Friday September 15 2017
L ve The Darts
“I will be number one in the world� Peter Wright talks tinkering with his darts, number one ambitions and more, pages 2-3 LAWRENCE LUSTIG/PDC
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Friday September 15 2017 ● LOVE THE DARTS
Wright bidding to become Alex Moss Editor Peter Wright says he can become one of the ‘legends of darts’ if he wins the Unibet Champions League of Darts in Cardiff this weekend. Since winning the European Darts Open in early July, the world number three has been just one more tournament victory away from reaching double figures in tournament wins for the season, a feat which has only been achieved in the PDC by three other players - Phil Taylor, John Part and Michael van Gerwen. Wright has fallen just one win short of a 10th tournament victory on two occasions, first losing out to Phil Taylor in the World Matchplay final, and then finishing second best again to Taylor in the Melbourne Darts Masters last month. Whether the Scot does go on to win another tournament this season or not, 2017 will go down as the best of his career so far. Breaking his major duck at the UK Open in the Spring has taken a big weight off the former World Championship finalist’s back, and the other victories on the Pro Tour have further cemented his place among the sport’s elite. Speaking on the Weekly Dartscast this week, Wright is well aware, though, of how important his next tournament success would be. “Winning my first major was fantastic,” he said. “Winning nine tournament this year is fantastic. “Some players only win one a year, I used to only win one tournament a year. To win nine, and with plenty more to go, and going back to these old darts which I feel more comfortable with, I should pass the number 10 hopefully and be one of the legends of darts that have actually won 10 tournaments a year. “Michael van Gerwen, Phil Taylor, and the other one is John Part. To join that elite club, winning 10 tournaments or more in a year, I’d be pretty honoured.” Many pundits expect Wright to be
still in the mix for the title at the Motorpoint Arena come Sunday evening, with the ‘group of death’ perceived to be in Group A, which consists of four former world champions, van Gerwen, Taylor, Adrian Lewis and Raymond van Barneveld. The Champions League, which was first staged last year, and most notably saw Taylor defeat van Gerwen not once, but twice, in two days to lift the title, sees the top eight players on the PDC Order of Merit after the World Matchplay selected. In Group B, Wright is joined by world number two Gary Anderson, Dave Chisnall and Mensur Suljovic, the latter two of whom are making their debuts in the event. After the round-robin format is played over two sessions on Saturday, and the afternoon session on Sunday, the top two players from each group will progress to the final session and a straight knockout. “I’d like to win my group and then hopefully Michael players whoever’s runner-up in my group and I’ll play whoever finishes second in the other group,” Wright said. “It’s really hard to call the other group. Adrian Lewis played really well at the World Matchplay with time off, having an injury and surgery, he’s healed up and has probably been practicing, although he hasn’t been playing competition darts so he might be rusty, or he might not. “He’s a dangerous player and one of the best players in the world. “Then you’ve got Barney who can go up and play fantastic, hit nine darters, then Phil’s Phil and Michael could have a bad weekend, you never know, let’s hope!” Currently ranked third, Wright is closing in on his compatriot Anderson in second spot, but his long-term goal still remains to dethrone van Gerwen as the sport’s number one. “It’s one step at a time,” he said. “That’s what I’ve always done in my career playing darts. You can’t look too far forward in the future, but some time I will be number one in the world.”
Van Gerwen has Cardiff title in his sights Alex Moss There are not many titles that Michael van Gerwen has not won during his domination of the PDC circuit in recent years, but the Unibet Champions League of Darts is one which he has yet to get his hands on. The world number one is the hot favourite to win the second staging of the event, which was first held last year and saw the PDC make its debut on the BBC,
and after marking his return to action with back-to-back victories on the European Tour, the Dutchman heads to Cardiff in a confident mood. “It would be a nice one to tick off the list,” he said. “It’s a new tournament and Phil won it last year, but I hope they are ready for me this year! “Everything I want to compete in I want to win but it doesn’t always work that way. It’s going quite well at the moment.” Taylor defeated van Gerwen twice in
two days to win the inaugural Champions League last year, following up a 10-4 thrashing in the group stage with an equally impressive 11-5 triumph in the final. The two could lock horns again as early as Saturday evening, with the pair again in the same group. Van Gerwen takes on Raymond van Barneveld, and Taylor faces Adrian Lewis, in the opening session, and if both win, or lose, they will square off later in the day.
LOVE THE DARTS ● Friday September 15 2017
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one of the ‘legends of darts’ LAWRENCE LUSTIG/PDC
Title ambitions: Peter Wright, right, poses with Phil Taylor after the World Matchplay final during the Summer
LOCKUP DAVE’S BETTING COLUMN MVG TO FLOURISH IN CARDIFF This weekend sparks the return of the Champions League of Darts. The inaugural event in 2016 saw Phil Taylor lift the title. Taylor, as part of the event rule, will return once again on BBC television to defend his crown. 2016 was a dominant year for MVG and this is an event Michael will want to win badly, and at 10/11 is an attractive price for many punters to take on. This event will see eight players contest two groups of four. The top two will
progress and odds compilers have van Gerwen at 10/11 (52.3%) favourite. Anderson is 5/1, with Taylor 6/1, Wright 15/2 and the rest 28/1 upwards. With Anderson, Taylor, Barney and Wright all competing in the World Series, will they be recuperated enough? Having only seen Wright at the European Tour since, it is relatively unknown. What we do know is MVG returned from his hiatus in August to take back-toback European Tour titles and will have a real thirst to put his name on this title
BY DAVE SOUTH this weekend. I genuinely do not see another contender for this over the weekend, with Gary, Ray and Phil taking a rest and Michael well primed going into this. I see plenty of backing at 10/11 and this is where we head towards. With 1/3 odds for each way making a potential each way punt less attractive, we will stick with the Green Machine at a shade under evens this weekend. Recommendation MVG 10/11 William Hill/Sporting Bet
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Friday September 15 2017 ● LOVE THE DARTS
High-five for van Gerwen Alex Moss Editor “He’s going to be one of the big superstars.” As far as glowing endorsements from your colleagues go, especially from the world number one, Rob Cross has firmly placed himself among the best players on the PDC circuit in just his first year as a professional. Last year’s Unicorn Challenge Tour Order of Merit winner continues to rise up the rankings at a rapid pace, with this run to his maiden European Tour final pushing him ever closer to the top 32. The odds on Cross being a seed for his first World Championship at Alexandra Palace must now be very short indeed. The European Tour returned to Germany this past weekend for the 10th of 12 events on this year’s circuit, and just like the previous weekend it was the recently-returned Michael van Gerwen who went home with the £25,000 top prize in his pocket. The reigning world champion had produced an impressive performance to win the Dutch Darts Masters, in his first event back since taking a break for the birth of his first child, but the Dutch maestro topped his display in Maastricht with an even better one in Mannheim. A 6-3 win over Cross in the final of the HappyBet German Darts Grand Prix took his tally of European Tour titles in 2017 to five, and an astounding 19 in his career. Van Gerwen had opened the weekend with a ruthless whitewash of Richard North, as he averaged 111 in Saturday’s second round, before he saw off Gerwyn Price 6-2 to book his spot in the quarterfinals on Sunday evening. Mighty Mike then averaged 102.56 in a 6-1 defeat of fellow Dutchman Jelle Klaasen, before punishing 11 missed doubles from Simon Whitlock to record another whitewash, as he booked his spot in the final, having lost just three legs. Van Gerwen opened the final with a
hi
180, but after both players had missed a shot at the bull it was Cross who returned on double eight to hold throw. MVG levelled in style by taking out 127 for a 12-darter, with Cross finishing 111 to hold in the third, after the Dutchman missed double 14 for a 145. The top seed landed a maximum and tops for a 13-darter to square the game in the fourth, but was unable to finish 104 in the fifth as Cross went unpunished for missing five doubles and hit double five to regain the lead at 3-2. A missed bull for a 127 finish in the sixth from Cross allowed van Gerwen to avoid a possible break, as double 16 saw him square the game once more. Van Gerwen then secured the crucial break himself to move 4-3 up, opening leg seven with a 180 before taking out 76 for an 11-darter to lead for the first time. He then backed that up with a superb
12-darter, opening once more with a maximum before taking out 101 on double 16 for a 5-3 lead, before a 110 checkout sealed a brilliant win. “When you play well and win it’s a fantastic feeling,” said van Gerwen, who lost only six legs during the event. “I think I deserved the win and I’m really happy. “I started off with a 111 average and finished with a 111 average so that’s not too bad! “Rob was the player who gave me the biggest game and it was difficult to break his throw, but my scoring power was there and my will to win was there, and that makes me the champion today. “I’m sure I’m going to have more good clashes against Rob, he’s broken through this year and he’s doing really well. “He’s going to be one of the big superstars.”
Thornton sneaks in to the Dublin line-up Unibet World Grand Prix Phil Taylor’s decision not to compete in the Unibet World Grand Prix has opened the door for 2015 winner Robert Thornton. The PDC’s third longest-running televised tournament will be staged at Dublin’s Citywest Hotel from October 1-7, with 32 players competing for £400,000 in prize money. 11-time winner Taylor, currently ranked
fourth in the world, qualified as one of the top 16 players on the PDC Order of Merit, however he has decided against playing in Dublin as he continues to wind down his career ahead of retiring from the professional circuit at the end of the season. Taylor’s withdrawal
means a reprieve for 2015 champion Thornton, who was set to miss the event after dropping to 17th on the main Order of Merit, a winner in Ireland two years ago when he beat this year’s defending champion Michael van Gerwen in the final. Van Gerwen won his third World Grand Prix in the double-start event when he reclaimed the title 12 months ago. The draw takes place this Sunday.
LOVE THE DARTS ● Friday September 15 2017
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Dutch delight: Vincent van der Voort battled back from 4-1 and 5-2 down to beat Mervyn King 6-5 in Mannheim, Germany at the weekend
Van der Voort’s fabulous finishing topples the King Match of the Week: Vincent van der Voort 6 Mervyn King 5 (German Darts Grand Prix second round) Christopher Kempf You’ll never catch the crowd singing Mervyn King’s name, in Mannheim or elsewhere. He certainly does not encourage it even if they were inclined to, as he wears earplugs during his matches to neutralise the effects of noise in the venue. But when the King faces the player with the most irresistibly-singable walk-on song of the entire PDC, no earplugs in the world can prevent a certain amount of distraction. King is accustomed to raucous venues from his 10-plus year career in the PDC. But some of the frustration he displayed at the end of the match was caused not by the partisan crowd, but by the fact that his opponent, Vincent van der Voort, the same player for whom the crowd sang its disco serenade, was hitting everything he aimed at. After putting the Dutch Destroyer in 4-1 and 5-2 holes, he clawed his way out of them to win the match in a deciding leg. After missing three darts at tops in the first leg, which van der Voort punished with a three-dart 100 checkout, King
made few mistakes in rocketing out to a 4-1 lead. Six trebles in three visits in the second leg set up a throw-breaking 12-darter finished clinically on the tricky double 11, and King broke throw again in the fourth leg, hitting bullseye to complete a 91 checkout after his Dutch opponent missed double 16 for a 91 checkout of his own. Punishing another missed double of the Dutchman’s in the fourth leg with a critical 18th dart put him 4-1 ahead, needing just two holds of throw to advance to the final day of the tournament. Van der Voort, reeling from the disastrous turn the match had taken, started the sixth leg atrociously, scoring only 236 points with 12 darts. King looked poised to deliver the final blow to the Dutch Destroyer after a 180 left the Norfolk man with at least six darts from 141 to win the leg. But, while surviving a dart that would have put him 5-1 behind, van der Voort finished off the remaining 265 points with six superb darts, including a 125 finish. King, unperturbed, counterattacked with a second 12-darter of the match, putting him one leg away from the third
round. From that point forward, King, while maintaining a 100 average, was at the mercy of a spectacular display of finishing from van der Voort. A three-dart 90 finish held his throw for 5-3. A 124 checkout on the bull broke the King throw as the Englishman waited for darts at double 16. Four darts from 147 levelled the score. In the tense deciding leg, both players reached finishes after nine darts and set up darts at double after 12. That is where the crowd tipped the scales in van der Voort’s favour. King, having won the right to throw first in the decider, threw three darts at tops through a hail of boos and whistles from the Mannheim crowd, and the crowd noise had its desired effect. After missing three match darts, King could only gesture sarcastically at the crowd as van der Voort sank his first dart into double nine. King made clear, even in a loss, why he is still a dangerous and feared player in the PDC. But, if just for one Euro Tour event, van der Voort’s remarkable finishing gave the German fans the regicide they demanded.
Match stats: V van der Voort (101.07): 100+ 18, 140+ 7, 180s 2, Highest checkout 125, Checkout percentage 6/10 60%. King (99.54): 100+ 11, 140+ 11, 180s 3, Highest checkout 91, Checkout % 5/15 33.33%
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Friday September 15 2017 ● LOVE THE DARTS
Jones delighted to regain tour card on PDC circuit PDC
Alex Moss Editor Wayne Jones believes he still has something to offer in the darts world after winning the Unicorn Challenge Tour this past weekend. The former major finalist dropped off the PDC main tour after finishing outside the top 64 at the end of last season, but has won back his tour card for 2018 and 2019 by securing top spot on the Challenge Tour Order of Merit. The 20-event series came to an end in Wigan at the weekend, with four events taking place over two days, and with £40,000 in prize money still up for grabs. The players who finished in the top two of the final Order of Merit would be rewarded with two-year tour cards onto the main PDC circuit, with Jones joined by 2005 World Championship runner-up Mark Dudbridge in claiming the two tour cards on offer. “Obviously I’m very delighted because at the beginning of the year I didn’t really know what to do,” Jones said. “I looked at the Challenge Tour and I didn’t really know if I fancied it. If I was going to carry on, I had to have a go at it, because I did ok at Q-School, not as well as I wanted to. “I went to the first couple of Challenge Tours and didn’t really do a lot, but I seemed to get better as the year went on. “I was in first position going into the final weekend so I was always hopeful of finishing there, but there had been such a break it just seemed forever since this one rolled around in September.” Jones, who lost to Phil Taylor in the final of the 2010 European Championship, began the weekend with a run to the final of Event 17, where he lost 5-2 to Peter Jacques. A semi-final appearance in the second tournament on Saturday was then followed by a victory in Event 19, defeating Stuart Kellett 5-3 in the final, which proved to be more than enough to
Merit table winner: Wayne Jones, pictured with chairman of the PDPA, Peter Manley, after winning this year’s Unicorn Challenge Tour
Final Challenge Tour Order of Merit 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
W Jones £10,300 M Dudbridge £6,500 L Humphries £5,700 P Jacques £5,550 A Dyer £5,400 A Tabern £5,200 M Frost £,4050 K McDine £3,950
ensure he finished top of the Order of Merit come the end of the weekend. “It makes me feel good, it makes me think ‘yeah, you’ve got something to offer’,” Jones reflected. “If I’d have come right down the bottom, or not finished in the top 20 or
something, I’d be thinking I’m really just not good enough anymore. “Finishing top (of the Challenge Tour Order of Merit) shows I’m capable of playing consistent darts, now I need to step it up a touch now for next year, get a few wins on the main tour and get my confidence up. “I’ve learnt on this Challenge Tour that I’m still pretty good, that’s the main thing, and I might have another good few years in me. “I don’t expect to get back in the top 16, there’s a lot of chasing to do to get that. “But if I get in a few TV tournaments, get through a few Euro qualifiers and earn a nice little income, that would be good.”
Results HappyBet German Darts Grand Prix Mannheim: First round: R North bt M Todd 6-3; K Ratajski bt R Owen 6-4; K Anderson bt D van Duijvenbode 6-4; J Bain bt S Beaton 6-4; J Lewis bt A Boulton 6-5; T Martinez bt P Rowley 6-3; D Larsson bt M Hurtz 6-1; N Aspinall bt B Roith 6-3; R Huybrechts bt Z Lerchbacher 6-3; V van der Voort bt A Gilding 6-2; D Webster bt R Meikle 6-5; J Caven bt M Hopp 6-4; K Brown bt J Richardson 6-2; J Wattimena bt M Plooy 6-4; M McGowan bt M Schindler 6-3; J Dekker bt M Mansell 6-3. Second round: M van Gerwen bt R North 6-0; G Price bt K Ratajski 6-3; K Anderson bt K Huybrechts 6-4; J Klaasen bt J Bain 6-4; M Smith bt J Lewis 6-5; J
Cullen bt T Martinez 6-3; S Whitlock bt D Larsson 62; N Aspinall bt D Chisnall 6-2; R Huybrechts bt P Wright 6-2; V van der Voort bt M King 6-5; D Webster bt A Norris 6-3; B van de Pas bt J Caven 6-2; D Gurney bt K Brown 6-1; I White bt J Wattimena 64; M Suljovic bt M McGowan 6-1; R Cross bt J Dekker 6-3. Third round: M van Gerwen bt G Price 6-2; J Klaasen bt K Anderson 6-1; M Smith bt J Cullen 6-1; S Whitlock bt N Aspinall 6-3; V van der Vort bt R Huybrechts 6-0; B van de Pas bt D Webster 6-2; I White bt D Gurney 6-5; R Cross bt M Suljovic 6-2. Quarter-finals: M van Gerwen bt J Klaasen 6-1; S Whitlock bt M Smith 6-1; B van de Pas bt V van der Voort 6-5; R Cross bt I White 6-2. Semi-finals: M
van Gerwen bt S Whitlock 6-0; R Cross bt B van de Pas 6-3. Final: M van Gerwen bt R Cross 6-3. Unicorn Challenge Tour Wigan: Event 17 Quarter-finals: A Smith-Neale bt R-J Rodriguez 5-3; P Jacques bt A Konterman 5-1; W Jones bt P Phillips 5-4; A Huckvale bt I Withers 51. Semi-finals: P Jacques bt A Smith-Neale 5-4; W Jones bt A Huckvale 5-2. Final: P Jacques bt W Jones 5-2. Event 18 Quarter-finals: J Foreman bt F Carragher 5-3; N Fullwell bt M Edgar 5-3; W Jones bt M Dudbridge 5-2; K Edwards bt L Evans 5-3. Semi-finals: N Fullwell bt J Foreman 5-3; K Edwards bt W Jones 5-4. Final: N Fullwell bt K
LOVE THE DARTS ● Friday September 15 2017
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Richard Edwards Confessions of an amateur darts player
Failing my way to success Eight weeks ago, I had what turned out to be six darts to check out 68 in order to book a place to represent Korea at the WDF World Cup next month. Making it in that team had been an absolute obsession ever since representing Korea at the Asia Pacific Cup last October. I am not ashamed to say it had turned into an unhealthy obsession, and two months after fluffing my lines I think it is clear to see I did not lose it on that day. I lost it in the weeks and months leading up to it. I had whipped myself into such a frenzy and made July 22 such a focal point of all that I did that, I ended up simply just putting too much pressure on myself. The week leading up to that day I decided it would be good to tinker with my equipment, and when I say tinker I mean try about 30 different setups. I ended up being not at all confident with my equipment on the day. For the record, despite a patchy start I started playing some good darts and found myself in a great position to qualify, but alas 68 is no gimme under the amount of pressure I had put on myself, and my opponent was clinical in checking out whatever on earth he was on while I was faffing around missing bulls, doubles and big numbers. After a monster sulk (which even included resigning as Asian Darts Correspondent for this fine publication to ‘concentrate on getting better at darts’, thankfully the lads welcomed me back when I came back, tail between legs), I promised myself I would learn from this mammoth set back in my fledgling darting career. I firmly believe that I will not get myself into that situation again. I truly hope that I will have bigger, more important doubles to hit than that double two I
Edwards 5-4. Event 19 Quarter-finals: S Kellett bt P Phillips 5-2; P Hudson bt M Lukeman 5-4; G Stone bt S Head 5-0; W Jones bt C Gilchrist 5-4. Semifinals: S Kellett bt P Hudson 5-4; W Jones bt G Stone 5-4. Final: W Jones bt S Kellett 5-3. Event 20 Quarter-finals: A Tabern bt B Lynn 5-3; D Portela bt K Edwards 5-4; L Humphries bt M Lukeman 5-1; A Smith-Neale bt W Scheffer 5-3. Semi-finals: A Tabern bt D Portela 5-3; A Smith-Neale bt L Humphries 5-3. Final: A Tabern bt A Smith-Neale 5-3. PDJ Japanese Qualifier First round: T Shibata bt H Sotoosa 4-3; S Asada
SOFT DARTS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP - THE WORLD
wired on that day, but I have vowed not to get myself to worked up like that again. So, two months on, has much changed? It has been a pretty poor couple of months performance wise, and I am still tinkering with my equipment, but I think
mentally I am stronger, either that or I am just a better loser now! Now it is time to put it all behind me and move on. This weekend it is the Korea Open, a rare chance to play in a big steel tip tournament in Korea!
bt N Negishi 4-1; T Zama bt K Aiba 4-1; S Enomata bt O Niki 4-0; S Higashida bt S Katsumi 4-3; H Muramatsu bt T Yachi 4-3; K Ono bt S Taguchi 4-1; Y Higuchi bt K Aijiki 4-2. Quarter-finals: S Asada bt T Shibata 4-1; S Enmata bt T Zama 4-1; H Muramatsu bt S Higashida 4-2; Y Higuchi bt K Ono 4-2. Semi-finals: S Asada bt S Enomata 4-1; Y Higuchi bt H Muramatsu 4-2 Final: S Asada bt Y Higuchi 5-3.
Cullen bt K Rooney 6-1; W O’Connor bt R Bailie 6-2. Final to be played on October 7.
Tom Kirby Memorial Irish Matchplay Quarter-finals: K Rooney bt A Dempsey 5-3; J Cullen bt A Whoriskey 5-0; W O’Connor bt M Byrne 5-0; R Bailie bt T O’Connor 5-3. Semi-finals: J
Fixtures Tomorrow: Unibet Champions League of Darts (First day of two). Unicorn Development Tour Events 13 and 14. Sunday: Unibet Champions League of Darts (Second day of two). Unicorn Development Tour Events 15 and 16. Thursday: HappyBet International Darts Open European & Host Nation Qualifiers.
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Friday September 15 2017 ● LOVE THE DARTS
Form Rankings calculated for the PDC’s top 20 form players’ last 180 stage legs
Mighty Mike leads the way PDC EUROPE
Christopher Kempf Darts Statistician After romping to two more European Tour titles, Michael van Gerwen has opened a considerable gap between himself and all of his rivals in the Love The Darts Form Rankings table. In scoring and finishing, he is the runaway leader - in setup play, he is second only to Gary Anderson. Meanwhile, Peter Wright, erstwhile challenger to the supremacy of MVG, has fallen well behind in his accuracy on the trebles after a disastrous weekend in Mannheim. The German Darts Grand Prix stage was far kinder to Rob Cross who, en route to reaching his first PDC stage final, recorded a tournament average well over 100 and vaulted over seven of the Order of Merit top 10 players. This has also been a pathbreaking year for Auckland Darts Masters champion Kyle Anderson, whose scoring average is the fourth highest in the PDC. Along with Daryl Gurney, Joe Cullen and Mensur Suljovic, he has demonstrated a far superior form of late to that of higherranked competitors in Adrian Lewis and Raymond van Barneveld. With the World Grand Prix approaching, the players will soon be tested on a fourth dimension of their play - the opening double. The Love The Darts Form Rankings attempts to determine, based on actual efficiency in winning legs, to what extent darts players are overvalued or undervalued by their rank on the PDC Order of Merit. To do this, we construct a rolling 180leg dataset from players’ stage matches that is updated with each additional leg played (and, consequently, each additional leg dropped out of the rankings). From this data, we can estimate how well a given player would throw if he played out every leg until he hit a winning double. This provides us a controlled statistical situation in which we can directly compare players’ strengths, weaknesses and overall form. In the table, right, those qualities are expressed by the average number of darts it would take each player to complete this hypothetical leg, stage by stage, and the “sandbox average”, the estimated average a player would record without an opponent over an infinite number of legs.
On top: Michael van Gerwen, pictured being presented with the HappyBet German Darts Grand Prix trophy, has the current best scoring and finishing figures right now of anyone in the PDC
G A B C D E F 96.95 1 1 Michael van Gerwen (Net) 9.46 3.70 2.35 15.50 91.82 2 2 Gary Anderson (Sco) 9.94 3.64 2.78 16.37 90.02 3 10.12 4 Phil Taylor (Eng) 4.08 2.49 16.70 87.72 4 10.22 38 Rob Cross (Eng) 4.02 2.89 17.13 87.01 5 7 Mensur Suljovic (Aut) 10.79 3.88 2.60 17.28 86.90 6 6 Dave Chisnall (Eng) 10.32 4.22 2.76 17.30 86.68 7 21 Mervyn King (Eng) 10.56 4.15 2.63 17.34 86.52 8 10.66 12 Daryl Gurney (NI) 4.19 2.53 17.37 86.24 9 10.16 27 Kyle Anderson (Aus) 4.40 2.86 17.43 86.20 10 20 Joe Cullen (Eng) 11.03 3.93 2.48 17.44 84.24 11 14 Ian White (Eng) 11.05 4.27 2.52 17.84 84.04 12 10.76 11 James Wade (Eng) 4.38 2.74 17.89 84.01 13 10.75 3 Peter Wright (Sco) 4.29 2.85 17.89 83.69 14 8 Michael Smith (Eng) 10.80 4.29 2.86 17.96 83.68 15 5 Adrian Lewis (Eng) 11.16 3.97 2.83 17.96 83.43 16 9 Raymond van Barneveld (Net) 11.07 4.05 2.90 18.02 83.35 17 11.36 15 Benito van de Pas (Net) 4.04 2.63 18.03 83.07 18 10.69 28 Cristo Reyes (Spa) 4.53 2.88 18.09 82.68 19 13 Kim Huybrechts (Bel) 10.79 4.28 3.11 18.18 82.51 20 16 Simon Whitlock (Aus) 11.03 4.07 3.12 18.22 Column A: Love The Darts Form Ranking Column B: PDC Order of Merit ranking Column C: Estimated number of darts needed from 501 to reach a first three-figure finish Column D: Estimated number of darts needed from first finish to reach a double Column E: Estimated number of darts needed from first dart at double to check out Column F: Estimated number of darts needed in total from 501 to finish Column G: Estimated long-run “sandbox average”