Championship Tour Reaches Climactic Weekend

ONLY TWO Winmau Championship Tours now remain for 2022 with six different winners from six different events so far, as Lee Budgen won the last event back in August to climb to the top of the Championship Tour table.

The top 64 players in the league will qualify for the Grand Finals in Reading next month and amongst those not yet certain of their spot is the ADC Number 1 Matt Jackson who needs a good run in the tournaments this weekend to have any chance of reaching Berkshire next month.

The Action picked up his 24th ADC title on Thursday after winning the Bar501 Kingswood Round Robin tournament beating Robbie Long 4-3 in the Final including checkouts of 94 and a Shanghai finish in the fourth leg to claim 32 more rankings points.

The Englishman leads Adam Atkinson in second by 387 points in the ADC Rankings and included a victory over the ADC Number 3 Steve Brown in the Semi Finals, beating the Bomber 3-2 with a maximum to his name and an average off 94.04 in Bristol. 

Lloyd Pennell returned to ADC competitive action for the first time since Championship Tour 6 in Manchester last month after entering the Martin Brown Memorial Trophy last weekend in Bridlington.

The Lincoln-born thrower included an early victory over Windy Miller who has also impressed on his first year in the ADC. The ADC Number 7 went all the way to the Final and lost narrowly 5-4 in the last leg decider to Sam Spivey who included a 102 to break his opponent back having lost a throw in the opening leg of the match.  

The Championship Tour competitive action comes to an end this weekend, as many looks to join the likes of Adam Smith-Neale, Tony Newell, and Adam Atkinson as those to have picked up a victory in the events so far this year. 

Tony Wood has come close in his efforts losing in the Final of Event 1 to The Poolie in the Northeast as well as Gary Blades, with Razor sitting 2nd in the Championship Tour Table despite not winning a single event. 

The former PDC Tour card holder lost in the Final of Event 2 to Tony Newell and also reached the Quarter Finals the last time he visited the Thornbury Conference Centre, where the 2 remaining events are scheduled to take place this weekend. 

Other names who will hope to qualify for the Grand Finals include the likes of Luke Littler who impressed in his recent Championship Tour campaign, averaging some impressive figures over the course of Championship Tours 5 and 6 in Manchester. 

Scott Marsh and Johnny Haines who both appeared at the WDF Lakeside World Championships in April are also hoping to travel to Berkshire next month, with both players currently outside the Top 64 but good performances from both across the two tournaments this weekend should be enough for a place at the Grand Finals. 

Other events such as the Imperial Hotel Darts Slam on Sunday as well as the Riley’s Chester September GSoD + Early Bird Flyer and the Blackpool September Grand Slam are scheduled for Saturday. 

ADC Sanctioned Events: 24/25th September 

Saturday:

• Riley’s Chester September GSoD and Early Bird Flyer

• Blackpool September Grand Slam

• ADC Championship Tour 7: Bristol

• ADC Championship Tour 7 Plate Knockout: Bristol

Sunday:

• Imperial Hotel Darts Slam

• Riley’s Liverpool September GSoD and Early Bird Flyer

• ADC Championship Tour 8: Bristol

• ADC Championship Tour 8 Plate Knockout: Bristol

ADC Rankings:

1. Matt Jackson: 1287pts

2. Adam Atkinson: 900pts

3. Steve Brown: 876pts

4. Tony Wood: 743pts

5. Geoff Murray: 599pts

6. Adam Warner: 580pts

7. Lloyd Pennell: 575pts

8. Phil Borthwick: 520pts

9. Lee Budgen: 501pts

10. Graham Hall: 484pts

11. Paul Nesbitt: 469pts

12. Kevin McDine: 447pts

13. Ricky King: 384pts

14. Raymond Marshall: 374pts 

15. Tom Lonsdale: 366pts

16. Kevin Garcia: 356pts