Australian Singles Darts Champions

It has taken Corrine Hammond just five years at this level of competition to win her first Australian Singles Darts title. In the Men's Singles back-to-back titles for Ian Brown.

Competing at the Royal Hobart Showgrounds in Hobart at the 28th Puma Australian Darts Championships Hammond played another relatively new player at this level in Queensland's Kathy McGregor in the final. McGregor is from Townsville playing in her third consecutive Championships and she has made a big impression this year.

The Final saw Hammond win the opening leg with both players showing a few nerves. This was the first singles final for both of these players at an Australian Championships. Hammond (pictured right) found confidence from winning the first leg to step up a gear from this point on. McGregor was throwing good darts matching Hammond in scoring in leg two. McGregor was set to win the leg, but Hammond found the right spots on the board to finish from 85 to produce a break with an 18-darter. Hammond continued with the power scoring to take a 3 - 0 lead taking 20 darts to claim the leg. Leg four and McGregor was still throwing straight darts for scoring but could not find the double. She wasted four darts missing double eight giving Hammond another chance to steel a leg which she did by finishing from 25. The fifth leg saw Hammond again score strongly to peg from 16 for another 18-darter for the title. A strong performance from Hammond showing Australia may have a new star on the horizon for future years ahead. Although McGregor did not win a leg in the final, she still played fairly good darts but was just a fraction off the pace with the big scoring.
She played great darts all day.

Average per dart in the final was:
Corrine Hammond 22.772
Kathy McGregor 20.180

Hammond played Carol Forwood from Victoria in the first semi final. She dominated this match winning 4 - 1 over the 2006 Australian Singles Champion. She won the legs in 19, 25, 23 and 27 darts which was highlighted by her finishing of each leg which took just one dart in three of the legs. (The other leg took three darts). Forwood had been playing great darts all day but in this match a break by Hammond in the fourth leg was so costly for Forwood. She had her chance to win the leg but missed three darts at double 8 to let Hammond in. Hammond did not let the opportunity pass by knocking in double 8 her self for a 3 - 1 lead. She won the fifth leg with the darts to advance to the final.

McGregor (pictured left) like Corrine Hammond cruised into the final with a 4 - 1 victory in the second semi final. She played Vanessa Bridge from South Australia. Although this is Vanessa's second championship she has been playing darts for 18 years. McGregor set her self up for a finals placing by taking the first three legs. Bridge had a few chances but missed a few doubles which gave McGregor the opportunity to steal legs from her. With a nice 79 finish in leg five she had claimed the semi final.

Ladies Semi Finals:
Kathy McGregor (19.66) QLD defeated Vanessa Bridge (17.89) SA 4 - 1
Corrine Hammond (20.83) NSW defeated Carol Forwood (20.926) VIC 4 - 1

Quarter Finals:
Carol Forwood (19.93) VIC defeated Dot McLeod (21.127) WA 3 - 1
Kathy McGregor (17.893) QLD defeated Lynne Smith (17.076) NSW 3 - 0
Corrine Hammond (23.045) NSW defeated Louise Ball (20.059) WA 3 - 2
Vanessa Bridge (18.7.27) SA defeated Kathy Shaw (20.195) QLD 3 - 0

Men

Australia's top darts players saw an Australian Singles Champion reclaim his crowned in a ripper final. Ian Brown from Mackay in Queensland became the 2007 Champion with a 6 - 5 victory over 2002 World Champion Tony David from Perth.

Everyone was looking forward to this contest. Probably two of the most outstanding players at these Championships, these two players were really in great form. Heaps of big scores, plenty of clean finishing which thrilled those watching. David started the first leg winning in 17 darts. The next four legs went with the darts to give David a 3 - 2 lead. Some great finishing through these legs including a 79 and a 113 by David and an 85 by Brown. Leg six saw the first twist with David taking the leg when Brown (pictured left) missed three darts at double eight. The first break was inflicted when David hit double four next shot to take a 4 - 2 lead, David followed that leg with his second 19-darter in a row to secure the break and a 5 - 2 lead. Brown claimed his third leg with a 16-darter in the eighth leg. Leg nine and the second twist occurred. Some really big scoring from Brown saw him get the break back with a 17-darter and then claimed leg ten with an 18 darter to send the final into a tie breaking leg for the title. What a leg it was. Brown was away first opening with a ton. David followed with 99. Brown hit a 140, David 54, Brown 100, David 140, and Brown 125 to leave 36. David hit a 180 to leave 28. Brown by hitting with his first dart at double eighteen had won back-to-back title. Players received a standing ovation to a brilliant game of darts by both players.

Average per dart in the final was:
Ian Brown 28.411
Tony David 28.196

Brown and Kyle Anderson from Western Australia contest the first semi final. A very tight contest in the end here that saw the fortunes of each player fluctuate greatly. Anderson, World Youth Teams Champion in 2005 was in great form and started this semi brilliantly. He opened with a 156 finish to claim the first leg, broke Brown in the second after he missed six darts at double 2, won the third in 14 darts which included a 180, won the fourth for his second break in 18 darts to be one leg away from the final. At this stage Brown was still in this final as he was scoring brilliantly but was not quite getting the opportunities at the double. Leg five and Brown claimed a break back with a 17-darter. Next leg Anderson had a chance for a place in the final but busted from 60. This was the break Brown needed. He won the leg to bring the score back to 4 - 2 but he still needed another break. This he managed in leg seven with an 18-dart leg with Anderson sitting on 16. Brown held in the tenth leg to send the semi final into the tiebreaker. Brown was away hitting a 180 with his third walk to set up victor. With his sixteenth dart he was in the final. It had been an exciting final. Unlucky for Anderson but he had a couple of chances.

David took on Daniel Bainbridge from Victoria in the second semi final. This match fluctuated in standard from average to outright brilliant legs for this level of competition. Bainbridge at his first Championships was on a ride claiming a few good scalps along the way in getting to the semi finals. Bainbridge won the opening leg comfortably. David won the second leg in 15 darts following that up with a break in the third leg with 17 darts. He took a 3 - 1 lead with another 18 darter before Bainbridge hit a 15 darter to claim the fifth leg. David then went ahead 4 - 2 with another good leg of darts but messed up in the next leg which could have seen him in the final earlier. He missed tops with three darts letting Bainbridge back in but David recovered quickly from that little hic-up to advance to the final by taking the eighth leg in 16 darts for a 5 - 3 victory.

Men's Semi Finals
Tony David (27.467) WA defeated Daniel Bainbridge (25.49) VIC 5 - 3
Ian Brown (28.161) QLD defeated Kyle Anderson (27.148) WA 5 - 4

Quarter Finals:
Tony David (30.981) WA defeated Eddy Sims (27.10) VIC 4 - 3
Ian Brown (27.833) QLD defeated Steve Duke (25.00) VIC 4 - 0
Daniel Bainbridge (23.182) VIC defeated Dean Williams (22.305) NT 4 - 3
Kyle Anderson (30.72) WA defeated Wayne Atkins (26.33) TAS 4 - 1