The Dog growls in the Zuiderduin Masters

The Zuiderduin Masters played in Holland is an ideal major as preparation for Lakeside. The event is hard to qualify for with only the top 16 in the WDF ranking table getting a spot.

The likes of Scott Waites, Martin Adams and Darryl Fitton gained their places via the wildcard system, making it a real juicy line up with all eyes on the Zuiderduin prize and form going into the World Championships.

There are 24 players in 8 groups played in a round robin format. Three players to a group with top 8 seeds from their ranking heading up each group. Players 9-16 are drawn into the groups. The last 8 spots in the men are made up of Dutch ranking qualifiers and wild cards. The event is played over 3 days with most games shown live on Dutch TV on the 9-11 Dec 2011.

There were some real stand out groups, and I was drawn in pool E with Robbie Green as the seed, myself the middle man and Remon Hurrebrink from the Dutch national rankings.

I played Remon on the Friday night and after a poor 1st leg I got my scoring going and hit a few doubles to take a 4-1 lead in the best of 9 match. Remon won the 6th leg but I held my throw in the 7th to win the match 5-2. As the looser Remon went up against Robbie Green on Saturday afternoon, where Robbie Beat him 5-1 to set up pool E winner takes all to head into the last 8 match on Saturday evening session.

We had some fun with the walk on^s as I put my dog up for Robbie to kiss and he had big bite my dog!! Little did he know the dog was about to bite back!! Robbie started really well against me and took the 1st leg, the memory of my poor little bitten dog spurred me into gear, the treble 20 felt like hitting a bucket and I started to score really well giving me chances to win legs, taking the next 5 legs in a row and winning the match by 5 legs to 1 with a 31.63average, and my reward for this was a quarter final match against Martin Adams my first round 2012 Lakeside opponent.

So game on against Martin Adams in the quarter final and I found my spot to punish Martins missed doubles to win the 1st leg. With the first set going 2-2 in legs and I hit the 1st 180 of the game in the 5th leg, but this was not enough as I was sat on tops but Martin took out 50 to take the set. The second set went with the darts until the last throw in the 5th leg, where I missed a 78 outshot to hold the set on my throw and Wolfie stepped in taking out 50 for the 2nd set.

At 2 sets down I needed to breathe live into the old dog, and back came my growl with a wired 141 outshot, a 180 in the second leg to find myself 2-1 up in legs. With Wolfie sat on 40 I took out 80 to go 2-2 in the set. Trailing badly in the 5th leg my last 6 darts were 177 and 102 shot to save match and give me the crucial set. It was my darts on the set and Wolfie applied maximum pressure by putting me 2 legs down, but I took out 120 with Wolfie on 60 to save the match going 2 -1.

The next set went with the darts making it 2-2 in sets and into the 5th and deciding set we went with the darts staying with throw at 1 leg each. In the 3rd leg against the darts I left 40 after 12 darts, but Wolfie polished off 51 with 2 darts for a 14 dart leg and 2 legs to 1 lead. Wolfie hit the ground running in the next Leg with 180 ,100 and  I started with 100,60, but Wolfie hit tops with his 15th dart to take last set 3 legs to 1 and the match 3-2 in sets. I had a 29.33 average for the match with Wolfie a 29 also.

The eventual winner was Red Dragon team mate Scott Waites who beat Winmau^s Darryl Fitton 5-4 in sets. Scott narrowly missed an amazing nine dart leg by a knats doo daah on double 18. Ironically the only 9 darter in Zuiderduin Masters 10 year history was done by Darryl Fitton. Darryl added to the drama of the final by missing 2 match darts at double 16, and the high scoring final ended with x31 180s.

The Ladies event was won by Deta Headman beating Holland’s Aileen de Graaf. In the final. The Youth winner was Jimmy Hendriks the local Dutch lad over Mike Zuydwijk.

I left Hotel Zuiderduin in Egmond aan Zee with finally getting my floor game in front of the cameras, a few euro^s and few more ranking points. Next up its Wolfie again and Lakeside 2012 where it’s anyone’s guess who is going to win.