Duff Man Doubles Up

Neil Duff continued what has been an impressive start to 2024 when he won Week 4 of Series 7 in the MODUS Super Series on Saturday after beating reigning Champions Week winner Scott Taylor 4-1 in the Final.

The WDF number one has endured a tough couple of years, since winning the Lakeside World Championship in 2022, but there certainly seems to be a return to something like the player who strolled to victory on his Lakeside debut.

Duff Man will feature in Champions Week for the first time since Series 4, as he claimed the £5000 weekly winners purse at the Live Lounge.

The former Lakeside winner secured his place in the Week 4 Finals Night after finishing top of Group B ahead of Adam Lipscombe on legs difference, winning 5 out of his 8 matches.

The 51-year-old opened his campaign in Group A and qualified for Group B after finishing third in the table, this time behind Adam Lipscombe on legs difference.

The Northern Irishman was placed into Final Group 2 along with Joe Croft and fellow Red Dragon player Chas Barstow in Portsmouth.

Duff included 7 perfect darts in his opening match with Barstow, but it was Chas who claimed a 4-2 win including a 95 checkout in the fourth leg following a maximum.

The Ballyclare born player needed to beat Joe Croft in his final match, and ruthlessly dispatched of Crofty 4-0, hitting a 153 finish to break in the third leg. Neil included a 66% checkout rate in topping the group, with Joe Croft also qualifying in 2^nd.

Duff Man defeated Steve Hine 4-1 in the Semi Finals to set up a Grand Finale against Scott Taylor, with the Series 6 Champions Week winner also topping his Final Group, before beating Joe Croft 4-2 including a 118 finish at the Semi Final stage.

Duff ruthlessly took out 100 in 2 darts to win the opening leg of the Final, before finding a second ton plus finish in the next after pinning double 14 for a 121 checkout.

Neil again needed just 2 darts to hit a treble double combination finish, this time finding double 8 for a 76 checkout and the Week 4 Win.

The Northern Irishman joins Bradly Roes, Conor Heneghan and Reece Robinson in Champions Week, entering the mix for the £25,000 winners share.

The 51-year-old claims his second win at the Live Lounge in 2024, after he also prevailed in the Double Trouble Week where he won a last leg decider against Jim McEwan in the Final. (3-2)

Congratulations to Neil who is showing a solidity to his game this season that had been missing. The Northern Irishman has also produced several decent runs at WDF events already this season with a quarter final and final at the two recent Isle of Man events.

Perhaps adjusting to being a World Champion, and all that comes with it, has takem a little longer than it may seem on the surface, especially when it comes much later in life?

The 51-years-old also benefitted form a little good little fortune along the way. 7 highly ranked WDF crossed to the PDC in December /January, after Lakeside and Q School, boosting the 2022 World Champion back on top of the rankings.

Top seeding – and perhaps the feeling of a second bite at being top dog? – has suited the the Ballyclare native. It will certainly be interesting to watch his progress for the remainder of 2024 and beyond and also to see if he can find a similar bounce back for World Senior Darts?