The business end of the darting season gets started with the unique fun of the World Grand Prix from Dublin. Every leg in the tournament has to start and end on a double, and here's hoping someone once again forgets and tries to start on the trebles.
The top half of the draw kicks off the tournament, and arguably THE tie of the night sees ferry-loving Stokie Adrian Lewis, fresh off recording two sub-90 averages in the CL, take on the surging Ulsterman Daryl Gurney. Other notable ties include reigning champion Michael van Gerwen against lovable Scottish ogre John Henderson, Dutch legend Raymond van Barneveld against the rapidly improving Aussie Kyle Anderson and the high-speed high-scoring double miss-a-thon-o-rama of dim Dave Chisnall against paedo Jelle Klaasen.
For better (and definitely not worse) is the absence of one Philip Douglas Taylor, who has skipped this event to avoid getting dumped out by a jobber for the third year in a row. This is a relief for 2015 WGP winner Robert Thornton, whose collapse since then has been so sudden he would have missed out had Pheel played. His reprieve is a clash with Belgium's fellow Matchplay pants-shitter Kim Huybrechts; at Blackpool, they have a first round record of 1W 13L, but they're much better here.
Coverage from the Citywest Hotel begins at 19:00 UK time on Sky Sports Arena & Main Event.
>Tonight's matches (best of 3 sets; first to 3 legs in a set) Alan "Walker, Yeovil Ranger" Norris v Justin "LE SLOW THROW MAN" Pipe Joe "Rock out with your cock out" Cullen v Darren "Demolition Manlet" Webster Steve "PHWOARRRRRRRRR" Beaton v Rob "Danger! Danger! Shit Nickname!" Cross Robert "I Should Be So Thorny" Thornton v Kim "Husband of Dana" Huybrechts Barney (8) v Kyle "Conehead" Anderson SnackP&Ot (4) v Daryl "Sweet C4-line" Gurney MvGOAuTism (1) v John "This is a 10 in Scotland" Henderson Chizzy (5) v Jelle "Yewtree" Klaasen
Since Mensur Suljovic somehow won the Champions League, there's been a fair bit going on in the world of /180/.
The following weekend, the unorthodox Serbo-Austrian couldn't retain his International Darts Open title as Welsh roidlet Gerwyn Price dumped him out at the last 16 stage before losing to Kim Huybrechts in the quarter-final. For the second year in a row, Kimbo made the final and then lost in a last leg decider to Peter Wright, although this year the Hurricane didn't waste seven championship darts in said last leg.
As is custom in Dublin, the last two days have seen two Players Championship events held. Friday saw Rob Cross's incredible 2017 continue with a domination of Peter Wright in the final, averaging 113 and claiming 6 straight legs from 2-0 down to win his third ranking event in just 10 months of Pro Tour competition. Saturday saw an all good guy final with Mensur claiming only his second ranking title as he fought back from 3-0 down to defeat Stephen Bunting, who considered retiring following his recent woeful form.
This week's main sponsor Unibet continue their seemingly unstoppable domination of the PDC's majors by taking over as Premier League sponsors for next year, and celebrated this by pranking Clownman and an unsurprisingly missing-the-joke MVG: twitter.com/unibet/status/913342555898515456
The biggest story of the period however concerns the idiots of the BDO. With the oldest major in darts - the Winmau World Masters - having been relegated to a midweek jolly in Bridlington because of cost reasons, it became doubly hilarious when PDC Order of Merit #84 in Poland's Krzysztof Ratajski (a World Cup and near-permanent Euro Tour fixture) obliterated the field and trounced new BDO #1 Mark McGeeney 6-1 in the final. Well done on embarrassing them, Polish Eagle.
As an aside: yes, I am in Spain again but just until Thursday.
Logan Long
TYBOP
>the unorthodox Serbo-Austrian couldn't retain his International Darts Open title as Welsh roidlet Gerwyn Price dumped him out at the last 16 stage That match has 50% headbutting.
>Friday saw Rob Cross's incredible 2017 continue with a domination of Peter Wright in the final, averaging 113 and claiming 6 straight legs from 2-0 down to win his third ranking event in just 10 months of Pro Tour competition. His rise has been incredibly impressive. Why does he have to play against Beaton today. Wish they both could just advance.
The wibbling wobbling Welshman Mark Webster (the next highest in the Order of Merit) directly replaces him in the match against TV debutant Richard North.
So this is surely going to be MVGWINSLOL.
Nolan Garcia
wew was he pregnant? i thought he was just fat
Tyler Flores
...
Lucas Howard
Gary Anderson is unironically thin by darts standards
Doesn't help when the Citywest is nowhere near the middle of Dublin. Get it moved to the 3Arena.
Xavier Lee
>Barney in a TV final >Merv in a TV final Fuck off, Wayne.
Carter Barnes
>King/Barney final
Brayden Lee
>starting on a double
Brandon Barnes
MUH DOLAN 9 DARTER
Great news is Dolel is on track to miss the Worlds.
Zachary Morales
>Justin Pipe
Landon Gomez
...
Justin Sanders
Swoopidiy loopedy arms
Christopher Thompson
>D13 ????
Ayden Myers
>Justin pipe
Jayden Robinson
...is it me or is Pipe throwing at a relatively decent pace by his standards?
Jeremiah Lee
pipe looks like a young roy hodgson
Wyatt Williams
THE MAX
James Parker
THE MAX! THE MAX! THE MAX! THE MAX! THE MAX! THE MAX! THE MAX! THE MAX! THE MAX! THE MAX! THE MAX! THE MAX! THE MAX! THE MAX! THE MAX! THE MAX! THE MAX! THE MAX! THE MAX! THE MAX! THE MAX! THE MAX! THE MAX! THE MAX! THE MAX! THE MAX! THE MAX! THE MAX! THE MAX! THE MAX! THE MAX! THE MAX! THE MAX! THE MAX! THE MAX! THE MAX! THE MAX! THE MAX! THE MAX! THE MAX! THE MAX! THE MAX! THE MAX! THE MAX! THE MAX! THE MAX! THE MAX! THE MAX! THE MAX! THE MAX! THE MAX! THE MAX! THE MAX! THE MAX! THE MAX!
Could be worse indeed
Dominic Young
170 IN THE SECOND LEG
Ayden Cruz
>He still watches MVGWINSLOL BDO is more entertaining, desu.
Leo White
I wonder who could be behind this post
Nicholas Moore
>that second dart
Bentley Nelson
>poop What the fuck was that at D8?
Ian Flores
>Norris in charge of counting
David Wright
>Suck Norris Pitiful.
Eli Ortiz
Norris has to be one of the most inconsistent players in the PDC. Absolute garbage so far
Blake Parker
>flubbing the 64 >missing 10 to leave tops
Adam Butler
...
Kevin Gutierrez
Norris is averaging 66.12.
That's utter shit even if it was a straight in start (add 10 points to the average).
Carson Jenkins
>averaging 66.12
Sebastian Ward
Important 104 for Chuck.
Luis Bailey
>Poop's throw is so cancerous he can block the bull with a T20
Juan Clark
It's not fair that pipes arms as so long. Basically a few inches away from the board every throw
Grayson Perez
>160 followed by 57 Alan Norris in six darts there.
Sebastian Bennett
>in before this goes 3 sets 5 legs
Asher Jenkins
christ Norris is on fire
Nathan Davis
le 160 man
Jayden Clark
C H U C K O N F I R E
Gavin Morgan
160 `man
Bentley Rivera
>poop going all over the board for a starting double Confirmed for rattled.
Anthony Walker
GWAN CHUCK!
Aiden Thompson
How many legs before barney starts throwing at the bull to start
Justin Peterson
>please don't take me home
Dont worry lads, you wont get home till far past midnight probably.
