Darts

[Invicta Informant]

After doing a quick search of the forum I could not find a topic about darts in the Wheeltappers section, so I have created one.

 

To kick off, I am not entirely sold on the new format for the Premier League due to commence on Thursday 3rd February, whereby the 8 selected players will be placed in a knock-out bracket every Thursday night for 16 weeks. The 8 players are guarantee to meet each once in the first round/quarter finals for the first 7 weeks and for weeks 9 to 15, with the draw for weeks 8 and 16 determined by the league standings. All games are best of 11 legs, with players receiving 2 points for reaching the semis, 3 points for the losing finalist, and 5 points for the winner of the night. The top 4 in the league after week 16 goes to the play-off night where as before, 1st plays 4th and 2nd plays 3rd for spots in the final.

 

The previous round-robin format saw 10 selected players with the bottom two players in the league eliminated after week 9 and the remaining 8 players face each other once more for the remaining 7 weeks, with the top 4 going to the play-offs.

 

As for the players who will be participating in the Premier League in 2022, I believe it will be Gerwyn Price, Peter Wright, Michael van Gerwen, James Wade, Michael Smith, Gary Anderson, Jonny Clayton and Rob Cross.

 

Before all that starts there is the Masters on 28th to 30th January, broadcast on ITV4.

[Invicta Informant]

Well I don't think anyone could have predicted the final of the Masters to be between Dave Chisnall (World Rank No. 13) and Joe Cullen (WR No. 11). Cullen edged out Chisnall 11 legs to 9. Also World Champion Peter Wright going out to Simon Whitlock (a replacement player in the draw) in the second round was a bit of a shock too.

 

Cullen winning this non-ranked tournament gets the nod to be in the Premier League (with Price, Wright, van Gerwen, Wade, Smith, Anderson and Clayton) starting Thursday 3rd on Sky Sports. Next tournament on Freeview is the UK Open on 4th to 6th March at Butlin's Minehead broadcast on ITV4.

 

The PDC have now switched dartboard suppliers from Unicorn to Winmau (who used to be the supplier to the now liquidated BDO).

 

The PDC have also granted permission to 7 new Tour Card Holders to play in the inaugural WDF (World Darts Federation) World Championship if they wish to do so (2 of them, Ross Montgomery and Mario Vandenbogaerde, have declined). The tournament, which is a replacement for the BDO World Championship, was scheduled to take place in early January (before and during the PDC's Qualifying School) but was postponed to early April because of Covid concerns. PDC Tour Card Holders need to seek permission from the PDC to play in a televised tournament not organised by them, so the PDC granted the players (which includes the WDF's No. 1 seed) a one-off exemption. I would have thought that with the BDO going bust that the 'split in darts' would be coming to an end, but the WDF are continuing the 'other' world championship and the World Masters (the oldest major in the sport).

 

Looking at the line-up in the WDF World Championship (which is back at Lakeside Country Club, Surrey) they look a bit desperate in my opinion in finding players to play in the tournament as a number of invites declined due to undisclosed reasons (likely Covid-related, personal reasons, travel, etc.), or to play in the PDC World Championship. The tournament will be broadcast on Eurosport (which could mean some of the games could be on Quest).

[Invicta Informant]

Over the weekend just gone, the first PDC ProTour events (called 'Players Championships') took place, which are essentially one-day tournaments where 128 players (the PDC Tour Card Holders that entered, plus the top ranked players who missed out at Qualifying School) participate in a straight knock-out. Saturday's event was won by Luke Humphries (his first senior ranking event win) beating Ryan Searle 8 legs to 4, while Sunday's event was won by World Champion Peter Wright beating World No. 1 Gerwyn Price 8 legs to 5.

 

These events are used to determine the seedings for other ranking events and who qualifies for television tournaments. For example, the World Matchplay in July consists of 32 players, the top 16 in the world rankings (who are seeded) and the top 16 in the ProTour rankings (officially referred to as the 'ProTour Order of Merit') not otherwise qualified.

 

Also over the weekend just gone, there was the inaugural World Seniors Darts Championship at the Circus Tavern, Purfleet (the previous home of the PDC World Championship, which is now Alexandra Palace), which featured some recognisable names from yesteryear who are still semi-active or doing exhibitions (Phil Taylor, John Part, Peter Manley, Keith Deller, John Lowe, Bob Anderson, Paul Lim, Terry Jenkins, to name some). The participants must be over 50 and must not be a current PDC Tour Card Holder (which meant Peter Wright, Gary Anderson, Raymond van Barneveld, Steve Benton, Glen Durrant, Richie Burnett and Scott Mitchell were ineligible). The event was won by three-time major winner Robert Thornton won beat three-time Lakeside World Champion Martin Adams 5 sets to 1.

[Invicta Informant]

This weekend the UK Open (the 'FA Cup of Darts') will take place at Butlin's Minehead. The tournament is being broadcast on ITV4 and will feature 158 players. Starting late morning on Friday, the first round will feature the PDC Tour Card Holders (TCHs) ranked 97-126, invited players from the 2021 Challenge and Development Tours, and the 16 Rileys 'Amateur' Qualifiers (some of these 'amateur' qualifiers are pros in all but name). TCHs ranked 65-96 will enter at the second round, TCHs ranked 33-64 will enter at the third round, and the TCHs ranked 1-32 will enter at the fourth round played on Friday evening. There will be 8 boards in action on Friday afternoon and evening, then down to 4 on Saturday afternoon, 2 on Saturday evening, and just the main stage for Sunday afternoon and evening. 

 

The tournament begun back in 2003 when the event was held at Bolton Wanderers stadium and broadcast on Sky Sports. The only players to retain their ever-present records at the event are James Wade (defending champion and previous winner in 2008 and 2011) and Steve Beaton (1996 Lakeside World Champion). Previous winners to look out for are Raymond van Barneveld, Adrian Lewis, Michael van Gerwen, Peter Wright, Gary Anderson, and Nathan Aspinall.

[The Lurker]

I hadn't picked up that the BDO had been liquidated. That was the one that used to make terrestrial tv with Wolfie, the Count, the Viking (RIP), Barney Rubble before he moved to the pdc, etc

 

I used to work for an accountancy firm also called BDO. Colleagues at a later job used to think it hilarious I'd worked for the darts people....

[Pete the Elaner]

6 minutes ago, The Lurker said:

I hadn't picked up that the BDO had been liquidated. That was the one that used to make terrestrial tv with Wolfie, the Count, the Viking (RIP), Barney Rubble before he moved to the pdc, etc

 

 

As soon as the split happened in the 90s, it was inevitable because it was not marketed correctly. Ever since the PDC really got going, that has been the place to be for anyone who wants to make a living from the sport.

BDO then had no real justification to call their world championship professional. When most of the players have day jobs (wasn't Scott Waites a plumber when he won?) then how can they possibly claim to be professional dart players?

As the PDC continued to grow, it was only a matter of time before the BDO failed. If they had switched to being an amateur organisation then they may have survived.

[Invicta Informant]

One thing that helped the PDC (or the World Darts Council (WDC) as they initially called themselves) was the fact that America's and Canada's World Darts Federation (WDF) affiliates refused to sanction an effective world-wide ban on players that defected from the BDO because they thought what they were being asked to do was against their countries' constitutions. This allowed the WDC to invite 7 top American players for their first world championship.

 

The WDC changed their name to the PDC in 1997 following a protracted and costly legal battle with the BDO which resulted in a Tomlin Order. This allowed players to choose which organisation to play for, while the WDC/PDC recognised the BDO as the UK governing body and the WDF as the world governing body.

 

The defectors were Phil Taylor, Dennis Priestley, Rod Harrington, John Lowe, Alan Warriner, Eric Bristow, Jocky Wilson, Bob Anderson, Peter Evison, Jamie Harvey, Ritchie Gardner, Cliff Lazarenko, Kevin Spiolek, Keith Deller, Mike Gregory, and Chris Johns. However Gregory and Johns had a change of heart and jumped back to the BDO before the first WDC/PDC world championship. Their careers subsequently fizzled out and were both ostracised by the other defectors. For many years the WDC/PDC was effectively a 'closed shop'.

 

The demise of the BDO has been drawn out over a number of years, but it all came to a head at the 2019 World Masters. This tournament saw a number of seeded players choosing not to play in protest of a change of the qualifying criteria. Other players who arrived found they were not registered because they were unaware of a new rule about registering online in advance. Players were also not told of the event's prize pool in advance (I still don't know if anyone got anything). This led to the tournament officials doing a redraw which apparently included fake names which could be substituted if a real player showed up. However this was all in breach of the WDF's rules and they demoted the BDO to 'associate member' status and refused to recognise BDO-run tournaments. The fact this debacle and their financial woes were being reported in Private Eye meant something was not right somewhere.

[Invicta Informant]

Over the weekend just gone we had the UK Open and a new TV Major winner in Dutchman Danny Noppert who defeated Michael Smith in a closely contested final 11 legs to 10. Defending champion James Wade lost out to promising Irish youngster Keane Barry in the quarter-finals. Wade was one of three players to achieve a nine-darter in the tournament along with José Justicia and Michael Smith. Seven players also achieved the maximum out (170 finish).

 

All this has led to changes in the world rankings. Peter Wright is the new world No. 1, Gerwyn Price drops to No. 2, Wade is up to No. 3, Smith is up to No. 4, Michael van Gerwen drops to No. 5, and Noppert is up to No. 12.

 

Apart from the ongoing Premier League Darts on Sky Sports, the next televised PDC tournament is the invitational 'World Series of Darts' event, the US Darts Masters on 3rd & 4th June at Madison Square Garden.

[Invicta Informant]

Over the week just gone, we had the inaugural World Darts Federation (WDF) World Championship at Lakeside Country Club, Surrey, which was broadcast on Quest and Eurosport. I barely even notice it was on and did not know most of the participants. Unlike the previous editions of the BDO World Championships, the official title of the event did not contain the word 'Professional' in the title, used new trophies (rather than the old BDO ones), and the final was played as best of 11 sets (first to 6) rather than best of 13 sets (first to 7). The event was won by Northern Ireland's Neil Duff (who did not have a Wikipedia page before winning the final) beating Frenchman Thibault Tricole 6 sets to 5.

 

Also in the Women's Event, 18-year-old Beau Greaves beat Kirsty Hutchinson 4 sets to 0 in the final to become the youngest winner of a senior world darts championship (there are world youth championships in both the PDC and WDF). Michael van Gerwen I believe is still the youngest winner of a senior darts Major, that being the World Masters in 2006 when he was only 17.

[Invicta Informant]

It has been a while since I (or anyone else) has reported on this thread. The 'regular season' of the Premier League has concluded with the play-offs due to take place at Mercedes-Benz Arena in Berlin on Monday 13th June. 1st place Jonny Clayton will play 4th place Joe Cullen, while 2nd place Michael van Gerwen will play 3rd place James Wade. Van Gerwen recently announced that he will be having surgery on his dart throwing arm to deal with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. He will therefore miss the World Cup of Darts due to take place between 16th and 19th June.

 

Winners in the Players Championship events thus far this year are Luke Humphries, Peter Wright, Joe Cullen, Damon Heta, Jim Williams, Gerwyn Price, Michael van Gerwen, Danny Jansen, Ryan Searle, Dirk van Duijvenbode, Nathan Aspinall, and Michael Smith. Meanwhile, winners in the European Tour events are Gerwyn Price, Michael van Gerwen, Luke Humphries, and Michael Smith.

 

Upcoming tournaments on ITV4 are the US Darts Masters on 3rd & 4th June at Madison Square Garden and the Nordic Darts Masters on 10th & 11th June at Forum Copenhagen.

[Invicta Informant]

Premier League Darts play-offs is this evening in Berlin. Jonny Clayton or Joe Cullen to play Michael van Gerwen or James Wade in the final (best of 21 legs/first to 11 legs).

 

In the recent 'World Series' events, Michael Smith beat Michael van Gerwen 8-4 to win the US Darts Masters and Dimitri van den Bergh beat Gary Anderson 11-5 to win the Nordic Darts Masters.

 

Also coming up is the World Cup of Darts (a pairs tournament featuring the best two players from 32 invited nations) on 16th-19th June at Eissporthalle in Frankfurt, being broadcasted by Sky Sports. England are represented by Michael Smith and James Wade (Nos. 4 and 5 in the world rankings respectively) and are seeded No. 1 for the tournament. 8 of the nations are seeded (England, Wales, Netherlands, Belgium, Australia, Northern Ireland, Germany, and Scotland) based on the average world ranking of the two players representing their nation. It should be noted that not all nations invited have a player active on the PDC Pro Tour. Scotland are the holders and will be represented by the duo who won last year, World No. 1 Peter Wright and WR No. 67 John Henderson. Netherlands will be without Michael van Gerwen who will be having surgery on his dart throwing arm to deal with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. So they will be represented by Danny Noppert and Dirk van Duijvenbode.

[Invicta Informant]

To catch up on things, Australia (represented by Simon Whitlock and Damon Heta) won the World Cup of Darts defeating Wales (represented by Gerwyn Price and Jonny Clayton) in the final. This tournament was the first time that all eight seeds reached the quarter finals. England were knocked out by the eventual winners Australia in the semi finals.

 

The Australians dedicated their victory to their compatriot Kyle Anderson (known for winning the 2017 Auckland Darts Masters, throwing a nine dart leg in the 2014 World Darts Championships, but still losing his match, and representing Australia four times in the World Cup of Darts) who passed away aged 33 in August 2021.

 

The Dutch Darts Masters started yesterday (24th June) and concludes this evening (25th). This can be viewed on ITV4. Michael van Gerwen is back from surgery, which was more on his wrist than his arm. But he still lost to Danny Noppert.

 

The next major tournament is the World Matchplay at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool between 16th and 24th July, on Sky Sports.

[Old Gringo]

Hello Invicta,

 

Thanks for posting the darts information.

 

Although it's some years since I've played (in a local pub-league team), I'm still fascinated by the game and enjoy watching a good match.  IIRC, there are over a couple of thousand combinations for the order of the darts in a nine-dart 501.  The professional players usually take the obvious route, two maximums and whichever way out you prefer for the remaining 141.  Although I've seen many of the other different finishes, when they don't manage the consecutive 180s.

 

However, I believe the 'perfect' nine-dart 501, is to repeat 60,57,50 (167), in three visits to the oche.  It is just a beautiful throw, but maybe almost impossible to hit - except as the second top finish in a twelve-dart leg. 

 

Do you know if anyone has ever thrown this particular nine dart combination?

 

All the very best,

John 

[Invicta Informant]

5 hours ago, Old Gringo said:

Hello Invicta,

 

Thanks for posting the darts information.

 

Although it's some years since I've played (in a local pub-league team), I'm still fascinated by the game and enjoy watching a good match.  IIRC, there are over a couple of thousand combinations for the order of the darts in a nine-dart 501.  The professional players usually take the obvious route, two maximums and whichever way out you prefer for the remaining 141.  Although I've seen many of the other different finishes, when they don't manage the consecutive 180s.

 

However, I believe the 'perfect' nine-dart 501, is to repeat 60,57,50 (167), in three visits to the oche.  It is just a beautiful throw, but maybe almost impossible to hit - except as the second top finish in a twelve-dart leg. 

 

Do you know if anyone has ever thrown this particular nine dart combination?

 

All the very best,

John 

Hi John, thanks for taking an interest in the thread and in what I think is an underrated sport.

 

There is a list on Wikipedia (so it may not be 100% accurate) that lists all the televised nine-dart finishes: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nine-dart_finish

 

The more famous nine-dart legs to me are the ones achieved by:

John Lowe in the 1984 MFI World Matchplay where he won £102,000 and then another £12,000 for winning the tournament (and that was on a board with staples and much thicker wires);

Paul Lim in the 1990 BDO World Championship where he won £52,000 (more than the £24,000 that Phil Taylor got for winning the tournament);

Phil Taylor in the 2002 World Matchplay where he won £100,000 and another £15,000 for winning the tournament;

Phil Taylor, twice, in the 2010 Premier League Darts Final (Stephen Fry even presented him the winner's trophy);

Brendan Dolan in the 2011 World Grand Prix, which is double-in, double-out (meaning that the leg has to start or finish with a 50/Bullseye);

James Wade and Robert Thornton, against each other, in the 2014 World Grand Prix.

 

The bonuses for throwing a nine-dart leg seems to have been discontinued in recent years as the standard of the game has come on leaps and bounds, making a nine-darter a more common occurrence. The more common nine-dart leg is Triple 20 x3, Triple 20 x3, Triple 20, Triple 19 and Double 12.

 

[Invicta Informant]

The World Matchplay (the PDC's second-most prestigious major) kicks-off this weekend on Saturday 16th July running through to Sunday 24th July. 32 players will be looking to get their name on the Phil Taylor Trophy and a share of £800,000 prize pool (£10,000 just for qualifying for the tournament and £200,000 to the winner).

 

Here is the draw bracket:

(1) Peter Wright (SCO) Vs Madars Razma (LAT)
(16) Krzysztof Ratajski (POL) Vs Stephen Bunting (ENG)
(8) Jonny Clayton (WAL) Vs Rowby-John Rodriguez (AUT)
(9) Dimitri van den Bergh (BEL) Vs Callan Rydz (ENG)
(4) Michael van Gerwen (NED) Vs Adrian Lewis (ENG)
(13) Joe Cullen (ENG) Vs Damon Heta (AUS)
(5) James Wade (ENG) Vs Martin Lukeman (ENG)
(12) Luke Humphries (ENG) Vs Nathan Aspinall (ENG)
(2) Gerwyn Price (WAL) Vs Martin Schindler (GER)
(15) Dave Chisnall (ENG) Vs Kim Huybrechts (BEL)
(7) Jose de Sousa (POR) Vs Gabriel Clemens (GER)
(10) Rob Cross (ENG) Vs Chris Dobey (ENG)
(3) Michael Smith (ENG) Vs Andrew Gilding (ENG)
(14) Dirk van Duijvenbode (NED) Vs Ryan Searle (ENG)
(6) Gary Anderson (SCO) Vs Daryl Gurney (NIR)
(11) Danny Noppert (NED) Vs Brendan Dolan (NIR)

 

Sadly the sport saw the passing of the commentator and sports broadcaster John Gwynne on Saturday 9th July. He was a member of the PDC's Hall of Fame and was part of Sky Sports' commentary team (which also included Sid Waddell and Dave Lanning) for the first 20 World Championships and first 20 World Matchplays.

Edited July 15, 2022 by Invicta Informant
Incorrect date

[Pete the Elaner]

1 hour ago, Invicta Informant said:

 

Sadly the sport saw the passing of the commentator and sports broadcaster John Gwynne on Saturday 6th July. He was a member of the PDC's Hall of Fame and was part of Sky Sports' commentary team (which also included Sid Waddell and Dave Lanning) for the first 20 World Championships and first 20 World Matchplays.

 

A shame to hear about John Gwynne. 6th was last Wednesday. You were right about Saturday though. He died on July 9th.

[Invicta Informant]

The World Matchplay concluded last Sunday (24th) with Michael van Gerwen beating Gerwyn Price 18-14 in the final. Van Gerwen is now 3rd in the world rankings and Price returning to 1st in the world rankings. There was also a women's tournament for the first time, consisting of 8 players, which saw Fallon Sherrock defeating Aileen de Graaf in the final 6-3.

 

The upcoming tournaments in August are three 'behind closed doors' Players Championship events in Barnsley next week, and three fly-away 'World Series' events in Townsville, Queensland, Wollongong, New South Wales, and Hamilton, New Zealand. The World Series events, which will be shown on ITV4, are due to feature Gerwyn Price, Michael van Gerwen, Michael Smith, James Wade, Jonny Clayton, Joe Cullen, Dimitri van den Bergh (replacing Peter Wright who is having treatment for gallstones), Fallon Sherrock, Damon Heta, Simon Whitlock, and local qualifiers from the PDC's Australian and New Zealand affiliate tours.

[Invicta Informant]

The three 'World Series' events 'down under' were won by Michael van Gerwen (Queensland Darts Masters), Jonny Clayton (New South Wales Darts Masters), and Gerwyn Price (New Zealand Darts Masters).  These tournaments, plus the three previous 'World Series' events (US Darts Masters, Nordic Darts Masters, and Dutch Darts Masters) determined the seeding for the World Series of Darts Finals, a 24-player tournament due to take place in Amsterdam between 16th and 18th September. This non-ranking tournament will be broadcast on ITV4.

 

September will also see three European Tour events take place, Hungarian Darts Trophy (2nd-4th), German Darts Open (9th-11th), and Belgian Darts Open (23rd-25th).

 

The next major is the World Grand Prix (the double-in in Dublin) at the Morningside Arena, Leicester, running between 3rd and 9th October, broadcast on Sky Sports. The usual venue before Covid, the Citywest in Dublin, is still not available.

[Invicta Informant]

Starting next Monday (3rd October) is the double-to-start tournament that is the World Grand Prix. Running through to Sunday 9th October, 32 players are looking for a share of the of the £600,000 prize pool (£7,500 just for qualifying and £120,000 to the winner). Even though the top 16 in the world rankings automatically qualify, only the top 8 are seeded, which can lead to some horrible first round draws. The defending champion for this tournament is Jonny Clayton. The recent European Tour events in Hungary, Germany and Belgium were won by Joe Cullen, Peter Wright and Dave Chisnall respectively, and Gerwyn Price also won the World Series of Darts Finals.

 

Here is the World Grand Prix draw bracket:

(1) Gerwyn Price (WAL) Vs Martin Schindler (GER)
Joe Cullen (ENG) Vs Damon Heta (AUS)
(8) Rob Cross (ENG) Vs Daryl Gurney (NIR)
Madars Razma (LAT) Vs Ryan Searle (ENG)
(4) Michael Smith (ENG) Vs Nathan Aspinall (ENG)
Danny Noppert (NED) Vs Gabriel Clemens (GER)
(5) James Wade (ENG) Vs Martin Lukeman (ENG)
Ross Smith (ENG) Vs Andrew Gilding (ENG)
(2) Peter Wright (SCO) Vs Kim Huybrechts (BEL)
Callan Rydz (ENG) Vs Krzysztof Ratajski (POL)
(7) Jonny Clayton (WAL) Vs Dirk van Duijvenbode (NED)
Dimitri Van den Bergh (BEL) Vs Dave Chisnall (ENG)
(3) Michael van Gerwen (NED) Vs Gary Anderson (SCO)
Brendan Dolan (NIR) Vs Stephen Bunting (ENG)
(6) Jose de Sousa (POR) Vs Adrian Lewis (ENG)
Chris Dobey (ENG) Vs Luke Humphries (ENG)

[Invicta Informant]

Following the World Grand Prix final, where Michael van Gerwen beat Nathan Aspinall 5 sets to 3, Peter Wright returns to No. 1 in the World Rankings with Gerwyn Price dropping to No. 2. Van Gerwen stays 3rd while Aspinall goes to No. 11.

 

The next few tournaments are crucial in determining qualification to the remaining TV Majors in the calendar year, especially for the World Championship. There is the Gibraltar Darts Trophy on 14th-16th October, the final European Tour event before the 32-player European Championship on 27th-30th October (live on ITV4). There are six one-day Players Championship events on 20th-23rd October and 4th-5th November which will decided the final 64 players that will qualify for the Players Championship Finals on 25th-27th November (live on ITV4). There is the Grand Slam of Darts on 12th-20th November (live on Sky Sports), known for its group stage format, featuring the winners of the Majors over the past year, plus qualifiers (and there is a risk that both James Wade and Gary Anderson could lose their ever present records, having participated in every staging of the tournament since 2007).

 

All this leads up to the World Darts Championship on 15th December-3rd January, consisting of 96 players, where the top 32 in the World Rankings have a bye through to the second round where they will face one of the first round winners, consisting of 32 players from the Pro Tour Order of Merit, various International Qualifiers, and qualifiers from the PDC's secondary, youth and women's tours. 

[Invicta Informant]

Following the Gibraltar Darts Trophy, in which Damon Heta beat Peter Wright 8-7, the field and the draw for the European Championship on 27th-30th October has been confirmed. Rob Cross is the defending champion for this event taking place in Dortmund. Qualification for this Major is decided by the top 32 in the European Tour Order of Merit, which consists of prize money won in the 13 European Tour events that have taken place this year alone. The prize pool is £500,000, with £6,000 just for qualifying and £120,000 to the winner. World Ranked No. 10 Gary Anderson is the highest ranked player not participating in this tournament (as he does not compete in the European Tour events).

 

Draw bracket:

(1) Luke Humphries (ENG) Vs (32) Krzysztof Ratajski (POL)
(16) Ryan Searle (ENG) Vs (17) Martin Lukeman (ENG)
(8) Michael Smith (ENG) Vs (25) Karel Sedlacek (CZE)
(9) Nathan Aspinall (ENG) Vs (24) Josh Rock (NIR)
(4) Rob Cross (ENG) Vs (29) James Wade (ENG)
(13) Dirk van Duijvenbode (NED) Vs (20) Madars Razma (LAT)
(5) Damon Heta (AUS) Vs (28) Vincent van der Voort (NED)
(12) Danny Noppert (NED) Vs (21) Andrew Gilding (ENG)
(2) Michael van Gerwen (NED) Vs (31) Chris Dobey (ENG)
(15) Jose de Sousa (POR) Vs (18) Martin Schindler (GER)
(7) Dave Chisnall (ENG) Vs (26) Stephen Bunting (ENG)
(10) Jonny Clayton (WAL) Vs (23) Gabriel Clemens (GER)
(3) Peter Wright (SCO) Vs (30) Ryan Meikle (ENG)
(14) Gerwyn Price (WAL) Vs (19) Rowby-John Rodriguez (AUT)
(6) Joe Cullen (ENG) Vs (27) Ross Smith (ENG)
(11) Dimitri Van den Bergh (BEL) Vs (22) Daryl Gurney (NIR)

[Invicta Informant]

Following the conclusion of the European Championship, we have a new Major winner in Ross Smith from Kent who beat Michael Smith (no relation) from St. Helens 11-8. Ross Smith, who had never won a European Tour event, now moves up to 20th in the World Rankings and qualifies for the Grand Slam of Darts at the Aldersley Leisure Village in Wolverhampton on 12th-20th November. The 32-player field for this tournament will be confirmed following the qualifying event on 6th November.

[Invicta Informant]

The draw for the Grand Slam of Darts has been made:

Group A: (1) Gerwyn Price (WAL), Dave Chisnall (ENG), Raymond van Barneveld (NED), Ted Evetts (ENG).

Group B: (8) Danny Noppert (NED), Simon Whitlock (AUS), Mensur Suljovic (AUT), Christian Perez (PHI).

Group C: (4) Michael Smith (ENG), Joe Cullen (ENG), Ritchie Edhouse (ENG), Lisa Ashton (ENG).

Group D: (5) Rob Cross (ENG), Dirk van Duijvenbode (NED), Martin Schindler (GER), Adam Gawlas (CZE).

Group E: (2) Peter Wright (SCO), Nathan Aspinall (ENG), Alan Soutar (SCO), Fallon Sherrock (ENG).

Group F: (7) Jonny Clayton (WAL), Damon Heta (AUS), Jermaine Wattimena (NED), Leonard Gates (USA).

Group G: (3) Michael van Gerwen (NED), Ross Smith (ENG), Luke Woodhouse (ENG), Nathan Rafferty (NIR).

Group H: (6) Luke Humphries (ENG), Ryan Searle (ENG), Josh Rock (NIR), Scott Williams (ENG).

 

The top two from each group qualify for the knock-out stage. The tournament starts on Saturday 12th and concludes on Sunday 20th and is broadcast by Sky Sports. Gerwyn Price is the defending champion of this event. The finalists from two years ago, James Wade and Jose de Sousa, have not qualified despite being ranked 5th and 6th respectively in the PDC Order of Merit (at the time of writing). Like last year's tournament, there will be no representation from the WDF or the defunct BDO. When this tournament first started in 2007, the PDC had always invited the best performing players from the rival BDO and was not a ranking event, but it is now just another ranked PDC Major. ITV were the original broadcaster until Sky picked it up from 2011 onwards.

[Invicta Informant]

Following the conclusion of the Grand Slam of Darts, Michael Smith finally won his first televised ranking title with a 16-5 win over Nathan Aspinall. Raymond van Barneveld rolled back the years to make the semi-finals, beating Gerwyn Price both the group stage and in the quarter-finals, before losing to the eventual winner Michael Smith who now moves up to 4th in the World Rankings. The other semi-finalist, Luke Humphries, now moves up to 5th.

 

How the PDC's Order of Merit works is upon the 2 year anniversary of a tournament, the prize money won back then is removed and replaced by what money (if any) that is won now. For example Jose de Sousa who won the Grand Slam of Darts in 2020 lost the prize money that contributed to his ranking in 2022, hence why he has dropped from 6th in the Order of Merit going into the tournament, to 16th after the tournament. Gerwyn Price will be defending the prize money won in the 2020/21 World Championship in the upcoming 2022/23 World Championship. It is similar to the system used on golf's European Tour.

 

The final tournament before the World Championship at Ally Pally, is the Players Championship Finals at Butlin's in Minehead starting on Friday 25th and concluding on Sunday 27th. Peter Wright will be unable to defend his title as he withdrew for personal reasons. His place in the draw will be taken by the next highest ranked player in the Players Championship Order of Merit not qualified, Gian van Veen. The draw consist of the top 64 from this Order of Merit with 1st plays 64th down to 32nd plays 33rd.

 

Draw Bracket:

(1) Damon Heta (AUS) Vs (64) Ricardo Pietreczko (GER)
(32) Callan Rydz (ENG) Vs (33) Madars Razma (LAT)
(16) Andrew Gilding (ENG) Vs (49) Ricky Evans (ENG)
(17) Adrian Lewis (ENG) Vs (48) Keane Barry (IRE)
(8) Gerwyn Price (WAL) Vs (57) Ryan Joyce (ENG)
(25) Brendan Dolan (NIR) Vs (40) Jermaine Wattimena (NED)
(Alt/65) Gian van Veen (NED) Vs (56) Ross Smith (ENG)
(24) Jonny Clayton (WAL) Vs (41) John O'Shea (IRE)
(4) Dirk van Duijvenbode (NED) Vs (61) Mickey Mansell (NIR)
(29) Daryl Gurney (NIR) Vs (36) Keegan Brown (ENG)
(13) Ryan Searle (ENG) Vs (52) Mervyn King (ENG)
(20) Stephen Bunting (ENG) Vs (45) Jamie Hughes (ENG)
(5) Rob Cross (ENG) Vs (60) Kevin Doets (NED)
(28) Gabriel Clemens (GER) Vs (37) Gary Anderson (SCO)
(12) Martin Schindler (GER) Vs (53) Vincent van der Voort (NED)
(21) Chris Dobey (ENG) Vs (44) Geert Nentjes (NED)
(2) Luke Humphries (ENG) Vs (63) Nathan Rafferty (NIR)
(31) Jim Williams (WAL) Vs (34) Mike De Decker (BEL)
(15) Krzysztof Ratajski (POL) Vs (50) William O'Connor (IRE)
(18) Jose de Sousa (POR) Vs (47) Danny Jansen (NED)
(7) Dave Chisnall (ENG) Vs (58) Niels Zonneveld (NED)
(26) Scott Williams (ENG) Vs (39) Alan Soutar (SCO)
(10) Joe Cullen (ENG) Vs (55) Rowby-John Rodriguez (AUT)
(23) Kim Huybrechts (BEL) Vs (42) Raymond van Barneveld (NED)
(3) Nathan Aspinall (ENG) Vs (62) Martijn Kleermaker (NED)
(30) Matt Campbell (CAN) Vs (35) Steve Beaton (ENG)
(14) Danny Noppert (NED) Vs (51) Simon Whitlock (AUS)
(19) James Wade (ENG) Vs (46) Mensur Suljovic (AUT)
(6) Michael Smith (ENG) Vs (59) Ritchie Edhouse (ENG)
(27) Dimitri van den Bergh (BEL) Vs (38) Martin Lukeman (ENG)
(11) Josh Rock (NIR) Vs (54) Cameron Menzies (SCO)
(22) Michael van Gerwen (NED) v (43) Ryan Meikle (ENG)

Edited November 25, 2022 by Invicta Informant
Grammar

[Invicta Informant]

This weekend gone saw the Players Championship Finals, the final tournament before the World Championship, where Michael van Gerwen beats Rob Cross 11-6 to win this Major for the 7th time. Van Gerwen also threw the only nine darter in the tournament, plus a 170 checkout all in the final. Following the final qualifier for Tour Card holders on Monday, the 96 player field for the World Championship has been confirmed and the draw has been made. The top 32 have a bye through to round two where they will face either qualifiers from the Pro Tour Order of Merit or an international qualifier, or a secondary, junior or regional affiliate tour qualifier. The total prize pool is £2,500,000, with £500,000 going to the winner. The tournament starts on Tuesday 15th December and concludes on Saturday 3rd January and is live on Sky Sports. Peter Wright is the defending champion, but going by current form, Michael van Gerwen is the favourite.

 

Draw Bracket:

(1) Gerwyn Price (WAL) Vs Luke Woodhouse (ENG)/Vladyslav Omelchenko (UKR)
(32) Raymond van Barneveld (NED) Vs Ryan Meikle (ENG)/Lisa Ashton (ENG)
(16) Ryan Searle (ENG) Vs Adam Gawlas (CZE)/Richie Burnett (WAL)
(17) Jose de Sousa (POR) Vs Simon Whitlock (AUS)/Christian Perez (PHI)
(8) James Wade (ENG) Vs Jim Williams (WAL)/Sebastian Bialecki (POL)
(25) Gabriel Clemens (GER) Vs William O'Connor (IRE)/Beau Greaves (ENG)
(9) Danny Noppert (NED) Vs Ritchie Edhouse (ENG)/David Cameron (CAN)
(24) Daryl Gurney (NIR) Vs Alan Soutar (SCO)/Mal Cuming (AUS)
(4) Michael Smith (ENG) Vs Jermaine Wattimena (NED)/Nathan Rafferty (NIR)
(29) Martin Schindler (GER) Vs Martin Lukeman (ENG)/Nobuhiro Yamamoto (JAP)
(13) Joe Cullen (ENG) Vs Ricky Evans (ENG)/Fallon Sherrock (ENG)
(20) Damon Heta (AUS) Vs Adrian Lewis (ENG)/Daniel Larsson (SWE)
(5) Luke Humphries (ENG) Vs Keegan Brown (ENG)/Florian Hempel (GER)
(28) Vincent van der Voort (NED) Vs Cameron Menzies (SCO)/Diogo Portela (BRA)
(12) Dave Chisnall (ENG) Vs Andrew Gilding (ENG)/Robert Owen (WAL)
(21) Stephen Bunting (ENG) Vs Geert Nentjes (NED)/Leonard Gates (USA)
(2) Peter Wright (SCO) Vs Mickey Mansell (NIR)/Ben Robb (NZL)
(31) Kim Huybrechts (BEL) Vs Keane Barry (IRE)/Grant Sampson (RSA)
(15) Dimitri van den Bergh (BEL) Vs Rowby-John Rodriguez (AUT)/Lourence Ilagan (PHI)
(18) Krzysztof Ratajski (POL) Vs Danny Jansen (NED)/Paolo Nebrida (PHI)
(7) Jonny Clayton (WAL) Vs Steve Beaton (ENG)/Danny van Trijp (NED)
(26) Brendan Dolan (NIR) Vs Jamie Hughes (ENG)/Jimmy Hendriks (NED)
(10) Nathan Aspinall (ENG) Vs Boris Krcmar (CRO)/Toru Suzuki (JAP)
(23) Callan Rydz (ENG) Vs Josh Rock (NIR)/Jose Justicia (SPA)
(3) Michael van Gerwen (NED) Vs Niels Zonneveld (NED)/Lewy Williams (WAL)
(30) Mensur Suljovic (AUT) Vs Mike de Decker (BEL)/Jeff Smith (CAN)
(14) Dirk van Duijvenbode (NED) Vs Karel Sedlacek (CZE)/Raymond Smith (AUS)
(19) Ross Smith (ENG) Vs John O'Shea (IRE)/Darius Labanauskas (LIT)
(6) Rob Cross (ENG) Vs Scott Williams (ENG)/Ryan Joyce (ENG)
(27) Mervyn King (ENG) Vs Matt Campbell (CAN)/Danny Baggish (USA)
(11) Gary Anderson (SCO) Vs Madars Razma (LAT)/Prakash Jiwa (IND)
(22) Chris Dobey (ENG) Vs Martijn Kleermaker (NED)/Xicheng Han (CHI)