Toeing the Oche’

Houston Hartwell II
Stop the press. Hold all calls. Break out the champagne. Look up in the sky, “It’s a bird, it’s a plane, no, it’s a blue moon with a cow jumping over it.” “Hey, what that’s round thing laying on the ground?” “Why it’s a roundtoit.” “What’s that?” “Your latest Teelock paid her own bar fine, and then gave you 1,000 Baht to go shopping.” Yep, it’s one of those times that the PDC held a national darts championship which wasn’t won by Phil Taylor. Well who would have thunk it?

 

Canadian John Part will be out to defend his title in the Word Darts Championships which kick off this Friday, December 19 in London, England. (Photo/Lawrence Lustig PDC)

Dutchman Co Stompe came from being down 2 sets to 1 against Phil Taylor to win the German Darts Championships 4-2. Was it a fluke, a freak of nature? Nope. It was brilliant darts in a final that saw both players’ averages over 107. 11 and 12-darters were the norm as were finishes of 174 and 177 to name but two, while T80’s flowed like beverages during Happy Hour at Tim’s, The TQ or Jamenson’s.

“In all honesty I never expected to win,” said Stompe afterwards. “We come into events trying to be ‘best of the rest’ and give Phil a run for his money. I’ve been European Champion and reached the semi-finals at Lakeside but this is the PDC. Beating Phil Taylor is the greatest moment of my life. Phil Taylor is the best darts player the planet has ever seen.”
Stompe may be correct but Taylor wasn’t the best at the German Championships. Co Stompe was and he has the £25,000 pounds and the trophy to prove it.

‘The Russian Fox’ joins the PDC

The biggest event in darts kicks off this weekend in London at the Alexandra Palace. Joining the 89 men in the competition will be women’s world champion Anastasia “The Russian Fox” Dobromyslova. Anastasia has already taken part in two other PDC events, being competitive in both. In the Blue Square UK Open she lost to Robert Thornton 6-5, and at the recently concluded Party Porker Grand Slam of darts she had chances in pool play to move on but suffered an attack of the “dreaded doubles.” Anastasia’s last WDF/BDO circuit appearance was in the World Masters where she lost a nail biter to Francis Hoenselaar 4-3.

It’s a big move for Dobromyslova where she goes from playing against women in a minor circuit to facing the best male players in darts. Financially there is no comparison, with the PDC prize money set to exceed £5 million pounds next year.
For the World Dart Championships she replaces an Indian qualifier who withdrew, maybe due to gunfire. To make it to the main draw she’ll have to beat Remco van Eijen of Holland. A win there and she would face off against #30 Tony Eccles. PDC head honcho said, “We’re delighted that Anastasia has chosen to compete on the PDC circuit.” As well he should be.

World Darts Championships

Canadian John Part takes his first step this Friday evening in defending his World Darts Championship at London’s Alexandra Palace. He and others will be shooting at a part of the £740,000 offered up in prize money. They’ll complete first round play then take a Christmas break and start the second round on December 27.

Part has claimed the World Championship on three occasions and a fourth would go down nicely “thank you.” It’s not surprising that Part is not the favorite as that honor, of course, falls to 13-time champion Phil Taylor. As the dart world is well aware, Taylor has been on fire this year winning almost every major and minor PDC event. Part starts off his defense against American #2 Bill Davis.

Speaking to the Old Dart Coach, Part remembers, “I beat him (Davis) on stage a couple of years ago in Montreal in a semi final. The year before he got me in the quarters with a 12-darter in the decider while I was sitting on a double. No matter what they say, this is the tournament to win. I love it.”
Let the games begin.