men's Masters with the women's Sun Life ClassicStrategyBackground
The men's Masters and the women's Sun Life Classic had operated as separate World Curling Tour properties.
Action taken
The organizers amalgamated the events, creating a combined men's and women's Masters competition.
Aftermath
The first combined edition was held in Brantford, Ontario, in 2012 and established the modern dual-division structure.
Recent events
- 2025
AMJ Campbell became the current event sponsor[1]
Other
From September 2025, the tournament has been presented as the AMJ Masters, following earlier WFG-sponsored editions.
- 2025
A Tier 2 competition was added[1]
Product launch
The event program expanded with the addition of a Tier 2 competition in September 2025.
- 2012
Men's and women's competitions were combined[1]
Other
Following an amalgamation with the women's Sun Life Classic, the combined Masters format was held in Brantford, Ontario, at the Wayne Gretzky Sports Centre and Brantford Golf & Country Club.
- 2009
The event adopted the World Cup of Curling name[1]
Other
The men's Masters was renamed the World Cup of Curling for the 2009–2011 period.
- 2001
The Masters joined the original men's Grand Slam events[1]
Other
The tournament originated during the 2001–02 World Curling Tour season as one of the original men's Grand Slam events.
Sources2 sources
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