2024 has seen 12 months of high profile darting success on both an individual and game wide basis. Whether it was new superstars or even more global exposure and participation it seemed to start in January and not pause for breath until we were back where it had all started:
January:
The start must be with that phenomenal World Championship climax that seemed to set the tone and recipe for much of the year that followed. A 16-year-old made it all the way to the final only to bump into a force not paying attention to desperate desire for fairy-tale ending.
Luke Humphries resistance to the whirlwind of Luke Littler resulted in many thing but not least was the site of Cool Hand Luke playing darts and discussing mental health issues with the then PM in Downing Street.
The Nuke’s Fallout: Soon after Luke Littler confirmed his ‘Real Deal’ status winning the Bahrain Masters on his World Series debut.
February:
Bullet Bunting has long threatened to explode again on our TV screen and February saw him do just that. The popular Merseyside went ‘Bunting Mental’ in claiming his first TV title since his arrival from the BDO/WDF. The talent of Mr. Bunting is often overlooked owing to a previous lack of self belief and fluctuating fortunes. However, the last few years have seen more consistency along with bursts of his very best. More may yet come at Ally Pally 2025.
John Henderson claims the World Seniors Darts Championship at the Circus Tavern in Purfleet. The phrase ‘Big Hendo Weekendo’ is born.
Meanwhile, Scott Taylor cemented the first MODUS Super Series Champions Week crown of the year and Neil Duff took home the first every MSS Special Week as he lifted the inaugural ‘Double-Double’ title.
The Nuke’s Fallout: Luke Littler, now 17-years-old, won his first Pro Tour title at the first go and hit a 9 darter on the way, as you do! It was head shaking stuff!
March:
Dimitri Van den Bergh’s triumph in the UK Open ensured that the asterix next to his World Matchplay title (*Behind closed doors due to Covid-19) will no longer be relevant as he won his second major in front of a raucous Minehead crowd. The Belgian has been seeing a sports psychologist to help maximise his performance and it seemed to pay off.
Fourth time lucky for The Owl, Richie Howson, as he finally wins a TV title. The World Senior Darts Champion of Champions
The Nuke’s Fallout: Luke Littler bagged his first European Tour title at the first attempt! but had to wait for a Premier league nightly win with his 9th attempt. Humphries had completed a hattrick of consecutive wins the week previous.
April:
Another darting fairy-tale comes true as Martin Schindler journeys from steward on the European Tour to winning the International Darts Open on the same tour less than a decade later. The wall would go on to be number one seed at the European Championship later in the year.
The Nuke’s Fallout: Littler added a second European Tour crown in Austria and two more Premier League nightly wins.
May:
The Nuke’s Fallout: Luke Littler reverses his defeat to Luke Humphries to win the Premier League on debut aged just 17. Just for good measure the Warrington Wonder threw in another televised 9-dart leg in the final.
Meanwhile the remarkable variety of winners on the Pro Tour continued. The Players Championship off camera events were on a very unusual roll of a different winner in every event of the year as Brendon Dolan claimed the tenth player to claim a title in the first five months of the year.
The World Series/Masters events hit The Big Apple once again and it was Rob Cross who added the US Masters to his growing list of these title.
Andreas Harrysson became the second MODUS Super Series Champion of the year as he claimed the 7th Champions week and became the first Swede and mainland European to claim the crown. Rhian O’Sullivan upset the odds to claim the inaugural Women’s Week Special ahead of Fallon Sherrock, Beau Greaves and many of the World’s top female performers.
June:
England finally recaptured the World Cup of Darts for the first time since the pairing of Lewis and Taylor. This time it was Michael Smith and Luke Humphries who lifted the crown. The Belgian, Austrian and Chinese pairings added hugely to the event.
Dutch dominance of the Challenge Tour continued as Wesley Plaisier and Kristian Kist added more titles. Connor Scutt was battling to keep the UK top of the rankings. The Development Tour also was dominated by continental European players including Wessel Nijman and Sebestian Bialecki who won more events.
The Nuke Fallout: Luke Littler was not to be overshadowed and claimed his second World Series event, this time the venue was Poland!
Part II coming on New years Day 2025!
——ENDS—–
Images: PDC
