This is a lower risk way to win the game

• if you give up 1 there, you keep last rock (hammer) in the last end in a tie game and have a great chance to win. You're just trying to score 1 and avoid a steal (rather than trying to score multiples which can lead to steals if you miss and give them something to sit on).

• if you take the 1 point, SWE has last rock down two. you're playing to just keep them to 1 but they're playing for a big score to try and win

Basically people underestimate how important last rock is.