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The first Pro Darts Championship is now history and what an event it was! From a member’s point of view see Adam Ember’s article (home page). I’ll take this time to provide you an overview from a Pros prospective.
Twenty-one Pros registered in four categories; Men’s & Women’s soft tip and Men’s & Women’s steel tip. The format was identical for all categories; 501 straight start, double out best of 3, best of 3 sets single elimination. All matches were seeded based on the Pro’s points per dart averages (ppda). If the divisions were odd, the number one seed advanced to the second round.
Under these conditions as the top seeds advanced they could only meet in the finals. During the Championship there were two major upsets; in the Women’s Steel Tip semi-finals number 2 seed, Nita Miller upset number 1 seed, Brandy Orgeron in the second round. In the Men’s Soft Tip as the number 6 seed, I upset number 3 seed Mark Youngblood. It was the only match where there was a tie of games won & lost (4). I advanced by winning the third game of the third set (an 86 out-trip 18, double 16). At the conclusion of each round matches were determined by the Pros ppda.
As Adam points out in his article this event was like no other the ADA has ever conducted. Over $6000. in prize money was awarded to the Pros and EVERY Pro won money. Sponsors contributed over half of the purse with the Pros entries contributing the balance.
In addition to the prize purse every Pro received a custom framed certificate with their name & how they placed in this historic event. Most Valuable Players’ were determined by comparing their certified ppda to their Championship ppda, number of games played & 180’s.
Official Pro Darts Championship results:
Men’s Soft Tip
First round:
#1 Seed Bill Cross, Jr. advances (bye)
#2 Seed Dan “Cujo” Lauby (IN) over #7 seed Karl Remick (MO) in 2 sets (4-1)
#4 Seed Bob Wehde (CO) over #5 seed Pat Bonner (MO) in 2 sets (4-1)
#6 Seed Glenn Remick (MO) upsets #3 seed Mark Youngblood (VA) in three sets (4-4)
Semi-finals:
#1 Seed Bill Cross, Jr. over #6 seed Glenn Remick in 2 sets (4-0)
#4 Seed Bob Wehde upsets # 2 seed Cujo in 3 sets (4-2)
Finals (race to 9 games):
#1 Seed Bill Cross, Jr. over #4 seed Bob Wehde (9-7)
Men’s Steel Tip
Finals (race to 9 games):
#1 Seed Christopher Dove (LA) over #2 seed Charles Dufrene (LA) (9-7)
Women’s Soft Tip
First round:
#1 Seed Jean Purgold (VA) advances (bye)
#5 Seed Shelly Easton (MO) upsets #4 seed Amber Hardwick (IN) in 3 sets (4-3)
Semi-finals:
#1 Seed Jean Purgold over #5 seed Shelly Easton in 2 sets (4-0)
#2 Seed Shannon Wood (MO) over #3 seed Jesse Whisler (IN) in 3 sets (4-2)
Finals (race to 9 games):
#1 Seed Jean Purgold over #2 seed Shannon Wood (9-5)
Women’s Steel Tip
First Round
#1 Seed Brandy Orgeron (LA) advances (bye)
#2 Seed Wanda Weaver (LA) over #7 seed Dawn Dufrene (LA) in 2 sets
(4-0)
#3 Seed Linda Guidroz (LA) over #6 seed Marilyn Nolasco in 2 sets (4-2)
#5 Seed Nita Miller (LA) upsets #4 seed Sally Thorson in 2 sets (4-0)
Semi-finals:
#5 Seed Nita Miller upsets #1 seed Brandy Orgeron in 3 sets (5-3)
#2 Seed Wanda Weaver over #3 seed Linda Guidroz in 2 sets (5-3)
Finals (race to 9 games):
#2 Seed Wanda Weaver over #5 seed Nita Miller (9-5)
Most Valuable Player (MVP)
Men’s Soft Tip – Bob Wehde
Men’s Steel Tip – Charles Dufrene
Women’s Soft Tip – Shannon Wood
Women’s Steel Tip – Wanda Weaver
Pro/Am Doubles
Soft Tip
Pro Dan “Cujo” Lauby, Amateur Gary Richoux
Steel Tip
Pro Charles Dufrene, Amateur Charles Berthelot
Friday Draw Doubles
Soft Tip
Karl Remick (MO) & Bob Wehde (CO)
Steel Tip
Anthony Burns (LA) & Raynell Moody (LA)
Saturday Draw Doubles
Soft Tip
Jean Purgold (VA) & Mark Youngblood (VA)
Steel Tip
Darron Orgeron (LA) & Charles Graf (LA)
ADA Professionals:
Men's Soft Tip |
PPDA |
Region |
Seed |
Championship
PPDA |
Cross Jr, Bill |
31.042 |
II |
1 |
33.5 |
Lauby, Dan |
30.034 |
V |
2 |
32.5 |
Youngblood, Mark |
27.508 |
II |
3 |
26.8 |
Bonner, Pat |
23.189 |
V |
4 |
25.8 |
Wehde, Bob |
26.641 |
VI |
5 |
31.8 |
Remick, Glenn |
22.093 |
V |
6 |
25.0 |
Remick, Karl |
21.316 |
V |
7 |
24.9 |
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Women's Soft Tip |
PPDA |
Region |
Seed |
Championship
PPDA |
Purgold, Jean |
19.027 |
II |
1 |
18.9 |
Wood, Shannon |
16.961 |
V |
2 |
17.2 |
Whisley, Jesse |
15.930 |
V |
3 |
17.3 |
Hardwick, Amber |
15.093 |
V |
4 |
17.5 |
Easton, Shelly |
14.460 |
V |
5 |
13.6 |
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Men's Steel Tip |
PPDA |
Region |
Seed |
Championship
PPDA |
Dove, Christopher |
18.254 |
IV |
1 |
20.7 |
Dufrene, Charles |
17.635 |
IV |
2 |
21.6 |
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Women's Steel Tip |
PPDA |
Region |
Seed |
Championship
PPDA |
Orgeron, Brandy |
13.463 |
IV |
1 |
16.3 |
Weaver, Wanda |
13.324 |
IV |
2 |
15.0 |
Guidroz, Linda |
12.878 |
IV |
3 |
14.7 |
Thorson, Sally |
12.665 |
VI |
4 |
11.5 |
Miller, Nina |
12.723 |
IV |
5 |
14.1 |
Nolasco, Marilyn |
12.498 |
IV |
6 |
14.2 |
Dufrene, Dawn |
12.066 |
IV |
7 |
11.5 |
Highlights:
- 76% of the Pros increased their points per dart average during Championship
- In the Men’s Soft Tip finals of the 16 games played only one game went to 18 darts. All remaining games were 16 games or less. A 10 dart game by runner-up Bob Wehde!
- There were five upsets (lower seed defeating higher seed in 13 matches (38%). The biggest upset was in the Women’s steel tip; #5 seed Nina Miller over #1 seed Brandy Orgeron
- In the Men’s steel tip finals the runner-up, Charles Dufrene, had a higher points per dart average than the winner (20.6/21.7)
- Seventeen of the twenty-one Pros (81%) were sponsored by businesses from their local home market!
In closing, thanks to Mayor Nagin & the city of New Orleans, the Hilton Riverside Hotel, the New Orleans Convention & Visitors Bureau for their great hospitality. Thanks to our sponsors; Jim Beam Black bourbon, Budweiser beer, Sportcraft/Unicorn for providing the World Pro Unicorn dartboards and to Shelti for the Eye2 soft tip dart machines.
Last but not least a special thanks to ADA Franchisees Larry & Stella Bordlee and the ADA New Orleans franchise members for welcoming our Professional & Amateur members from around the country to New Orleans.
To say the first ADA Pro Darts Championship was a success would be an understatement. Plans are already underway for the 2nd annual. Stay tuned!
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