Dave
Kelly, Darts Pro
to
Dave
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!
At the time of this writing, it is six days before Christmas. I have had a great Holiday Season so far. I thought I would use my column to recap a few tournaments and my Thanksgiving. I promise not to get too sentimental!
The weekend before Thanksgiving, the Witch City Open was held. This tournament received its name because it used to be held in Salem, Mass. Now it seems to float all over the Boston area. Last year, the Witch City Open received World Darts Council accreditation. The fun of the WDC approval is that all of the Brits invade, and this year was no let down. I partnered with Paul Lim and we held our own quite well. It is always a pleasure to play against the likes of Phil Taylor, Rod Harrington, Peter Evison, and the other British invaders.
The following weekend was the Gem City Open in Dayton, Ohio. This tournament received WDC ranking ability for the first time this year. Most players planned to attend both tournaments. For the Brits and people like Paul Lim who lives in California, it would be very costly to return home and then fly to Dayton. So most of the players were either booked into hotels for the week or looking for a place to stay. Jamie Harvey of Scotland and Keith Deller of England ended up at a good friend of mine. My wife Sally and I took in Paul Lim and Rod Harrington. I must say it was a great week. I took Rod and Paul to league with me on Tuesday. On Wednesday, Paul, who is a fantastic chef, made a lobster dish for all of us and some spicy Indian food. I have never met anyone who can compare to Paul as a chef.
On Thursday, Sally cooked a 21.5 pound turkey. Paul and she made a wonderful meal. Mark Goddwin who is a great player from the Boston area also joined us. We were glad we could share this with Rod. He had never attended a Thanksgiving feast before. He said they mostly have turkey on Christmas in England, so this was a nice change of pace. We all ate more than our share!
It was a week of cribbage, darts, and great conversation. Lots of talk about practicing, who ís hot, and who ís not. It is wonderful to have a chance to socialize with good friends and not be called to a board for a match in mid-sentence.
The following weekend we were off to Dayton. The attendance was good, but unfortunately, the events didn't pay out as they had promised. This was contrary to their WDC contract. The situation is still being reviewed at this time. I played with Paul again and we won the doubles, so all was not lost.
After Christmas, it is off to England for the World Professional Tournament. The top 24 players in the world will play for £57,000. That's roughly $91,200 to first place. There is also a £25,000 ($40,000) bonus to anyone throwing a perfect game. The tournament will be televised all over Europe, Canada, and parts of Africa. Unfortunately, the powers that be here in the states think there is no audience for darts on TV. I wish we could correct that idea. I have a lot of people asking me when darts will be on here. I know there is interest.
In my next column, I will let you know the outcome of the World Pro and any news I may hear in England. I hope your Holiday was the best ever!
Dave Kelly
