Two new Pacific Masters Champions

Australia's premier dart players found the standard of competition extremely high at the Puma Pacific Masters Darts Championships at the Royal Hobart Showgrounds in Hobart today. Hundreds of spectators watched and many local players enjoyed great darting contests throughout the day. The 30th running of this event saw over 240 players competing for world and Australian ranking points and the $5000.00 prize money on offer.

Ian Brown from Mackay in Queensland became the 2007 Pacific Masters Champion with a 6 - 2 victory over Russell Stewart from Canberra. Brown (above on the left) is a great darting story. This is his second year representing Queensland at this level and to come and win the 2006 Australian Singles at his first attempt last year was tremendous, but to back up in 2007 to win the Pacific is fantastic. He has always had great ability even as a junior. He represented Queensland Juniors on three occasions at Australian Junior Championships and won the Australian Junior Singles title in 1988 when competing in those Championships. He represented Australia at the World Youth Masters in England back in 1989 finishing fifth. He gave the sport away for a while to play rugby but he is now back playing this great sport and what an impression he has made. His performance today was outstanding. He accounted for Stewart fairly comfortably winning the first four legs in 24, 12, 21 and 17 darts. It looked like a white wash was on the cards, but Russell Stewart is a real fighter. He dug deep to win the next two legs to bring the score back to 4 - 2 Brown. Brown again picked up his scoring power again in leg seven and won leg eight in 15 darts with a 76 finish to win his first Pacific Master title.

Finals Averages: Ian Brown 26.627 - Russell Stewart 25.535

The first semi final saw two international champions clash. Russell Stewart from Canberra played a powerful match against Steve Duke from Geelong. Duke was away first and knocked a 180 in in the first leg which he won in 16 darts. Stewart was still finding his range and missed double twenty to give Duke a chance at steeling the leg. Duke did that with a great 117 finish. Leg three and Stewart was now hitting the big scores. He easily took this leg against the darts. Leg four and with a magnificent 152 finish the match was tied up at 2 - 2. Stewart kept the relentless pressure on Duke to win the next two legs in 17 and 15 darts. Duke was not far away in each of these legs. Duke won the seventh leg to bring the score back to 3 - 4. Stewart won leg eight after Duke missed a chance at taking the leg to find a place in the final.
Averages
Russell Stewart 27.420 - Steve Duke 26.529

The second semi final had Ian Brown up against Perth player Tony David. Brown opened up with a 12-dart leg against the darts to set the early pace. David came back to win leg two in 16 darts to tie up the semi final. Brown kept the pressure on to win leg three with his own 16-darter. David was not going to go away easily winning leg four in 14 darts, which included a 180 to leave a 40 finish and another break. Brown then went ballistic. In leg five he hit two 180's and set up an 81 finish for another 12-darter. Leg six was the crunch leg. Again Brown hit two 180's to put the pressure on David. David wired a 140 peg to leave 10, but Brown was able to hit double eight to win the first leg with the darts. David held in the next leg with a 17-darter to bring the score to 4 - 3 Brown. Eighth leg and Brown needed this leg to move into the final. It looked like another break was coming with David hitting the big scores. David missed a 40 finish with his sixth walk giving Brown the chance to take the match. Brown finished off from 40 to clinch the match. A great exciting contest with plenty of skill shown by both players.

Averages
Ian Brown 29.82 - Tony David 29.344

Over 120 of Australia's top ranked men's players contested this event.

A little peace of history may have occurred in the ladies Pacific Masters. The final four players were all from Western Australia - a first we think. Also all four of these ladies have represented Australia on the international stage.

Western Australian Natalie Carter (left) won her first Pacific Masters title, a title that has eluded her for a number of years. Carter has won every other big title in Australia over the years and today she defeated a great friend and two times Pacific Masters Champion in Louise Ball. Carter started the final opening with a first throw of 140. She continued to find the big scores and won the first leg in 19 darts. Leg two saw Carter throwing straight but could not find the triple twenty. Six scores of 60 in a row. Mean while Ball had found her range and won leg two. Leg three and Ball kept the big scores coming to make the first break. Carter had to dig deep here or her chances were going to slip away quickly. She found her range again and the big scores were back. She produced the second break of throw in the final to tie the scores at 2 - 2. The fifth leg and Carter's confidence had lifted. She was pounding in the big scores and won the fifth leg with a two dart 96 finish to take the leg in 17 darts. Leg six and again Carter produced beautiful accurate darts. She was on fire with another 17 darter and a two dart 56 finish the title was hers. A good day for Carter winning $1100.00 in prize money and some very valuable World ranking points which will lift her up into the top 15 players in the world.

Final averages: Natalie Carter 24.131 - Louise Ball 21.066

Our finalists both winning with a 3-1 score line dominated the semi finals. Comfortable wins to both players with Louise Ball throwing steady darts to account for Dot McLeod. McLeod was Ball's pairs partner at the last World Cup in Perth and McLeod has represented Australia on many occasions and is a very experience player but Ball was right on target when she had to hit the winning doubles.
Averages:
Louise Ball 22.813 - Dot McLeod 20.49

Natalie Carter threw some great darts in this match against Jodie Hislop. Another Western Australian, Hislop was all so playing well but a slow start in the first leg cost her the game. Carter won the leg against the darts and was able to win all legs that she started to find a place in the final. A couple of nice clean big finishes by Carter helped her cause.
Averages:
Natalie Carter 20.367 - Jodie Hislop 18.988

Sue Tuhi from Victoria threw the highest possible pegout (finish to a game) of 170 (triple twenty, triple twenty bull) in her game against Vanda Gunn

Today's competition highlighted how strong and even the darts competition is at this level. Some of the big names that you would expect to come through to the finals were early casualties in gaining some of the prize money and international ranking points. Both the Ladies and Men's events hold World Ranking Points, and both winners have gained an invitation into the Winmau World Masters being played in the U.K. late in November by winning this event.

Final placings
Ladies
Winner: Natalie Carter (WA)
Finalist: Louise Ball (WA)
Equal 3rd: Dot McLeod (WA) Jodie Hislop (WA)
Equal 5th: Kerry Crowdey (Qld) Lavina Hogg (NSW)
Sue Tuhi (VIC) Janine Cassar (VIC)
9th - 16th Carol Forwood (VIC) Vanessa Bridge (SA) Valerie Hutchinson (ACT)
Corrine Hammond (NSW) Sharon McLean (TAS) Lauren Peters (QLD)
Sandra Smith (Tas) Kathy McGregor (WA)

Men
Winner: Ian Brown (QLD)
Finalist: Russell Stewart (ACT)
Equal 3rd: Tony David (WA) Steve Duke (VIC)
Equal 5th: Brad Austen (WA) Damon Heta (WA) Kyle Anderson (WA)
Eddy Sims (VIC)
9th - 16th Geoff Kime (Qld) Denis Parr (WA)
Ken Worthington (TAS) Fred Cadby (TAS) Wayne Atkins (TAS)
Craig Atze (SA) Peter Phillips (TAS) Dave Methven (TAS)

Ladies Results
Board Final Results
Kerry Crowdey 3 defeated Carol Forwood 0
Louise Ball 3 defeated Corrine Hammond 0
Dot McLeod 3 defeated Vanessa Bridge 0
Lavina Hogg 3 defeated Valerie Hutchinson 0
Natalie Carter 3 defeated Sharon McLean 0
Sue Tuhi 3 defeated Lauren Peters 2
Janine Cassar 3 defeated Sandra Smith 0
Jodie Hislop 3 defeated Kathy McGregor 0

Quarter Final results
Dot McLeod 3 defeated Kerry Crowdey 1
Jodie Hislop 3 defeated Janine Cassar 0
Louise Ball 3 defeated Lavina Hogg 0
Natalie Carter 3 defeated Sue Tuhi 1

Semi Final Results
Louise Ball 3 defeated Dot McLeod 1
Natalie Carter 3 defeated Jodie Hislop 1

Final
Natalie Carter 4 defeated Louise Ball 2

Men's Results

Board Final Results
Tony David 4 defeated Dave Methven 3
Eddy Sims 4 defeated Ken Worthington 0
Brad Austen 4 defeated Geoff Kime 2
Ian Brown 4 defeated Fred Cadby 2
Steve Duke 4 defeated Wayne Atkins 0
Damon Heta 4 defeated Peter Phillips 0
Russell Stewart 4 defeated Craig Atze 2
Kyle Anderson 4 defeated Denis Parr 1

Quarter Final Results
Tony David 4 defeated Eddy Sims 2
Steve Duke 4 defeated Kyle Anderson 0
Ian Brown 4 defeated Brad Austen 0
Russell Stewart 4 defeated Damon Heta 2

Semi Final Results
Ian Brown 5 defeated Tony David 3
Russell Stewart 5 defeated Steve Duke 3

Final
Ian Brown 6 defeated Russell Stewart 2