Issue 33 (August 19, 2016)

Friday 19 August 2016

Darts Weekly

Mathewson

knocks out Wade Australian beats the world number six on his debut on the TV P3 TAYLOR MADE FOR IT

HENDRIKS ROCKS ON

BEST OF THE BDO

Scott Taylor on qualifying for last two Euro Tours Pages 4-5

Young Dutchman wins first BDO title in four years Page 8

Sean McCormick on the new Grand Slam criteria Page 12

Darts Weekly Friday 19 August 2016

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Mathewson shocks Wade in a memorable TV debut triumph STEVE CHRISTO/PDC

Alex Moss CHIEF DARTS WRITER Rhys Mathewson caused one of the biggest shocks in the history of the PDC World Series of Darts as he came from 5-2 down to beat James Wade in the Ladbrokes Sydney Darts Masters yesterday.

With established PDC stars Simon Whitlock and Kyle Anderson among the eight Oceanic qualifiers for the latest World Series tournament this week, the stranglehold that the eight seeds have had over the qualifiers did for the first time this year look like it might be about to give.

But few could have predicted the player to break the qualifiers’ duck in this year’s World Series would be Melbourne-based Mathewson.

The 28-year-old, who won the Russell Stewart Classic less than three weeks ago, made his TV debut when he took on world number six Wade yesterday.

The two-time World Matchplay

champion Wade looked to be on his way to the quarter-finals when he took a 5-2 lead.

But three missed match darts by Wade later, and three legs in a row by the Oceanic qualifier, forced a decider, which Mathewson won by taking out 55 on double top.

“It’s unbelievable,” Mathewson

stores.ebay.co.uk/Mojo-DARTS

said. “I felt comfortable up there and I wasn’t nervous, but usually when you miss your doubles against James you don’t get another chance.

“I thought I was in trouble at 5-2, but fortunately he gave me a chance and I took it. It’s amazing for me.”

Mathewson will be aiming to produce another upset when he takes on Peter Wright in the quarter-finals today.

Raymond van Barneveld also suffered an early exit from the tournament, with home favourite Anderson easing to a 6-1 victory in their first round clash yesterday.

Anderson will face world number one Michael van Gerwen in the quarter-finals, who averaged 107.89 in his opening game, a 6-2 triumph over Cody Harris.

Defending champion Phil Taylor (above) started his bid for a fourth title in a row in Sydney with a 6-3 victory against Corey Cadby, with his quarter-final opponent Gary Anderson beating David Platt by the same scoreline.

In the other quarter-final today, Dave Chisnall faces off against Adrian Lewis. Chisnall beat Harley Kemp 6-1 and Lewis overcame Rob Szabo 6-3 yesterday.

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Friday 19 August 2016 Darts Weekly

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

“I’m really excited about playing on the European Tour but I’ll try and treat it like any other game”

Fresh from qualifying for his first two European Tour events, Scott Taylor chats to Alex Moss about his career in the sport so far

he name Taylor has been synonymous with the sport of darts for the last 30 years, and now a new Taylor is on the block looking to make a name for himself.

Scott Taylor was not even born when his namesake Phil won the first of his 16 World Championship titles in 1990, but the 24-year-old Bolton thrower is one of a number of young players determined to make a breakthrough in the PDC. Two weeks ago in Barnsley, Taylor came through the UK qualifiers for both the European Darts Grand Prix and German Darts Championship and will make his debut on the European Tour, and in front of the cameras, next month.

It will be the first time that the Halliwell ace will play outside of the UK, so it’s no surprise that it’s a subject which everyone wants to talk to him about.

“It has just about sunk in now,” Taylor said. “Everyone keeps going on about it but I don’t know what to expect to be honest going there.

“I spoke to Joe Murnan who I practice with about it and he just told me to enjoy it. I’m just looking forward to it.”

Since missing out on a tour card at Q-School in January, Taylor has been an ever present on the PDC Challenge Tour this year.

By his own admission it has not been an outstanding campaign so far, only reaching the last 16 in four of the 12 events so far.

But victory in Challenge Tour Eight in May earnt Taylor his

“I was 3-0 up in both of the final qualifiers and I thought I’d let it go”

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biggest paycheque in darts so far of £2,000 and sees him placed in eighth spot on the Challenge Tour Order of Merit with four events left to play.

“I felt like I was going to get through at Q-School but it never quite happened,” he said.

“I was playing really well but I just didn’t get over the line. It was weird, the first few days I played quite well.

“I got to the last 32 on the second day but then I went out early on the last two days.

“I was disappointed not to get a tour card but I said to myself that I’ve got a bit of experience so I’ll go onto the Challenge Tour this year and then try and give Q-School another go next year.

“I’ve really enjoyed playing on the Challenge Tour. I could have done a little bit better than I have done, but I’m happy with winning one of the tournaments.”

The top two players on the Challenge Tour Order of Merit at the end of the year will both win a two-year tour card for 2017 and 2018, while the players finishing from third to eighth gain free entry into Q-School next year.

Rob Cross (£5,100) and Ryan Searle (£4,650) currently occupy the top two places, with Taylor a little way back on £3,000 but he still has hopes of catching them up on the final weekend, which takes place in three weeks.

“I’m probably going to need a win and a good run in the last four events,” Taylor admitted.

“I can definitely catch them up if

Darts Weekly Friday 19 August 2016

5 TARGET DARTS

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I get there and feel comfortable, but it depends on what the other guys above me do as well.”

Following the final weekend of this year’s Challenge Tour, Taylor heads to Sindelfingen in Germany just a few days later for the European Darts Grand Prix, where he will make his debut on the European Tour.

A trip to Hildesheim awaits him in October for the German Darts Championship, with Taylor qualifying for both events during a memorable evening at the Barnsley Metrodome earlier this month.

Taylor reeled off six wins in a

“Everyone keeps going on about it but I don’t even know what to expect” row, including the scalps of established PDC players Ronnie Baxter and Steve Brown to book his place in the final two European Tour events of the season.

“I was playing all right and I was confident of going through,” he says, “but I weren’t ever expecting to go through both.

“I was 3-0 up in both of the final qualifiers and Ronnie and Steve came back well and I thought I’d let it go.

“I’m really excited about playing on the European Tour. I’m just going to try and treat it like any other game, well that’s what I’ll try

x x x x x x xx x x x x x x x Scott Taylor with his sponsors Target’s international sales manager James Tattersall (above); at the oche (below) (Picture courtesy of Swinton Leisure). to do anyway. I’ll have a few days practicing with Joe Murnan before I fly out and I’ll take the week before it off work so I can get some good practice in.”

Taylor has been working as a painter and decorator for the last two and a half years but admits “it just pays the bills.”

Next month is shaping up to be the most important of Taylor’s young darting career yet, and he will no doubt be hoping to brush aside the competition and paint a masterpiece on the dartboard!

Porter admits re-selling of PDC tickets is a big problem Christopher Kempf DARTS WRITER PDC chief executive Matthew Porter admits the re-selling of darts tickets on third-party websites is a problem for the organisation.

Darts fans have recently taken to social media to express outrage at the difficulty of finding affordable tickets to the 2017 William Hill World Darts Championship.

Since July 25, when sales begun, tickets for at least 10 sessions late in the tournament sold out on the PDC’s website.

However, they remain available to buy on third-party websites, but with a mark-up of more than 200 per cent over the original price in many cases.

A ticket to the final of the event purchased directly from the PDC was placed on sale in July at £54.32, with a face value of £51.

Demand has exhausted the supply of that ticket, but it could still be had for £135.43 from ticket reseller Viagogo earlier this week.

Porter told Darts Weekly that the PDC attempts to identify and cancel ticket orders purchased with the intent to mark-up and resell, but that it struggles to cope with an “endemic” problem affecting all manner of public events.

“We try to stop this practice where we can,” he said, “but fans need to understand there is often very little we can do.”

The PDC’s chief executive suggested to those looking for affordable tickets to research travel packages or wait for orders to be cancelled, but acknowledged that fans may still prove unable to find them.

“We would love to be able to satisfy demand from everyone,” he remarked, “but there just aren’t enough tickets.”

Darts Weekly Friday 19 August 2016

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RICKY WILLIAMS A DARTER’S DIARY

A strange weekend but I’m going in right direction It was a really strange weekend for me in Barnsley two weeks ago. I played some really good darts without getting the results.

In three of the four defeats I had that weekend I lost 6-5, but I shouldn’t be putting myself in these positions.

I’m throwing games away and I felt I should have easily won £2,000 over the weekend.

In the UK qualifier for the European Darts Grand Prix I lost 6-5 to Steve Beaton. I missed a dart at a double to win, but I should have won the game before that.

I lost to Dave Pallett 6-5 in the next qualifier for the German Darts Championship. It was a really scrappy game and of the 11 legs I could have won eight or nine of them, but I just couldn’t finish them off.

I was missing dart after dart at the double and that was quite annoying because I played well enough to qualify for one of them.

The next day was the first Players Championship event of the weekend and I started off against Mike Zuydwijk in the first round.

I played really well and didn’t give him a chance. I beat him quite comfortably 6-2 and then I lost to Alan Norris in the next round.

I was sat on a double in three of the legs and he took out three 100+ checkouts against me to win 6-3.

I played Magnus Caris on the Sunday. He won the bull and then on every single leg on my throw I was leaving him on 150 and 200.

On his throw I kept leaving a double or missing one dart and he

x

was taking it out last dart. I actually broke him and went 5-3 up but I then missed a dart to win 6-3 and had probably my worst leg of the whole weekend when I had the throw to win 6-4.

It went 5-5 and Magnus played a good last leg to beat me 6-5 and bring an end to my weekend.

Away from playing on the tour I’ve been working away quite a lot, working in the Norwich area which

“I’m now finding it’s not about how many hours, it’s what you do in those hours” has been quite full on.

When I finish work I’m in one of the local pubs getting a good hour and a half in each day. I also took my dartboard away with me.

I’m now finding it’s not about how many hours you’re putting in on the practice board, it’s what you’re doing in those hours.

I find what you’re doing in practice is more key than how many hours you’re doing. I’ve been

Close game: I lost 6-5 to Steve Beaton in one of the qualifiers putting in half an hour on finishing, half an hour on doubles, rather than three hours throwing at 20s or playing against people in the pub.

For three or four months earlier in the year I really felt like I didn’t belong there on the Pro Tour, but that last weekend for the first time I felt like I belong there.

I used to go up there and think ‘does he think I’m good?’ But it doesn’t matter what anyone thinks, it’s how you think.

I know that they’ve got a tough game, I just haven’t been able to be as consistent as I want to be.

I think once I get that first weekend where I win a couple of grand it might settle me down a bit and make it a bit easier.

If you’ve got the ability to throw you’ve got it, it’s the mindset. It sounds silly when you look in people go ‘why don’t you do better Rick?’

It just takes time getting used to it but hopefully if I stick at it the results will soon turn around.

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Friday 19 August 2016 Darts Weekly

Hendriks boosts his Lakeside hopes with Antwerp title win

ZIMBIO

Jimmy Hendriks provisionally moved into the qualifying places for the BDO World Championship after ending a near four-year title drought to win the Antwerp Open on Sunday.

The 22-year-old Dutchman beat Martin Atkins 3-0 in sets in the final to scoop the €2,000 first prize and give his hopes of a return to Lakeside next year a big boost.

Now up to 23rd in the men’s seasonal invitational table after his win at the weekend, Hendriks is set to make his second appearance at the BDO’s biggest event in January next year.

Back in 2013, at the tender age of 18, Hendriks made his debut at Lakeside, where he knocked out second seed Martin Adams 3-2 in the first round.

A 4-2 defeat in the next round to Richie George ended the young Dutchman’s maiden campaign at a World Championship, which he qualified for after winning the Lithuania Open the previous year.

Since that triumph in the Baltic, Hendriks went almost four years without winning a ranking title on the BDO circuit, with Sunday’s win in Belgium bringing an end to his trophy drought.

After successfully negotiating the early rounds, Hendriks picked up

impressive wins over both Madars Razma and Darius Labanauskas to reach the quarter-finals.

A narrow 5-4 victory against fellow Dutchman Melvin de Fijter booked his place in the semi-finals, where he edged past another of his fellow countrymen Wesley Harms 2-0 in sets to get to the final.

For Atkins, beaten by Hendriks in his first ranking final since winning the International Open last summer, a 12th appearance at the World Championship looks to be on the cards.

Joint in 19th place, alongside Razma, on the men’s seasonal

invitational table, Atkins appears to have done enough now to book a return to Lakeside after Christmas. ◊ Lisa Ashton bagged her seventh ranking title of the season after beating Anastasia Dobromyslova 2-0 in the Antwerp Open ladies final on Sunday.

The England international edged past newly crowned Belgium Open champion Aileen de Graaf 5-4 in the semi-finals, while Russia’s Dobromyslova got the better of Deta Hedman by a 5-4 scoreline. ◊ Elsewhere, Southend beat Castle WMC 5-4 to win the BDO Champions Cup at the weekend.

Lightning Lim completes the circle after ADO victory

Champion, a title coveted by all the best players in the USA. Chris’ father, Paul Lim, won this exact title in 1997, when Chris was just a young boy, and the pair are the first ever father-son duo to both win the tournament. ◊ Paula Murphy won her second National 501 title after beating defending champion Cali West 5-3 in the final. ◊ Domenik Pundt took the ADO Youth 501 title to qualify for the Winmau World Youth Masters at Lakeside later this year.

Beaten finalist Dan Robbins went on to take two victories in adult events at the USA Classic.

Paul Lim captured the ADO National 501 title 19 years after his father Paul Lim. Making his way around the steel tip circuit, Chris ‘Lightning’ Lim has been pegged by many as one to watch, and backed up this praise with an impressive run to become the 2016 ADO National 501

Darts Weekly Friday 19 August 2016

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RICHARD EDWARDS ASIAN DARTS CORRESPONDENT

Do Wook Jeon claims victory in Korea Darts Championship Top seed Do Wook Jeon fought off a spirited display from Tae Kyoung Lee to win the first Korea Darts Championship on Saturday.

In the deciding leg with Lee sat on 54 waiting to spring a surprise in the final, Jeon calmly picked off double 16 with his first dart to secure victory.

After a dominant display throughout the season, not many people could begrudge the local star his victory in the season finale.

Do Wook goes by the name ‘Storm’ and it would be tempting to milk this and describe a storming victory, but like all of Storm’s victories this year, this was not the case.

Storm always manages to edge out opponents just when they are starting to believe they can win (I can certainly testify to how clinical he can be), and his doubling has been impressive throughout.

On a personal note, clinical is certainly not a word that I would use to describe my performance on Saturday.

I managed to make the semifinals, recording a personal best 14 dart leg on the way, but then fluffed my lines.

I missed six match darts to beat Tae Kyoung Lee and progress to the final. (The wife told me I threw them too quickly, I told her they were good darts that didn’t go in, but it’s a debate for another time).

I left leaving the tournament with an all too familiar mixed feeling of regret, but also a great buzz thanks to being at the business end of another great tournament.

After the tournament I spoke to

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NamHo Noh from the KDF. I was humbled by him heaping praise on all the players including the foreign players that have played on the tour.

Mr Noh told me: “We are very pleased to start work with PDK to help Korean darts.

“We are especially thankful to all foreign players who joined the KDC and played darts with a lot of passion.”

Mr Noh went on to thank the PDK, Target, who have been sponsoring the KDC tour, and our

“We hope the KDC has given experience to the players and helped the KDF” hosts for the day: Darts Hive.

Next up for Korean darts is the PDC Youth Championship Qualifier tomorrow, and then on October 6, players from the KDC tour will be representing South Korea in the Asia-Pacific Cup. “We hope the KDC has given experience to the players and improved operating skills at the KDF,” Mr Noh continued.

“Hopefully we will have good results at the Asia-Pacific Cup and beyond.”

What’s next for me after my

heart-breaking semi-final defeat? I hear you cry, well I will be joining three friends from Korea, the USA and Russia as we compete at the Hong Kong Open.

We will compete as ‘4 Nation Unity’ in the team event tomorrow, followed by singles on Sunday.

Lim wins in Taipei Elsewhere in Asia, Paul Lim won stage three of the World Soft Darts World Championships in Taipei.

The next stage is in Tokyo on August 27, and guess what? I have signed up for that too!

The next couple of weeks are going to be a wonderful experience for me. I have already dusted off my smart shoes and have a pair of slacks ready.

No shorts and flip flops allowed, I really have made the big time!

Jeon gets me in a storm Apology time. Last week I reported that Do Wook Jeon’s name was Daw Jon Yuk. Lazy journalism, perhaps, or ignorance despite living in Korea for over eight years, probably.

To be honest, I have only ever called him ‘Storm’ before.

Also, after giving it some thought, I think I did throw those six missed darts at double too quickly at the weekend. Sorry.

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Friday 19 August 2016 Darts Weekly

EVERY MATCH. EVERY TABLE. EVERY STAT BRITISH DARTS ORGANISATION ANTWERP OPEN

Men’s last 64 - W Harms 4-1 B Ringoet, A Beck 4-1 M Craddock, J Sparidaans 4-1 M Jongen, R Veugelers 2-4 D Groen, P Blackwell 4-1 R Schoremans, T Martinez 0-4 C Whitehead, W Vanrolleghem 2-4 A Denies, T Junghans 4-3 R Gokoel, S Koopman 1-4 M de Fijter, W Vermeulen 2-4 B Zander, S Aué 04 J Hurrell, S Carroll 4-3 C Hill, H Famaey 0-4 M Razma, J Hendriks 4-3 M Flach, D Labanauskas 4-0 P Aquina, W Knoops 0-4 R Edwards, D Reynolds 4-1 K Simons, C Ponnet 0-4 B Raman, W Vaes 4-3 B Pater, M Steele 2-4 N van Divenboden, D Michels 2-4 M Atkins, N Kenny 4-1 H Smit, S Pittoors 0-4 G de Vos, D Debrael 14 W Plaisier, M McGeeney 1-4 F Harmsen, S Stainton 4-0 A Krieg, A Baetens 4-2 D Parletti, M van Eenennaam 0-4 R Montgomery, M Verbeck 4-1 F Schweyen, B Kirk 41 T Mikolajczyk, E van Rijkswijk 14 M Phillips, R Janssen 4-2 S Deprez. Last 32 - W Harms 4-2 A Beck, J Sparidaans 4-0 D Groen, P Blackwell 1-4 C Whitehead, A Denies 3-4 T Junghans, M de Fijter 4-2 B Zander, J Hurrell 2-4 S Carroll, M Razma 0-4 J Hendriks, D Labanauskas 4-1 R Edwards, D Reynolds 4-1 B Raman, W Vaes 4-3 N van Duivenboden, M Atkins 4-3 N Kenny, G de Vos 2-4 W Plaisier, F Harmsen 4-3 S Stainton, A Baetens 3-4 R Montgomery, M Verbeck 3-4 B Kirk, M Phillips 4-2 R Janssen. Last 16 - W Harms 4-2 J Sparidaans, C Whitehead 4-3 T Junghans, M de Fijter 4-3 S Carroll, J Hendriks 4-2 D SHOWNIGHTS WINMAU Labanauskas, D Reynolds 4-3 W Vaes, M Atkins 4-3 WOPEN Plaisier, F EUROPEAN Harmsen 4-1 R Montgomery, B Kirk 4-2 M Phillips. Quarter finals - W Harms 5-3 C Whitehead, M de Fijter 4-5 J Hendriks, D Reynolds 3-5 M

Atkins, F Harmsen 2-5 B Kirk.

Semi finals - W Harms 0-2 J Hendriks, M Atkins 2-0 B Kirk.

Final - J Hendriks 3-0 M Atkins.

Ladies last 32 - M Verberk 1-3 S Lowe, A Houben 0-3 D Hedman, S Prins 3-0 V Zuidema, L Gloudemans 3-2 J Huijbregts, L Winstanley 3-0 S Chick, P Steenbergen 1-3 S Luck, A Wajer 0-3 J Desmedt, A Dobromyslova 3-1 K de Vries, J Schuurman 0-3 M Liiri, L Ashton 3-0 S Cusick, C Dessein 3-0 T Gulliver, E Kwadijk 0-3 D Kopkasova, P Jacklin 3-1 L Vogel, F Sherrock 1-3 A Zijlstra, S Strobbe 2-3 K Vonrufs, A de Graaf 3-0 J Thompson. Last 16 - S Lowe 3-4 D Hedman, S Prins 4-0 L Gloudemans, L Winstanley 3-4 S Luck, J Desmedt 0-4 A Dobromyslova, M Liiri 0-4 L Ashton, C Dessein 4-1 D Kopkasova, P Jacklin 2-4 A Zijlstra, K Vonrufs 1-4 A de Graaf.

Quarter finals - D Hedman 4-1 S Prins, S Luck 3-4 A Dobromyslova, L Ashton 4-1 C Dessein, A Zijlstra 1-4 A de Graaf. Semi finals - D Hedman 2-5 A Dobromyslova, L Ashton 5-4 A de Graaf. Final - A Dobromyslova 0-2 L Ashton.

Boys semi finals - J van Tergouw 4-0 K van Velzen, M-D Woord 1-4 O Roelofs. Final - J van Tergouw 5-0 O Roelofs.

Girls semi finals - E Baldina 3-2 R van Druten, L Brussel 0-3 K Frauenfelder. Final - E Baldina 24 K Frauenfelder.

BDO CHAMPIONS CUP

MEN’S INVITATIONAL TABLE (SEASONAL)

1 Glen Durrant 375 pts 2 Scott Mitchell 325 pts 3 Danny Noppert 315 pts 4 Martin Adams 289 pts 5 Jamie Hughes 272 pts 6 Scott Waites 258 pts 7 Darius Labanauskas 247 pts 8 Wesley Harms 246 pts 9 Darryl Fitton 243 pts 10 Dean Reynolds 234 pts 11 Brian Dawson 222 pts 12 Jim Williams 216 pts 13 Geert de Vos 215 pts 14 Martin Phillips 202 pts 15 Tony O’Shea 193 pts 16 Mark McGeeney 189 pts 17 Richard Veenstra 181 pts 18 Wouter Vaes 163 pts 19 Madars Razma 160 pts = Martin C Atkins 160 pts 21 Ross Montgomery 153 pts 22 Pip Blackwell 152 pts 23 Jimmy Hendriks 151 pts 24 Shaun Carroll 148 pts 25 James Hurrell 146 pts 26 Ryan Joyce 144 pts = Sven Verdonck 144 pts 28 Dennis Harbour 139 pts 29 Jeff Smith 138 pts 30 Gary Robson 137 pts = Jeffrey Sparidaans 137 pts 32 Conan Whitehead 136 pts 33 Bradley Kirk 135 pts 34 Dave Parletti 125 pts 35 David Cameron 123 pts  Table above is correct as of August 14, 2016.

FIXTURES TODAY LDO Swedish Classic (Malmo)

Men’s semi finals - Southend 72 Ilkeston, Castle WMC 5-4 Staffordshire Men. Final Southend 5-4 Castle WMC.

TOMORROW Wolverhampton Open Swedish Open

Ladies semi finals - Rudheath 2-3 Victory Vixen, Flyers Ladies 41 Edmonton Ladies. Final Victory Vixen 0-5 Flyers Ladies.

TOMORROW AND SUNDAY Hong Kong Open Van Diemen Classic Grand Prix (Australia)

Darts Weekly Friday 19 August 2016

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EVERY STAT HERE. darts PROFESSIONAL DARTS CORPORATION LADBROKES SYDNEY DARTS MASTERS

2008 British Teenage Open finalist, Jason Marriott, talks us through his darts memories

First round - G Anderson (79.64) 6-3 D Platt (74.77), P Taylor (95.06) 6-3 C Cadby (92.24), A Lewis (93.13) 6-3 R Szabo (87.75), D Chisnall (90.38) 6-1 H Kemp (80.94), M van Gerwen (107.89) 62 C Harris (87.36), R van Barneveld (91.04) 1-6 K Anderson (99.54), J Wade (88.53) 5-6 R Mathewson (84.49), P Wright (99.51) 6-2 S Whitlock (92.00).

First darts memory?

My first darting memory is probably watching my dad play county games when I was a kid. I used to set a board up on a chair next to the practice boards and try and imitate everyone’s throws.

FIXTURES TODAY Ladbrokes Sydney Darts Masters quarter finals - A Lewis v D Chisnall, R Mathewson, G Anderson v P Taylor, M van Gerwen v K Anderson.

TOMORROW Ladbrokes Sydney Darts Masters semi finals and final THURSDAY TABtouch Perth Darts Masters first round

firsts

PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP 13

Curtis Steahr, in Muscatine, Iowa, sent us in a picture of the floor he painted in front FIXTURES of his dartboard

First darts hero?

My first darts hero and still is my darts hero is Kevin Painter. From the moment he beat Phil Taylor in the first round of the 2001 Grand Prix he became my favourite player.

The 2004 world final to me is one of the greatest games ever seen on TV. I actually got to draw him this year on the Pro Tour and won 6-1.

First set of darts?

The first set of darts I got off my dad and they were a set of Alan Glazier ton machines.

First darts team?

It was the Marquis of Granby B. I was 13 and finally allowed to play in the league.

First game on TV? I’ve yet to make my TV debut, I played in the UK Open but I wasn’t on the main stage. I’m hoping my debut will come at this year’s Players Championship Finals. I’m currently on the borderline of qualifying so a few more results my way will help.

ET10 QUALIFIER

First nine darter?

My first nine dart leg came when I was 16 against Craig Twell. We were practicing before a league game when it happened.

Raymond van Barneveld (left) and Michael van Gerwen beat Simon Whitlock and Kyle Anderson (right) 5-2 in a challenge match ahead of the Sydney Darts Masters

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Friday 19 August 2016 Darts Weekly

SEAN McCORMICK TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE DART

New Grand Slam criteria will provide best of BDO The new qualifying criteria for BDO players in this year’s Grand Slam of Darts could result in the organisation’s most positive showing in the competition’s history.

November’s annual cross-code event is up there among my favourite darts tournaments as it pits the best players from both the PDC and BDO to decide ultimately who is the best of the best.

Yet, the BDO’s strength in depth has often come under fire in the competition, none more so than last year with seven of the eightstrong BDO contingent who were knocked out in the group stages.

When the organisation were given more of a say of how their qualifying criteria was formed for last year’s competition, their decision to allocate their four nonautomatic spots to four qualifiers proved to be disastrous, with only Martin Adams making it out of the group stages.

A lot of the high profile players did not partake in the qualifying events, and players like Mark Oosterhuis, who had no previous stage experience, gave a sorry picture of the strength of the BDO circuit.

The Dutchman failed to average above 75 in his opening two fixtures, as he was put to the sword

by Michael van Gerwen and Steve West.

I don’t mean to undermine the ability of Oosterhuis, who has put some fine performances together in some of the European open events, but watching as a fan of both codes of the game, it frustrated me that some of the

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BDO’s strongest players were sat at home.

So when it was announced last week that the four non-automatic qualifying spots this year were going to the top four players in the BDO rankings, who had not already qualified, it was a move that was welcomed by myself and the whole darts fraternity.

Like last year, the two BDO

‘The BDO will be arguably sending their strongest eight players this year’ World Championship finalists (Scott Waites and Jeff Smith) will be joined by the 2015 World Masters champion (Glen Durrant) and the 2015 World Trophy champion (Darryl Fitton) to make up the BDO’s four automatic qualifying spots.

As it stands they will be joined by

DAVID GILL

Wolverhampton bound: Jeff Smith is in the Grand Slam Adams, 2015 world champion Scott Mitchell, in-form Dutchman Danny Noppert, and recent World Trophy semi-finalist, Jamie Hughes.

For the first time since I can remember, the BDO will arguably be sending their strongest eight players to the tournament and as result we should finally be able to see the best possible showing for the BDO in the competition.

BDO players have sparingly had success in the competition in the past, most notably when Waites famously came from 8-0 behind to beat James Wade 16-12 in the 2010 final.

Yet as a collective front, with a strong complement of eight players, the BDO now have their chance to showcase their strength in depth, and it is an opportunity for a number of their players to make an impression on a PDC stage.