Graham Usher had a Bridlington double in his sights after reaching the final of both the British Classic and British Open. After missing out on the Classic, he came back to reap the rewards of a first WDF ranking title in seven years to take the Open.
Beaten 6-1 by Harry Lane in the British Classic final earlier in the evening, “The Gambler” came from 3-1 down to beat 21-year-old Harrison Leigh 6-4 in the British Open final, sealing the title with an 11-darter to wrap up the weekend’s action at Bridlington Spa.
Usher looked to be struggling early on in the piece, with Leigh taking a multitude of chances when they came his way. But “The Gambler” used the experience he has to recoup and sealed the deal with an average north of 87.
It capped a run built on fine margins. Usher beat Danny Penney 4-2 in the quarter-finals, averaging 88, then pipped young Jack Nankervis 5-4 in the semi-finals.
Leigh deserves credit too. The 21-year-old had come through two deciders of his own, edging Matt Clark 4-3 and Reece Robinson 5-4, before going 3-1 in front against a player 32 years his senior. Though it just wasn’t enough on the night.
The win earns Usher £1,500, with £700 for Leigh, and it makes him the successor to Mitchell Lawrie, who won the men’s title aged just 14 last year.
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