Andy Hamilton (darts player)
Encyclopedia
Andy Hamilton is a full time professional English
darts
player widely known for his "aggressive" style of play. He is nicknamed 'The Hammer' and is currently ranked 12th on the PDC Order of Merit
.
Andy started playing darts at the age of 16 with his father Jim and brother Darren. By the age of 18, Hamilton was playing county level darts for Cheshire. However, he did not feel confident enough to pursue a career at the higher level and stopped playing competitive darts for 20 years.
championship but was eliminated in the first round 2-5 by Eddie Lovely.
Andy qualified for the 2005 PDC World Championship
and eventually reached the quarter-final stage. Hamilton defeated Mark Thomson and Mick Manning 3-0 in the early rounds and beat former BDO World Champion Steve Beaton
4-2 to reach the last 16. After beating Josephus Schenk 4-1 in the fourth round, Hamilton eventually lost 1-5 to Bob Anderson
in the quarter-finals.
The 2006 PDC World Championship
saw Hamilton gain revenge for his 2005 defeat by Anderson with a 3-2 first round win. He also knocked out Terry Jenkins
4-1 in round two. However, Hamilton fell to eventual winner Phil Taylor in the third round losing 4-0. Andy did manage to gain a share of the prize for highest three-dart checkout by hitting a 170 finish, a feat matched by Taylor.
Andy reached the quarter-finals of the 2006 Las Vegas Desert Classic
however where he reached the quarter-final stage before being eliminated by eventual runner-up Raymond van Barneveld 3-1. Hamilton had defeated Kevin Painter 6-4 in the first round and enjoyed a comprehensive 3-0 victory over Matt Clark in round two.
'The Hammer' made his Winter Gardens debut at the 2006 World Matchplay Darts
tournament. Hamilton sprang something of a surprise in round one by hammering number 4 seed Peter Manley
10-2. Andy then overcame Adrian Lewis
in the second round, the duo produced a thrilling match that eventually saw Hamilton triumph 15-13. Hamilton's fine run continued as he defeated crowd favourite Wayne Mardle 16-9 to reach his first major semi-final. However Taylor, a seven time World Matchplay Champion, eliminated Hamilton 17-11 in the semi-final.
Andy reached the semi-finals of the 2007 PDC World Championship
before bowing out 6-0 to eventual runner-up Taylor. Hamilton's campaign began with a 4-3 victory over Mark Dudbridge
before defeating Dennis Priestley
4-1 and Jenkins 5-4 in the quarter-final. Hamilton hit 46 180s during the tournament, second only to the overall winner Raymond van Barneveld
.
in the StanJames.com Players Championship in Gibraltar on 21 January. He had already overcome Andy Smith
, Roland Scholten
, Jenkins and Alan Warriner-Little
on his way to the final.
His maintained his form by reaching the semi-finals of the South-West Regional Final of the UK Open and quarter-final performances in the PDPA Players Championship in Germany and North-East Regional UK Open.
He collected his second PDC Pro Tour title on 1 April beating James Wade
in the Midlands Regional Final of the UK Open.
Andy also made a big impact in the inaugural PDC US Open, powering his way to the semi-final, where he was beaten by van Barneveld. On his way to the semi-finals he overcame one of Taylor's oldest rivals, Priestley and the hugely talented Dudbridge.
In November, Hamilton enjoyed an excellent run in the inaugural Grand Slam of Darts
, ending up as runner-up of the tournament and collecting £35,000 for his efforts. He was defeated by Taylor in the final by 18 legs to 11, despite the fact his three-dart average was over 100.
In December, Hamilton was knocked out of the second round of the PDC world championship by Alex Roy
.
, Michael Barnard
, Adrian Lewis and Wes Newton
, known as The Contenders. Hamilton previously practices with Phil Taylor, a fellow resident of Stoke-on-Trent but he now practice with Colin Osborne
. Hamilton recently moved to Derby to live closer to Osborne.
Hamilton has shot up the world rankings, climbing his way to the World's top eight, within three years of becoming professional. His strengthly attitude, compact body stance, and pure dedication, has made him a favourite in the sport.
, but Hamilton soon sold the pub to pursue a full-time darts career.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
darts
Darts
Darts is a form of throwing game where darts are thrown at a circular target fixed to a wall. Though various boards and games have been used in the past, the term "darts" usually now refers to a standardised game involving a specific board design and set of rules...
player widely known for his "aggressive" style of play. He is nicknamed 'The Hammer' and is currently ranked 12th on the PDC Order of Merit
PDC order of merit
The PDC Order of Merit is a world ranking system used by one of the darts organisations, the Professional Darts Corporation . Following the 2007 PDC World Darts Championship it superseded a world ranking system based on points being awarded for performances in ranking tournaments.-Previous world...
.
Andy started playing darts at the age of 16 with his father Jim and brother Darren. By the age of 18, Hamilton was playing county level darts for Cheshire. However, he did not feel confident enough to pursue a career at the higher level and stopped playing competitive darts for 20 years.
PDC career
Hamilton made his television debut at the 2004 UK Open2004 UK Open Darts
The 2004 Budweiser UK Open was the second time the Professional Darts Corporation held the tournament which had quickly earned the nickname the "FA Cup of Darts". It was held at Bolton Wanderer's Reebok Stadium between 4 and 6 June 2004. Budweiser became the tournament's first title sponsor...
championship but was eliminated in the first round 2-5 by Eddie Lovely.
Andy qualified for the 2005 PDC World Championship
2005 PDC World Darts Championship
The 2005 Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship, sponsored by Ladbrokes, was held at the Circus Tavern, Purfleet and started on Boxing Day, 2004...
and eventually reached the quarter-final stage. Hamilton defeated Mark Thomson and Mick Manning 3-0 in the early rounds and beat former BDO World Champion Steve Beaton
Steve Beaton
Steve Beaton is an English professional darts player for the Professional Darts Corporation...
4-2 to reach the last 16. After beating Josephus Schenk 4-1 in the fourth round, Hamilton eventually lost 1-5 to Bob Anderson
Bob Anderson (darts player)
Robert Charles "Bob" Anderson is a former world darts champion. He was ranked as world number one for over three years in the late 1980s. Nicknamed The Limestone Cowboy, he lives in Clevedon in Somerset.-Before Darts:Anderson threw his first darts maximum at the age of just five...
in the quarter-finals.
The 2006 PDC World Championship
2006 PDC World Darts Championship
The 2006 Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship was held from 19 December 2005 to 2 January 2006 at the Circus Tavern. It was the 13th staging of the Professional Darts Corporation's version of the World Championship....
saw Hamilton gain revenge for his 2005 defeat by Anderson with a 3-2 first round win. He also knocked out Terry Jenkins
Terry Jenkins
Terry Jenkins is an English professional darts player who is nicknamed The Bull, having previously used the nickname "Tucker" for his matches...
4-1 in round two. However, Hamilton fell to eventual winner Phil Taylor in the third round losing 4-0. Andy did manage to gain a share of the prize for highest three-dart checkout by hitting a 170 finish, a feat matched by Taylor.
Andy reached the quarter-finals of the 2006 Las Vegas Desert Classic
2006 Las Vegas Desert Classic
-2006 Prize Money:*Champion £15,000*Runner-up £7,500*Semi Finalists £5,000*Quarter Finalists £3,500*Second Round Losers £2,000*First Round Losers £1,350-First Round:Wednesday 28 June 2006First to six legs-Second Round:Thursday 29 June 2006...
however where he reached the quarter-final stage before being eliminated by eventual runner-up Raymond van Barneveld 3-1. Hamilton had defeated Kevin Painter 6-4 in the first round and enjoyed a comprehensive 3-0 victory over Matt Clark in round two.
'The Hammer' made his Winter Gardens debut at the 2006 World Matchplay Darts
2006 World Matchplay Darts
The 2006 Stan James World Matchplay was the 13th staging of the major darts tournament by the Professional Darts Corporation. It was held at the Winter Gardens, Blackpool between July 23 and July 29, 2006.-Prize money:...
tournament. Hamilton sprang something of a surprise in round one by hammering number 4 seed Peter Manley
Peter Manley
Peter David Manley is an English professional darts player who plays in the Professional Darts Corporation. He is nicknamed One Dart as he is known for hitting doubles with his first dart...
10-2. Andy then overcame Adrian Lewis
Adrian Lewis
Adrian Lewis is an English professional darts player for the Professional Darts Corporation who is the reigning PDC World Darts Champion...
in the second round, the duo produced a thrilling match that eventually saw Hamilton triumph 15-13. Hamilton's fine run continued as he defeated crowd favourite Wayne Mardle 16-9 to reach his first major semi-final. However Taylor, a seven time World Matchplay Champion, eliminated Hamilton 17-11 in the semi-final.
Andy reached the semi-finals of the 2007 PDC World Championship
2007 PDC World Darts Championship
The 2007 Ladbrokes.com PDC World Darts Championship was the 14th World Championship organised by the Professional Darts Corporation since it separated from the British Darts Organisation. The tournament began on Monday 18 December 2006 and the final was played on Monday 1 January 2007...
before bowing out 6-0 to eventual runner-up Taylor. Hamilton's campaign began with a 4-3 victory over Mark Dudbridge
Mark Dudbridge
Mark Daniel Dudbridge is an English professional darts player.-Darts career:He started playing in his very early teens, citing Dennis Priestley as one of his heroes...
before defeating Dennis Priestley
Dennis Priestley
Dennis Priestley is an English professional darts player. He has won two world championships, and was the first player to win both the BDO and WDC world championships, in 1991 and 1994 respectively...
4-1 and Jenkins 5-4 in the quarter-final. Hamilton hit 46 180s during the tournament, second only to the overall winner Raymond van Barneveld
Raymond van Barneveld
Raymond van Barneveld , nickname Barney is a professional darts player. He is a five time World Darts Champion, and two time UK Open Champion. From January to June 2008, he was the PDC world number one ranked player...
.
2007 season
Hamilton enjoyed a superb start to 2007 and picked up his first PDC Pro Tour title with a 3-1 win over Colin LloydColin Lloyd
Colin Lloyd , nicknamed Jaws, is an English professional darts player on the Professional Darts Corporation circuit. He is a former world number one ranked player and he has won two major television titles in the PDC - the 2004 World Grand Prix and 2005 World Matchplay...
in the StanJames.com Players Championship in Gibraltar on 21 January. He had already overcome Andy Smith
Andy Smith (darts player)
Andrew Smith is a darts player who competes in Professional Darts Corporation events. He uses the nickname Pieman for his matches...
, Roland Scholten
Roland Scholten
Roland Scholten is a Dutch professional darts player who plays for the Professional Darts Corporation and formerly for the British Darts Organisation. He is nicknamed Tripod or The Flying Dutchman and uses Hey Ya by Outkast as his walk-on. He is currently ranked 45th in the PDC...
, Jenkins and Alan Warriner-Little
Alan Warriner-Little
Alan Warriner-Little is an English professional darts player. He currently lives in Crosby, Cumbria and plays with the nickname The Iceman...
on his way to the final.
His maintained his form by reaching the semi-finals of the South-West Regional Final of the UK Open and quarter-final performances in the PDPA Players Championship in Germany and North-East Regional UK Open.
He collected his second PDC Pro Tour title on 1 April beating James Wade
James Wade
James Wade is an English professional darts player, currently playing in the Professional Darts Corporation . He became the youngest player ever to win a major PDC title at the World Matchplay in July 2007...
in the Midlands Regional Final of the UK Open.
Andy also made a big impact in the inaugural PDC US Open, powering his way to the semi-final, where he was beaten by van Barneveld. On his way to the semi-finals he overcame one of Taylor's oldest rivals, Priestley and the hugely talented Dudbridge.
In November, Hamilton enjoyed an excellent run in the inaugural Grand Slam of Darts
Grand Slam of Darts
The Grand Slam of Darts is a darts tournament organised by the Professional Darts Corporation and is known as the William Hill Grand Slam of Darts for sponsorship purposes. The PDC also invites the best performing players from its rival the British Darts Organisation...
, ending up as runner-up of the tournament and collecting £35,000 for his efforts. He was defeated by Taylor in the final by 18 legs to 11, despite the fact his three-dart average was over 100.
In December, Hamilton was knocked out of the second round of the PDC world championship by Alex Roy
Alex Roy (darts player)
Alex Roy is a darts player who competes in Professional Darts Corporation events. He uses the nickname Ace of Herts for this matches and is with Dave Holland Management....
.
2008 onwards
Andy Hamilton went off the 'radar' for a while, and re-made his good name in the World Matchplay by beating Gary Anderson, who he was expected to lose against, John Henderson, and after being 15-8 down against Simon Whitlock, he pulled back and won the game 17-15, winning 9 legs in a row, and was called maybe the greatest comeback in World Matchplay history. However he lost to Phil Taylor 17-9 in the Semi finals.Darts business
Andy is sponsored by Unicorn, the same company as James WadeJames Wade
James Wade is an English professional darts player, currently playing in the Professional Darts Corporation . He became the youngest player ever to win a major PDC title at the World Matchplay in July 2007...
, Michael Barnard
Michael Barnard (darts player)
Michael Barnard is an English darts player who plays in Professional Darts Corporation events.A winner of the World Youth Masters in 1991, Barnard joined the PDC circuit in late 2003 taking part in UK Open regionals, reaching the semi finals of the Scottish Regional and the quarter finals of the...
, Adrian Lewis and Wes Newton
Wes Newton
Wesley "Wes" Newton is an English darts player who plays in Professional Darts Corporation tournaments.-Darts career:...
, known as The Contenders. Hamilton previously practices with Phil Taylor, a fellow resident of Stoke-on-Trent but he now practice with Colin Osborne
Colin Osborne
Colin Osborne is an English darts player currently playing in Professional Darts Corporation events.-Darts career:Osborne has won two PDC Pro Tour events and he also managed to hit two perfect nine dart finishes in 2005...
. Hamilton recently moved to Derby to live closer to Osborne.
Hamilton has shot up the world rankings, climbing his way to the World's top eight, within three years of becoming professional. His strengthly attitude, compact body stance, and pure dedication, has made him a favourite in the sport.
Personal life
Away from the oche he is married to wife Kate and has three stepchildren Adam, Sarah and Vicky. He and his wife ran the Skylark pub in Stoke-on-TrentStoke-on-Trent
Stoke-on-Trent , also called The Potteries is a city in Staffordshire, England, which forms a linear conurbation almost 12 miles long, with an area of . Together with the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme Stoke forms The Potteries Urban Area...
, but Hamilton soon sold the pub to pursue a full-time darts career.