2nd March 2018 will forever be enshrined in darting history as the most ridiculous day of televised darts there ever was. The UK Open started with no fans in Butlin's Minehead for health and safety reasons, no main stage being used due to heavy snow on the Skyline Arena canopy and then got even more surreal when the darts actually started, with all but one of the six former champions that were in the field losing in the last 64 (only James Wade survived) completely blowing the field wide open. The last 32 and last 16 will be held today.
The replacement main stage in Reds Bar commences with a battle of pricks between Northern Ireland's Daryl Gurney and Belgium's Kim Huybrechts. Superchin came from 9-7 down to beat Jelle Klaasen while the Hurricane held off a vigorous attempted fightback by Gabriel Clemens from 8-2 behind to get through.
We will be travelling at about Mach 1000 in the next game as 2010 runner-up Gary Anderson faces hyperspeed's Ricky Evans. Gando was troubled by Robert Rickwood early doors but reeled off 7 straight legs to dispose of the Burnley clogger, while Rapid's run from Round 1 saw him beat Andreas Hajimena, Carl Wilkinson and then Luke Humphries, recording the tournament's highest average against Cool Hand.
Two first-time TV winners then meet with reigning World Champion Rob Cross against Auckland Masters champion Kyle Anderson. Voltage got into some big problems against Nathan Aspinall with the Original getting into a mighty tussle with Vincent van der Voort; if these two play to their best, this will be a cracker.
Youth closes the main stage this afternoon as 22 year old Aussie bogan Corey Cadby plays 21 year old German Martin Schindler. The King dispatched Michael Rasztovits with relative ease, while the Wall's madcap dash from Gatwick to Minehead paid off as he eliminated Ryan Harrington.
Coverage starts at 12:30pm UK time on ITV4. All of today's matches are the best of 19 legs (first to 10 legs).
>Afternoon session (12:30pm - 5:00pm) Fourth Round (best of 19 legs [first to 10])
>Main stage fixtures Daryl "Sweet C4-line" Gurney v Kim "Husband of Dana" Huybrechts Gary "Big Game Counter" Anderson v Ricky "CopperCab" Evans Rob "BAuLDtism" Cross v Kyle "Conehead" Anderson Corey "Cuntvict" Cadby v Martin "Berlin Ball" Schindler
>Evening session (7:00pm - 11:00pm) Fifth Round (best of 19 legs [first to 10])
While it's excellent to see Wolfie having been cured of a terrible disease, some of his comments relating to the arrows are a bit bizarre:
>Money isn’t everything,” Adams says, looking bemused by the hugely successful PDC world championships at Alexandra Palace which precedes the less overblown BDO version. “I’ve got no desire to go to Ally Pally. Most people are there just for the drink and the party and I find that strange. A ticket is £30 or £40. Imagine if you said to someone coming into the pub: ‘I’m going to charge you £30 to come in and you can get as drunk as you like, sing as much as you like and I’m going to overcharge you on the beer.’ Would they come in? No. Why they do it at Ally Pally is beyond my belief. Lakeside is true darts supporters. If somebody tries a sing‑song people shut them up. We have a fantastic atmosphere at Lakeside. It’s proper darts.”
>The best players today are all on the PDC circuit but Adams shrugs when asked if Taylor and Michael van Gerwen are the greatest he has faced. “They’re great on their day and when they’re hitting it they’re unbeatable. But for me the greatest player of all time is Eric Bristow [who won five world titles compared to Taylor’s 16]. Eric got to two world finals with dartitis [the equivalent of the yips in golf]. He didn’t win either but that shows his true grit.”
Parker Wilson
And we're on now.
Samuel Kelly
>still not letting anyone in
Chase Brooks
Y'all ready for Cadby to win his first major?
Christopher Miller
Butlin's have closed the resort, that's why.
Enormous shambles for all involved.
Matthew Wright
Closed the resort and told everyone who was still there to fuck off. What a shitshow.
Ethan Scott
The decision to not let fans in should have been made far earlier than it was.
Nathan Gonzalez
Roll on global warming
Noah Rodriguez
Can't really argue with him regarding Eric Bristow as the G.O.A.T. as he's certainly not the only person with that opinion. Plenty of the older guys would put Bristow above Taylor in the all-time rankings.
As for the Ally Pally comments, I tend to agree with him that the Lakeside has the more knowledgeable and truer darts supporters than Ally Pally generally does. People go to the PDC Worlds to have a night out and BDO Worlds because they're loyal supporters of the BDO and fans of the game.
Kevin Powell
>Yozza 3-0 up on the Dab
Ryan Williams
>this fucking Noel Gallagher song that starts off like "Ca Plane Pour Moi" but isn't as a walk-on
Cooper Cruz
>former BDO players spanking the higher quality PDC players...
Hudson Kelly
>ear plugs in
John Taylor
Think it proves that those who don't switch are chickenshit wimps with no balls.
Bentley White
>Michael Smith man of the people
Benjamin Collins
>i'll be outside the spar shop >i'll be the one with a packet of monster munch in my hands
Elijah Martinez
...
Jordan Parker
DAT SHANGHAI
Carter Wright
How does he score?
Nathan Gomez
Great game so far.
Cooper Morgan
...
Leo Thomas
Younger Nicho had all the look of someone who would be in an indie band around 2006.
Anthony Sullivan
Cock like a can of Relentless with an apple on top.
Nolan Sanders
>Kimbo Jobber
Christian Long
Is Kimbo's main (only) problem that he's the least intimidating player in darts? He has pretty much everything you need top be a top 10 darts player, but it's impossible to imagine anyone being intimidated by playinga gainst him.
Gabriel Moore
>heating broke 10 days ago, wasn't fixed
No way they're going back to Butlins
Leo Lopez
Yeah, Barry is going to wipe his ass with that newly-signed 3 year contract after this fiasco.
Jackson Murphy
He looks too much like a chipmunk for anyone to be scared of him.
New three-year contract in the bin.
Chase Phillips
...
Nathan Anderson
Has a venue ever won knob of the week?
Matthew Watson
Based dab man has tied the match against Hughes, 7-7 currently.
Adam Jackson
Smith seems like the kind of guy who buys a whole cheese wheel and takes large bites from it.
Dominic Harris
>Based dab man he's much more fun than I thought
Grayson Lee
...
Gabriel Carter
He's the inverse of Clownman: absolutely dull onstage, but a complete nutter off it.
Brody Ross
Has Russ Bray been drunk last night?
Levi Cooper
Has he ever been sober?
Nathan Brown
Gurney has been turd here.
Daniel Hill
>Johnny Fat rolling back the years
Zachary Morgan
Good to see the lesser of two evils win.
Jayden Cook
>this is what a 27 year old looked like in 1994 >this is what a 27 year old looks like now
Charles Roberts
...
Nathaniel Hernandez
The Dab wins from 7-5 down.
The Third Round withdrawal curse hits again.
Julian Walker
Kim all but confirming Autism is the new Pheel.
Lucas Jackson
RE Cross: The difference between Cross starting out and Cross now is about five stone by the look of things. I understand travelling on the road makes it hard to stay trim but bloody hell he's clearly worked his pie arm just as much as his darts one.
Sebastian King
It's the beta blockers that have caused his weight gain.
Cooper Baker
>filename
Tyler Campbell
i am em vee gee i am ze man to beat
Brody Stewart
>skinny meulenkamp
Matthew Lee
Come on John Fat!
Noah Kelly
>Last leg of the Part game
Hunter Sullivan
THAT 93
John Turner
...
Matthew Perry
JOHNNY FAT
Joseph Bell
DARTH MAPLE
Hunter Lopez
Just had a croque monsieur. Was quite nice.
Colton Miller
Nice to see Darth Maple making a good run here.
Jack Ward
>Gando laughing This match will be memes.
Jeremiah Mitchell
RAPID I C K Y
Brody Hernandez
...
Adam Stewart
Get the feeling Evans has the lowest IQ of any tourcard holder.
Hunter Bailey
Can you get lower than Chizzy's 0?
Colton Sullivan
>Rapid Busty
Isaac Diaz
Dream Boy's not fucking around today.
Ian Nelson
Ricky Rapids would be better than Rapid Ricky.
Jace Nelson
>James Wattimena He's a snooker player you fucking mong
>Part averages in the tournament so far > 82.2, 71.6, 92.4, 87.4
Oliver Jenkins
Walk-on girls >yes
Dancers/cheerleaders >no
Nolan Johnson
so long rapid lad
Nolan Long
DO DO DOD DODO DODO DODO DOD DO DODO DO DO DOD DODO DODO DODO DOD DO DODO DO DO DOD DODO DODO DODO DOD DO DODO DO DO DOD DODO DODO DODO DOD DO DODO DO DO DOD DODO DODO DODO DOD DO DODO
Eli Wright
No joy for BUNT MAN as Wattimena dumps him out 10-8.
Carter Cruz
remember when he first burst onto the scene, convinced he was going to be a main event player, but didn't quite have it also you now remember his cm punk obsession
Jaxon Stewart
bunt no
Bentley Morales
>I hate slow players >I hate hyperspeed players
Tyler Turner
>Fans of "The Darts" think this is funny considering how "funny" the "funniest moments in darts" videos are on youtube I'm not surprised honestly.
Kevin Thompson
Gary: He's too fast kek
Mason Johnson
Stop talking about mvg, fucking bitch
Matthew Walker
Remember when he thanked "Mr Phil Brookes" after a match? What a fucking nonce.
Chase Gonzalez
Do they not reach Rick and Morty levels of intellectual humour?
Leo Young
>Robert Owen attempting to headbutt the board
Tyler Flores
dreadful scenes glad taylor buried him desu
Isaac Lewis
HAHA time for rob "vanilla midget" cross
William Gray
Really hope that Kyle Anderson manages to pull an upset here.
Henry Martin
...
Ayden Moore
The fuck is that throwing motion
Isaiah Bennett
Paul Hogan currently averaging 105 against De Zwaan.
