PDC World Championship

The 24th edition of the PDC Darts World Championship was played from 15 December 2016 until 1 January 2017. Again, 72 players took a shot at the World Championship title. Gary Anderson was the defending champion at the Alexandra Palace in London. He would reach the final for the third year in a row, but Michael van Gerwen from the Netherlands was simply unstoppable this World Championship.

Traditionally the reigning world champion plays on the first night of the new World Championship. Gary Anderson met Mark Frost and the Scot gave his merry opponent no chance: 3-0. A day later we met a Dutch entertainer on the darts stage. Jerry Hendriks made it an all night party at the Alexandra Palace. He won his first round 2-0 and despite the heavy 3-0 defeat to Peter Wright, in his own words he felt like a fish on the stage. On Saturday evening Michael van Gerwen first came into action. He began his title hunt with a 3-0 victory against the Finn Kim Viljanen. Arguably the best match of the first round was the clash between Joe Cullen and Australian super talent Corey Cadby. Both men gave each other little breathing room, and especially Cullen played some of his best darts ever. The Englishman clinched the match 3-1. The first round had little surprises this year with only one top 16 seed going out; Stephen Bunting.

In the second round it was Benito van de Pas who immediately made things exciting. He beat Terry Jenkins after a thriller 4-3 and went, just like the other three Dutch aces through to the third round. Michael van Gerwen was tested for the first time this tournament by the excellent playing Cristo Reyes (4-2), Raymond van Barneveld thumped Alan Norris 4-0 and Jelle Klaasen also allowed Brendan Dolan no set. Remarkable was that both the number eight and the number nine seed did not make it into the third round. Mensur Suljovic went out in seven sets against Mark Webster and Daryl Gurney took out Robert Thornton also in a deciding set. Top favourites Gary Anderson, Phil Taylor, Peter Wright and Adrian Lewis all booked a comfortable 4-0 win.

The match of the third round was the clash between Raymond van Barneveld and Adrian Lewis. The two top players lived up to the prior expectations and went to the wire. In the seventh and deciding set it was Barney who had found top form clinched the match. The last sixteen did mean the end station for two of his compatriots. Jelle Klaasen suffered a 4-2 defeat to Dave Chisnall; Benito van de Pas bumped into a very impressive Gary Anderson, but still managed to win two sets. Mighty Mike punished missed doubles from Darren Webster (4-1). All the other favourites also reached the quarterfinals. Only James Wade came into trouble as he trailed 3-1 against Michael Smith, but The Machine worked his way back into the match and still secured a spot in the last eight.

On the last darts day of 2016 all the players in the quarterfinals took out all the stops to end the year with a bang. James Wade and Peter Wright played an exciting match, which stayed close very long. In the end Snakebite had the best final sprint and became the first player in the semi-final was 5-3. That semi-final would be an all Scottish-affair, because in a great match reigning champion Anderson took a win over Dave Chisnall. The maximum scores and high finishes were hit with ease, but eventually it was The Flying Scotsman who was slightly more effective in the closing stages. Michael van Gerwen secured the semi-final by ending the fairy-tale tournament of Daryl Gurney harshly (5-1). That semi-final would be another national matter when Raymond van Barneveld in an insane match beat record champion Phil Taylor. Barney defeated his old tormentor 5-3 and seemed well prepared for a new cracker against Van Gerwen.

The darting year 2017 was ushered in style by the semi-finalists. Gary Anderson and Peter Wright competed for the Scottish honour. The Flying Scotsman was determined to reach the final for the third time in a row. Anderson took the lead, but Snakebite came back to level at 3 all. A superb 157 finish in the seventh set marked the turning point in the game, because after that Wright would not win another set. The Flying Scotsman reached the final by beating his colourful compatriot 6-3. The Dutch clash between Van Gerwen and Van Barneveld was finger licking good. Until 2-2 the two compatriots both played excellent, but then Van Gerwen did the impossible. He hit yet another gear and looked like he couldn’t miss anymore. The maximum scores, high finishes and eleven dart legs came flying in one after the other. With this he had Barney definitively in the ropes and despite an average of over 109 the 2017 tournament of the old master ended against Van Gerwen 6-2. Mighty Mike also shattered the record highest average ever at the World Championship with 114,05.

The tournament got the dream final; the number one in the world against the reigning World Champion. The level of the two was again very high, but it was the Scot who started better. He was 2-1 up and had a chance to get to 3-1, but a crucial 86-finish from Van Gerwen turned the game. Again, the Dutchman found top gear and left Anderson no chance. Four sets in a row went to the Green Machine in which Anderson only managed to win two legs. The Flying Scotsman extended the final by winning the ninth set in the deciding fifth leg, but in the fifth leg of the tenth set it was Mighty Mike who clinched the match. An 85 finish on the bullseye and Van Gerwen claimed his second world title. After an unprecedented successful year in which Van Gerwen won everything, he is now also the 2017 World Champion.