Mark Webster wins the 15th Red Dragon Portland Open Darts Festival

Mark Webster beat Scotland’s Robert Thornton by 5 -2 in The 15th Red Dragon Portland Open Darts Festival in Inverness.

The high quality final saw Mark Webster throw a 105 average to Robert Thornton’s 102. The Welshman won the sizzling affair 5 -2.

Mark Webster said "I played really steadily all day and it was great to play my close friend Robert in the final, as he had a bit more local support than me. This is my 7th straight year at the Portland Open as it’s an amazing week of darts to play in".

The Semis were perfect preparation for both men as Webster and Thornton both whitewashed their opponents Paul Nicholson and John Henderson 5 – 0, respectively.

The event attracted a top class field of professionals and several Scottish Internationals, with well over 140 entries for the singles alone, including Winmau’s Simon Whitlock, Paul Nicholson, Arron Monk and Local Hero John Henderson all chasing the £8500.00 purse.

Last year^s Champion, World Number Five, Australian Simon Whitlock returned to defend his title but he lost 5-4 in an epic encounter in the quarter finals to the inform Robert Thornton, with both players nudging a 110 average.

Event Organiser Gordon Morrison said: "The quality of the seeds we had for this year^s tournament was fantastic as the Festival is ideal preparation for the World Matchplay, which takes place next week after our tournament".

The Red Dragon Portland Open was played exclusively on the Winmau Blade 4 and attracted a mass of spectators as there is a great opportunity to mingle with the professionals, which makes the Portland event unique, as it^s the only tournament in the UK where this can happen."