Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Column HR9
World Series of Darts Festival… Par Tres
The Greek scholar Archimedes who lived from 287 BC to 212 BC proudly proclaimed “Eureka!” which means, literally, “I’ve found it!” Why he didn’t just say “I found it” is lost in the antiquity. The late American President John F. Kennedy use to say “Let me say this about that.” It was left up to the late Don Adams, as Maxwell Smart Agent 86, to ask “Would you believe?” None of these men were in the conference center of the Tropicana Hotel on the Las Vegas Strip for Monday’s Players Championship nor were there any Elvis impersonators, which is a first. So it was left to others to put these words into the mouth of the days champion Scot Gary Anderson.
He could have asked “Would you believe?” when he got to the semi-final and finals with no Phil Taylor. Any dart aficionado would have answered, “No way Jose.’” The answer came from a California dart aficionado who used to live in Arizona. That’s what happened as Taylor lost in the round of 8 to 4 to bespectacled Chris Thompson who may or not wear glasses. The ODC, believing that it was fact when Alan Jackson sang “It’s 5 o’clock somewhere’ so was off socializing but thinks that his notes recorded “Thompson – glasses – trail – Taylor – will lose.” Let’s hope he’s half right. In the semi’s Thompson, possibly having spent his allotment of emotional energy for the day, went out to Simon Whitlock 6-2.
Anderson might comment on his march to a finals 6-4 win over “the Thunder from Down Under” Simon Whitlock, “Well let me say this about that.” “In the first round Mark Hylton took me to the limit as I squeezed out a 6-5 win. I then white-washed Chris Loudon and Mark Webster 6-0 before Steve Maish extended me at 6-4. In the quarter-finals I met Paul Lim who emerged as the top North American player for the day after Darin Young went down to Ronnie Baxter 6-4 in the round of 32 to 16. I got by Lim 6-2. Colin Lloyd was playing well but I took him out 6-2.” (Lloyd disposed of Ronnie Baxter 6-2 in the quarters.)
It was a definite “Eureka” moment when Anderson hit 177 to leave 16 while leading Simon Whitlock 5-4. When Anderson made the 16 go away it was “Eureka, I found it.” “It” being the Players Championship and $9,042.85.
The 6-4 final was a “ding-dong” affair with three missed doubles by Whitlock making the difference. In all fairness one missed double came in the 6th leg on the end of a 120 finish. Still that finish would have leveled the match at 3. Whitlock would get level in the 8th leg when Anderson paid the price, missing the “FAT 18 to leave 40. Whitlock then took out 105. Whitlock led off the 9th leg with a 180 but wasted that effort when he missed 3 at 36 and 18. With 68 left Anderson got to 40 and then closed it for the 5-4 lead.
Tuesday’s Players Championship will be especially important Darin Young as the top North American money earner so far in the World Series Festival of Darts. Young currently leads all North Americans $2,862.95. A deep finish on Tuesday and the same playing Wednesday’s North American Championships will get him the invite. That doesn’t mean that there aren’t some others out there yapping at his heels. Paul Lim played himself into contention while Canadian’s Bob Sinneave, John Part and Dan Olsen are just a draw away from cashing big. The same holds true for Larry Butler.
For Darin Young there’s good and bad news. The good news is he cops the #1 seed as the leader of the Order of Merit for North America while Lim secures the final and 16th seed. The bad news for Young is that during his 6-4 win over Co Stompe Young tripped on the standard and injured his back. In ensuing matches on Monday there was “tightness” so that could prose a problem in the next two days.
The Old Dart Coach also tripped but all is well as he will be able to bend his elbow when “It’s 5 o’clock somewhere.”
