Darin Young Wins North American Darts Champion

YOUNG CLAIMS INAUGURAL TITLE

DARIN YOUNG claimed the biggest title of his career with an 8-7 win over Brad Wethington in the final of the inaugural North American Darts Championship.

Young edged a final leg thriller to pick up the $15,000 first prize at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Connecticut, with Wethington missing two darts for victory before the Pennsylvania star took the decider in 13 darts.

He had also produced a 13-darter to defeat Dave Brocksmith in a deciding leg in the quarter-finals and a 14-darter in the final leg of his 4-3 win over Larry Butler earlier in the event, and was a 7-5 winner over Bill Davis in the semis.

The final saw Young and Wethington trade legs, with the lead changing hands five times in total.

Wethington took a 3-2 lead early on, only for three straight legs to put Young 5-3 up.

Wethington won four of the next five - including a 94 finish on the bullseye - to push himself back into the ascendancy, and gave himself a shot for the title in leg 14.

However, his misses at double top and double ten allowed Young to rescue himself before landing three 140 scores to pull clear in the decider and take out double top for a 13-dart winning leg.

"I^m overcome by the emotion of winning," admitted Young. "It^s the biggest win of my career and a big momentum boost for me to kick on now.

"I was playing one of my best buddies and it was a picture perfect match - I had to fight, claw back and get the job done.

"It was a cracking game and fantastic to be a part of."

Wethington claimed $5,000 as runner-up, and admitted: "It^s the biggest pay-day of my career and I^m pleased to have reached the final.

"It wasn^t my best display of the event but I gave myself a chance to win it - the dart at double top just flicked below the wire and I honestly thought the double ten was going in when it left my hand, but it wasn^t to be.

"Being in the final will be great for me and superb experience.

"The PDC has raised the level in America. People have a shot at the World Championship and other major events and playing against the top players in the world helps any player."

Wethington had earlier come from 4-0 down to defeat California^s Chris White 7-6 in the semi-finals.

World Champion John Part was knocked out in the third round of the tournament, losing 4-3 to Buddy Lessig, while number two seed Gerry Convery was eliminated in the second round, going down 4-1 to Paul Lim.

North American Darts Championship

First Round

Stowe Buntz 4-2 Sean Smyth

Neil Lanterman 4-1 Adrian W Lewis

Buddy Lessig 4-1 Victor de Wild

Patrick Condon Bye

Doug Stacey 4-2 Ron Colvard

Sean Lodge Bye (Don Fox)

Brian Blankenhorn 4-2 Richie Sieferheld

Roger Carter 4-1 Michael Brewer

Fred Bigelowe 4-2 Cornelius McLaughlin

Shawn Brenneman 4-0 Jason Roker

Pat Breithaupt 4-1 Avery Barry

Chris Franklin 4-0 Brad Page

Daniel Thibadeau 4-0 Peter Plecinoga

James Drury 4-0 Yvonne Martin-Cowig

Dave Brocksmith 4-0 Joseph Doolan

Scott Henning 4-1 Henry Helie

Kevin Liebkemann 4-3 Cameron Paine

Tom Sawyer 4-0 Scott Wollaston

Robert Miske 4-0 Matthew Courtney

David Hascup 4-0 Timothy Madore

Mat Malone 4-0 Nancy Huntoon

Richard

Robert Heckman 4-0 John Diorio

Alexander MacDougall 4-2 Jason Demers

Larry Butler 4-0 J Dwayne Heinrichs

Michael Burns 4-3 Bill James

Neil Dickson 4-3 Michael Parks

Mike MaGuire 4-2 Kevin Lagos

Burt van Wie 4-1 Phino Loyola

Kory Nichols 4-0 John Davis

Jason Hill 4-2 Thomas Watson

David Fatum 4-3 Riley Stockman

Luben Izov 4-0 Ronald Hall

Paul Bolduc Bye (Donald Suiter)

George Timpone 4-3 Marilyn Popp

Jerry van Loan 4-0 Anthony Eugenia

Dave Kelly 4-3 Anthoni Romna

Timothy S Groves 4-3 Carol Rawson

Steve Brown 4-0 Thomas J Bunnenberg

Martin Tremblay 4-0 Kenneth Powchak

Joseph Swick 4-1 David Minasian

Dan Lauby 4-3 Stacy Stevens

Jason Naert 4-1 Lor Thao

Robert Metaxotos 4-3 Jeff Marks

Jim Newman 4-1 Tom Waterman

Scott Pressey 4-1 Danny Pike

Donny Joe 4-3 David Saba

Garrett French Bye (Irene Mangan)

Tom Curtin 4-2 Robert MacWilliams

Craig Akin 4-1 Tim Lemieux

Phil Sroka 4-0 Owen Shea

Kurt Tyson 4-1 Michael Garramone

Michael Minero Jnr 4-1 Camilla Bunnell

Greg Tong 4-3 Charles Healy

David Walsh 4-2 Jeffrey Burland

Davis

Bill Butler 4-3 Bruce Graham

Paul Lim 4-2 John Finnegan

Dave Watson 4-1 Damien McKenna

Tim Grossman 4-0 Jason Benjamin

Daniel Beauregard 4-1 John McGowan

Kevin Joyce 4-0 Robert Tafuri

Frank Smith 4-0 Kevin Czipo

Donnie Murray 4-2 TJ Jackowski

Isen Veljic 4-1 Raymond Knispel

Chester

Jerry Hall Bye (Rick Wadlow)

Chris White 4-3 Mark Prutchick

Thomas Healy 4-0 Adam Sherlock

Ross Snook 4-0 John Rice

Tim O^Gorman 4-1 John Ramsay

John Jacko 4-1 Bruce Robbins

Robert St ONge 4-2 William Penn

Niki Carey 4-2 Rob Petelin

Gerard Guilkowski 4-3 Pete Riehl

Richard

Paul Cockings 4-0 Christopher Eberley

Janel Pelletier 4-2 William Bauson

Robert Gargan 4-2 Roy Chad

Joel Beal 4-0 Trish Gizesik

Dave Cameron 4-1 Jason Smith

Stephen Panuncialman 4-0 Lawrence Gallagher

Ron Linstruth 4-1 Stephen Lore

Joselito Moses 4-0 Patrick Bennan

Robert Race 4-1 Jeffrey Stewart

Wayne Budgen 4-0 Robert Hale

Mark Neilsen 4-1 Timmy Nicoll

Jeffrey Steinberg 4-3 Chris Linkous

Scott Cummings 4-1 Joe DaVanti

William Frankin 4-2 Vasilios Gavrielatos

Darren Starr 4-1 Peter S Gyome

Michael Mitchell 4-3 Andrew Sleeth

Joe Chaney 4-3 Keith Connor

John Piepora 4-3 Jayson Barlow

Terry Hayhurst 4-3 James Horan

Gordon Dixon 4-2 Robert Given

Dieter Schutsch 4-0 Robert Peterson

Rory Orvis 4-0 Jared Gurman

Mark Schlesinger 4-3 Sebastian Gagnon

David Marienthal 4-1 Kenneth Johnson

Richard

James Snook 4-0 Russell Baker

Roger Taylor 4-2 Daniel Pattee

Denis Sayre Jnr 4-0 James Diminno

Garrett Hammond 4-2 Sean Downs

Donnie Strode 4-3 Scott Kirchner

Chris Leslie 4-0 Tom Cocker

Jason Watt 4-1 Tony Thompson

Bill Anderson 4-0 Bob Coggeshall

Thomas Pagliuca 4-1 Daniel Fennell

Barry Todd 4-0 James Love

James Jordan 4-1 Christopher Russano

William de Witt 4-3 Lorne Heinrichs

Ron Parent 4-1 Tim Murray

Second Round

John Part 4-0 Stowe Buntz

Buddy Lessig 4-1 Neil Lanterman

Doug Stacey 4-2 Patrick Condon

Brian Blankenhorn 4-1 Sean Lodge

Roger Carter 4-2 Fred Bigelowe

Shawn Brenneman 4-1 Pat Breithaupt

Daniel Thibaudeau 4-3 Chris Franklin

Dave Brocksmith 4-0 James Drury

Darin Young 4-2 Scott Henning

Tom Sawyer 4-1 Kevin Liebkemann

Robert Miske 4-0 David Hascup

Richard

Brian Cyr 4-3 Robert Heckman

Larry Butler 4-3 Alexander MacDougall

Michael Burns 4-3 Neil Dickson

Burt van Wie 4-3 Mike MaGuire

Bill Davis 4-1 Kory Nichols

David Fatum 4-1 Jason Hill

Paul Bolduc 4-0 Luben Izov

George Timpone 4-1 Jerry van Loan

Dave Kelly 4-3 Frederick Krueger

Steve Brown 4-0 Timothy S Groves

Joseph Swick 4-2 Martin Tremblay

Dan Lauby 4-1 Jason Naert

John Kuczynski 4-0 Robert Metaxotos

Jim Newman 4-1 Scott Pressey

Donny Joe 4-0 Garrett French

Tom Curtin 4-0 Craig Akin

Brian Blake 4-0 Phil Sroka

Kurt Tyson 4-3 Michael Minero Jnr

David Walsh 4-1 Greg Tong

Davis

Paul Lim 4-1 Gerry Convery

Tim Grossman 4-0 Dave Watson

Daniel Beauregard 4-0 Kevin Joyce

Frank Smith 4-1 Donnie Murray

Isen Veljic 4-1 Chester MacKenzie

Chris White 4-1 Jerry Hall

Ross Snook 4-2 Thomas Healy

Tim O^Gorman 4-0 John Jacko

Dan Olson 4-0 Robert St Onge

Gerard Zuilkowski 4-0 Niki Carey

Paul Cockings 4-1 Richard Hammond

Robert Gargan 4-1 Janel Pelletier

Jim Widmayer 4-2 Joel Beal

Dave Cameron 4-3 Stephen Panuncialman

Joselito Moises 4-1 Ron Linstruth

Wayne Budgen 4-0 Robert Race

Gary Mawson 4-0 Mark Neilsen

Scott Cummings 4-1 Jeffrey Steinberg

William Franklin 4-3 Darren Starr

Joe Chaney 4-0 Michael Mitchell

Ron Miller 4-1 John Piepora

Gordon Dixon 4-2 Terry Hayhurst

Rory Orvis 4-2 Dieter Schutsch

David Marienthal 4-1 Mark Schlesinger

Ray Carver 4-0 Richard Corless

James Snook 4-0 Roger Taylor

Denis Sayre Jnr 4-3 Garrett Hammond

Donnie Strode 4-2 Chris Leslie

Brad Wethington 4-0 Jason Watt

Bill Anderson 4-0 Thomas Pagliuca

James Jordan 4-2 Barry Todd

Ron Parent 4-3 William de Witt

Third Round

Buddy Lessig 4-3 John Part

Brian Blankenhorn 4-0 Doug Stacey

Shawn Brenneman 4-3 Roger Carter

Dave Brocksmith 4-1 Daniel Thibaudeau

Darin Young 4-1 Tom Sawyer

Robert Miske 4-3 Richard Espinosa

Larry Butler 4-3 Brian Cyr

Michael Burns 4-2 Burt van Wie

Bill Davis 4-0 David Fatum

Paul Bolduc 4-3 George Timpone

Steve Brown 4-3 Dave Kelly

Dan Lauby 4-1 Joseph Swick

John Kuczynski 4-1 Jim Newman

Donny Joe 4-1 Tom Curtin

Brian Blake 4-1 Kurt Tyson

David Walsh 4-3 Davis Snider

Tim Grossman 4-3 Paul Lim

Frank Smith 4-2 Daniel Beauregard

Chris White 4-2 Isen Veljic

Tim O^Gorman 4-0 Ross Snook

Dan Olson 4-0 Gerard Zuilkowski

Robert Gargan 4-2 Paul Cockings

Dave Cameron 4-1 Jim Widmayer

Wayne Budgen 4-2 Joselito Moises

Scott Cummings 4-3 Gary Mawson

Joe Chaney 4-1 William Franklin

Gordon Dixon 4-0 Ron Miller

Rory Orvis 4-1 David Marienthal

Ray Carver 4-0 James Snook

Donnie Strode 4-1 Denis Sayre Jnr

Brad Wethington 4-1 Bill Anderson

Ron Parent 4-0 James Jordan

Fourth Round

Buddy Lessig 4-0 Brian Blankenhorn

Dave Brocksmith 4-1 Shawn Brenneman

Darin Young 4-2 Robert Miske

Larry Butler 4-0 Michael Burns

Bill Davis 4-1 Paul Bolduc

Dan Lauby 4-1 Steve Brown

John Kuczynski 4-2 Tom Curtin

Brian Blake 4-2 David Walsh

Tim Grossman 4-3 Frank Smith

Chris White 4-1 Tim O^Gorman

Dan Olson 4-3 Robert Gargan

Dave Cameron 4-1 Wayne Budgen

Joe Chaney 4-1 Scott Cummings

Gordon Dixon 4-3 Rory Orvis

Ray Carver 4-3 Donnie Strode

Brad Wethington 4-3 Ron Parent

Losers $500

Fifth Round

Dave Brocksmith 4-1 Buddy Lessig

Darin Young 4-3 Larry Butler

Bill Davis 4-1 Dan Lauby

John Kuczynski 4-1 Brian Blake

Chris White 4-2 Tim Grossman

Dave Cameron 4-0 Dan Olson

Joe Chaney 4-2 Gordon Dixon

Brad Wethington 4-3 Ray Carver

Losers $1,000

Quarter-Finals

Darin Young 4-3 Dave Brocksmith

Bill Davis 4-1 John Kuczynski

Chris White 4-3 Dave Cameron

Brad Wethington 4-0 Joe Chaney

Losers $2,000

Semi-Finals

Darin Young 7-5 Bill Davis

Chris White 6-7 Brad Wethington

Losers $3,000

Final

Darin Young 8-7 Brad Wethington

Winner $15,000

Runner-Up $5,000