{"id":6048,"date":"2023-07-12T11:54:45","date_gmt":"2023-07-12T11:54:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/2023\/07\/column-hr414-mid-summer-classics\/"},"modified":"2024-02-14T22:17:54","modified_gmt":"2024-02-14T22:17:54","slug":"column-hr414-mid-summer-classics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/2023\/07\/column-hr414-mid-summer-classics\/","title":{"rendered":"Column #HR414 MID-SUMMER CLASSICS"},"content":{"rendered":"

Tuesday, July 12, 2023
\n<\/strong>Column HR414\u00a0<\/strong>
\nMID-SUMMER CLASSICS<\/strong><\/p>\n

After a brief vacation (wishing all Happy Canada Day and\/or Happy July 4th)\u00a0<\/sup>Toeing the Oche is back!<\/p>\n

The PDC and the ADO both have Mid-Summer classics.\u00a0 The PDC has the World Matchplay starting\u00a0Saturday with a prize fund of \u00a3800,000 with the winner scooping up \u00a3200,000.\u00a0 The runner up?\u00a0 Only measly tip money of \u00a3100,000.<\/p>\n

Under the heading of \u201cFools Walk in Where Angels Fear to Treat\u201d the Old Dart Coach, a chalk eating weasel,\u00a0is picking Michael van Gerwen to win it all – as is everyone else.\u00a0 The Wise One is aware that \u201cpast performance may not indicate future results\u201d.\u00a0 That aside, MvG was spectacular in winning\u00a0last week.\u00a0 Against\u00a0Michael Smith, in the semi, MvG found himself down 1-nil after Smith tossed an opening leg of 12 darts and a 155-check.\u00a0 They leveled when Smith took a 2-1 lead as MvG countered.\u00a0 At 2-all MvG took off winning the next 3 with a pair of 66 and 77 checks.\u00a0 At 5-3 MvG took 2 for the 7-3 win.\u00a0 Against Smith, MvG checked at a 60,64% rate.<\/p>\n

The final against Dimitri Van den Bergh followed the same scenario as MvG lost the first leg.\u00a0\u00a0After building a 3-1 lead, including a 12-darter, van Gerwen gave up one for 3-2.\u00a0\u00a0MvG then kicked it into high gear taking 4\u00a0with 3 x 12 darters and checks of 92, 84 and 91.\u00a0 At 7-3 van Gerwen finished the job for the 8-3 win with an\u00a086 finish.\u00a0 Seems that the drastic dental and jaw surgery that saw him withdraw from the World Cup sharpened his game.\u00a0 (After reading that darters all over will be calling their dentists.)<\/p>\n

The Euro Matchplay final\u2019s saw Luke Humphries get off the \u201cSnyder\u201d as he had lost four Euro finals.\u00a0 The fifth was the charm as he beat\u00a0Dirk van Duijvenbode 8-7.\u00a0 van Duijvenbode looks like the red at the top of a\u00a0thermometer in Death Valley in July when something goes wrong…<\/p>\n

van Duijvenbode was up 7-5 when Humphries laid a 12-darter on him for 7-6.\u00a0 van Duijvenbode missed 2 at 16, then busted.\u00a0 Humphries took 60 to level at 7.\u00a0 In the decider Humphries missed 3 from 20, allowing van Duijvenbode\u00a03 from 50 (where he then missed 2 from 40).\u00a0 Humphries needed just one to take 20 and win in 19 darts.<\/p>\n

The ADO\u2019s Mid-Summer Classic, Charlotte Open, took a hit (ADO Masters Final) when the World Dart Federation\u2019s\u00a0Nick Rolls, Secretary-General of the WDF, said:\u00a0“It’s a huge disappointment that we haven’t been able to get everything signed off to make the World Masters a reality in 2023.\u00a0 (We\u2019re) not just living in a world where we’re comfortable continually kicking the can down the road.\u201d<\/p>\n

Which they just did.<\/p>\n

The ADO Masters final saw 28 men and 23 women play 139 matches to reach the final round-robin where 16 people played 56 matches to go nowhere.\u00a0 Unpack them bags.<\/p>\n

There were still those valuable WDF and ADO points available in the ’01 singles.\u00a0 Alex Spellman, after being tied at 2 with Dustan Holt, unleashed three triple digit finishes (104, 100 and 106) to swamp Holt 5-2.\u00a0 The top American in the WDF standings, Dan Lauby, was nowhere to be seen.<\/p>\n

On the ladies side Andrea Taylor would \u201cwhitewash\u201d Trish Grzesik 5-0 – this after fighting off last-leg deciders against Cali West, Liz Tynan and Sandy Hudson – to win her first WDF title in 11 years.\u00a0 Taylor is #117th<\/sup>\u00a0in WDF points.\u00a0 Grzesik eliminated Paula Murphy (4-2), the women\u2019s WDF- USA leader.\u00a0\u00a0Grzesik is the leader in Canada.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a question?\u00a0\u00a0At Charlotte, why do the ’01 ladies pay an entry fee of $35\u00a0to win $1,530 when the men pay the same for a purse of $3,480?\u00a0 Equal my backside.\u00a0\u00a0The answer is\u00a0that\u00a0today\u2019s\u00a0tournament format depends on entries to make money.<\/p>\n

This template for tournaments\u00a0has passed its \u201cuse by date\u201d.\u00a0 Most dart sponsorships add nothing to the prize money.\u00a0 The first entrepreneur that finds a real sponsor will control North American darts.\u00a0 They\u2019ll control the sport like Jay Tomlinson did when he found Lucky Strikes Light back in the day (although with darn little help from the ADO).<\/p>\n

From back in the day, The Golden Era Dart Players are almost ready to announce the Stacy Bromberg Senior Open set for January 19-20, 2024, in Las Vegas, Nevada.\u00a0 With some details still falling into place it can be confirmed there will be three events played on Saturday, January 20.\u00a0 The Ladies (55+) and Gentleman’s Singles (65+) will each have a prize fund of $500.\u00a0 They will play 501 best of 3 with a $20 entry fee.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0tournament will include a Mixed Doubles Calcutta\u201d (men – 55+, ladies – 65+). For those not familiar with a Calcutta, each \u201cmixed pair\u201d will be auctioned off on Friday night, January 19th<\/sup>.\u00a0Each pair must bring at least $40.\u00a0\u00a080% of the Calcutta money will be paid\u00a0out to the top four.\u00a0 All events will see 100% of all entry fees going to Make-A-Wish Foundation which provides a final wish for\u00a0terminally ill children.<\/p>\n

A great example of Golden Era Darters is Larry \u201cThe American Eagle\u201d Butler.\u00a0\u00a0For young ins, Butler won the initial PDC World Matchplay in 1994.\u00a0 He did so by beating Jerry Umberger (8-2), Jocky Wilson (11-4), Shane Burgess\u00a0(11-7) and Dennis Priestly (16-12).\u00a0 For that win Butler collected \u00a310,000.<\/p>\n

Proving there\u2019s still life in the Eagle, who can still soar, at Charleston there\u2019s an event “301 and done” – one leg double in and double out.\u00a0 Butler blew Leonard Gates off the board in 8 darts with an average of 112.88.<\/p>\n

The Golden Era of Darts became reality when a bunch of darters from Philadelphia played a select team from Britain on St. Patrick\u2019s Day 1974 in\u00a0New York\u2019s Royal Manhattan Hotel.\u00a0 One of those Yanks was the great Ray Fischer.\u00a0 Sadly, Fischer passed away this week.<\/p>\n

The USA team would win 11-7 which infuriated Welshman Alan Evans who challenged \u201cany Yank to play for $1,000.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0The $1,000 was rounded up.\u00a0 Ray Fischer was nominated to face Evans.<\/p>\n

Fisher offered to play 501 and was laughed at: \u201cThat game\u2019s not for males.\u00a0\u00a0Let\u2019s play a man\u2019s game.\u00a0 The score should be 3,001.\u2033<\/p>\n

Ray Fischer accepted the figure and opened with a \u201cton\u201d…<\/p>\n

The match was not close.\u00a0 Fischer won by throwing a 99-dart game, finishing on d16 as Evans sat on 231.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat was my proudest moment,\u201d Fischer said.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cI don\u2019t know why they picked me to shoot.\u00a0 I said I\u2019d do my best.\u00a0 I hit 17 tons or better and finished with a 95 point average.\u201d<\/p>\n

RIP Ray Fischer.<\/p>\n

Stay thirsty my friends.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

After a brief vacation (wishing all Happy Canada Day and\/or Happy July 4th)\u00a0Toeing the Oche is 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Reed","author_link":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/author\/howie-reed\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"After a brief vacation (wishing all Happy Canada Day and\/or Happy July 4th)\u00a0Toeing the Oche is back!","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"authors":[{"term_id":17,"user_id":4,"is_guest":0,"slug":"howie-reed","display_name":"Howie Reed","avatar_url":{"url":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/111howie.jpg","url2x":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/111howie.jpg"},"first_name":"Howie","last_name":"Reed","user_url":"http:\/\/www.dartoidsworld.com","job_title":"","description":"Astute, often controversial, and always humorous, the Old Dart Coach, Howie Reed (a former rodeo cowboy and advertising executive), is heralded as the Dean of Darts Chroniclers - the most prolific and widely followed writer ever about our sport. He goes back decades with the legends and knows where the skeletons are buried (just ask any of the ADO and WDF old-timers!). Here are four well-known facts about the Old Dart Coach: 1) he is a Republican, 2) he loves the ladies, 3) he can drink most anybody under the table, and 4) he throws darts as bad as Dartoid."}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6048","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6048"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6048\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6115,"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6048\/revisions\/6115"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4139"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6048"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6048"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6048"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=6048"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}