lookupsport

There aren’t too many sports that still allow the bloke that goes to the pub with you, to go through a few rounds of qualifying and end up on TV playing and beating some of the worlds top players, while earning the best part of a years salary.  Darts is one of them though.

Last weeks Grand Slam of Dart on ITV4, showed it can still be done.  Unknown Geordie lad Kevin McDine did just that getting all the way to the semi-final, thrashing Jelle Klaasen (a former World Champion) 10-3 in the quarter final. 

It was not only his first time in a major tournament, but his first time playing in front of a huge and boisterous (some would say drunk and a little out of order) crowd, and his first time in TV. But none of this seemed to phase the 22 year old. 

Unfortunately  I missed the semi-final but it sounded like an epic going all the way to the wire with McDine finally cracking under the pressure and miscalculating, hitting a 15 instead of a 10 and leaving himself without a finish. 

Still I’ve seen enough and I’m no expert admittedly, to see that he has the ability to go all the way. His throwing style is very relaxed and he looked totally at home in the atmosphere, so no doubt we will see plenty more of him.

Phil Taylor went on to take the £80k first prize and the title, which will put him in good stead for the PDC World Chamipionship over Christmas and a rematch hopefully with Barney in the final!