Part Relishing Seniors Masters Return

THE WSDT World Senior Masters returns this weekend but to a new home at Westlands in Yeovil, with David Cameron coming into the event as the defending champion. 3 Time World Champion John Part will hope it’s back-to-back Canadian winners as he returns to the Masters, facing former World Championship Runner Up Kevin Painter in the 1^st Round.

“I’m just trying to get my game to happen when I want it to happen. I think I’m capable, if I get one win, I feel I can get a bunch of wins. That didn’t happen last year when I beat Paul (Lim) and I had to play Phil (Taylor) in the same session, the doubling vapourised even though I still had the edge on scoring. I was 1 for 16 on the doubles or something and you’re not going to win doing that.”

John Part during the 2022 World Seniors Darts Tour Masters Championship 27 May 2022.

Darth Maple will hope to go further this time around in comparison to his campaign last year, losing to eventual Runner Up Phil Taylor in the 1^st Round.

“I’m trying to get the chemistry right; I fell off from practising at the end of last year more into just playing so I feel fresh, and the arm feels good. Just a few weeks before the Jenningsbet Masters this year, I will be putting an hour or two in a day just to get the stamina up a little.”

The Canadian has benefitted this year from the opportunities presented by the Championship Darts Corporation and the MODUS Super Series, playing the recent CDC Cross Border Challenge where his compatriot Jeff Smith claimed victory in Jersey City.

“It was a rowdy old crowd we had there, and it was all about the whole Canada and USA thing, some felt they were too rowdy, but I didn’t mind it. I’ve been on the wrong end of crowds before, and I refer to the 2008 World Final when they wanted Kirk Shepard to win.”

“If you start listening, anything can bother you, but I think in terms of the atmosphere, I like it and there’s energy there. For me or against me, it’s better than quiet”.

Part insists that the competitiveness is still there for him, knowing the capabilities in his game and how he can use that to beat the other competing players.

“Of course I want to win, I don’t like losing. I’ve got a particular history with Kevin Painter that’s positive in my direction. I don’t want to lose that, and I’d like to be able to have that smile at the end of the match. Kevin gives lots of great reactions and I want to get that out of him.”

“It’s funny that we met twice in the Semi’s, (World Championship 2003 and 2008) of course the first time was in 2003 before I beat Phil, so it was very significant for me as I eventually did win. For Kevin he played well the following year coming back and just losing out on that last leg decider with Phil in the Final, so I guess there was no flukes about either of us there.”