John Part
Encyclopedia
John Part is a Canadian
professional darts
player, who is nickname
d Darth Maple.
Part is one of only five players in darts history to be a three time World Champion. His first world title came at the 1994 BDO World Championship
and he later won the other version of the world title, the PDC World Championship
in 2003 and again in 2008.
Another big win came at the 1993 Blueberry Hill
Open at Chuck Berry
's restaurant in St. Louis, Missouri
.
losing to Taylor, who averaged a record 107.46 in the final.
At 6-5, with Part needing only to hold his darts to win the title, Taylor broke back to force a deciding set. However, when the crunch came, Taylor struggled to find his range and Part stayed calm to break the throw and hold on for victory.
He dropped down the world rankings somewhat in 2005 and 2006, but still enjoyed a major championship success in July 2006, when he added the Las Vegas Desert Classic
trophy to his haul of championship wins, beating Raymond van Barneveld
, 6 sets to 3 in the final. Following this, Part was a consistent semi-finalist in 2007, reaching this stage in three televised events: the US Open, the Desert Classic, and the World Grand Prix. He also reached the quarter-finals of the inaugural Grand Slam of Darts
(losing to Taylor) and had moved back up to 11 in the world rankings by the end of 2007.
Ending a successful year, Part won the 2008 PDC World Championship
with a 7-2 victory over Kirk Shepherd
, winning the first four sets on his way to victory and joining Taylor, van Barneveld, Eric Bristow
and John Lowe
as the only players to have won a World Championship more than twice.
With this win he also became only one of two players to have won the PDC World Darts Championship
more than once, the other player being Taylor. Part also became the first dart player to win the World Championship in three different venues – having won the 1994 BDO at Lakeside
, the 2003 PDC at Circus Tavern
and the 2008 PDC at Alexandra Palace
. This has since been equalled by Taylor.
Despite winning the World Championship, Part had an indifferent 2008. He finished bottom of the 2008 Premier League and suffered early exits in the US Open, Desert Classic and the European Championship. He did however reach the quarter finals of the World Grand Prix.
Part was defeated in the first round of the 2009 PDC World Championship
, losing 3-0 to American
Bill Davis
- the second time in which Part has lost his first match in the World Championship, having won the title the previous year (he was knocked out by Mark Dudbridge
in 2004
having won the title in 2003
). Part was defeated by Kirk Shepherd
in the second round of the 2010 World Championship in a repeat of the 2008 final, only recording a 76 average in a 4-1 loss. This result meant Part droped down the rankings and did not appear in the Premier League.
In June 2010 Part came through a large field of players to win the PDC North American Darts Championship in Las Vagas.
Part lost heavily to Danish Qualifier Per Laursen
in the first round of the 2011 World Championship, in which the score resulted as 3-0.
He won his first players championship since 2007 in February 2011 in Derby whitewashing Mark Walsh 6-0 with 104.86 average. On the previous day he narrowly missed double 12 for a 9 dart finish. The next day Part stated "he had nothing to lose" and that "illness had stopped him reaching where he wanted to be at the World Championships. Part's form continues when he won another players championship in May 2011 in Austria by thrashing Denis Ovens
6-0 in the final and during the event he overcame Phil Taylor 6-2. This win makes him qualify for the major tv tournaments in 2011 which he failed to do in 2010 except for the 2010 UK Open Darts
.
During the First Round of the 2011 World Matchplay, John hit a 9 Darter against Mark Webster
and came from 7-1 down to within one leg at 9-8. He subsequently lost the match but hit a milestone in his darting career with his first ever televised perfect game.
He qualified for the World Grand Prix, in which he won his first round match against current World Champion Adrian Lewis. When he was about to be out of the tournament (he was led by 1 set to nil and two legs to nil in the second set) He won three consecutive legs to equal the match.Then he won the next set to give him a place in the last 16 of the event. He lost against the eventual runner-up Brendan Dolan 1-3.
as the only commentator on the event. Part is considered to be one of the games's best "counters" or "spotters" (the ability to work out scoring shots or where the next dart may be thrown). This knowledge is essential to a darts commentator and contributed to Part being chosen by the BBC to join Green in the commentary box during the latter stages of the 1995 Embassy World Championships.
Despite his decision to play in the PDC World Championship from 1998 onwards, he was a regular in the BBC commentary box up until 2007. He missed work for two days of the 2003 Embassy World Championship due to the fact he was winning the PDC World Championship at the time.
He also missed the 2007 Winmau World Masters
, a tournament which he would usually commentate on, as he was taking part in the first-ever Grand Slam of Darts
in Wolverhampton
. He has not returned to commentating at the Lakeside Country Club since 2007, having taken position in the BBC commentary box from 1995-2007.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
professional 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, who is nickname
Nickname
A nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
d Darth Maple.
Part is one of only five players in darts history to be a three time World Champion. His first world title came at the 1994 BDO World Championship
1994 BDO World Darts Championship
-References:...
and he later won the other version of the world title, the PDC World Championship
PDC World Darts Championship
The PDC World Darts Championship is a world championship competition for the sport of darts, organised by the Professional Darts Corporation . It was introduced following a dispute in 1994 with the British Darts Organisation, which has run its own world championship since 1978...
in 2003 and again in 2008.
Early career
Part was given a dartboard by his parents as a Christmas present in 1987 which gave him the bug to take up the game. He found a pub to practise in Toronto – coincidentally called ‘The Unicorn’ (also the name of his current sponsor) – and success soon followed. He won his first title in 1991 at the Syracuse Open and two years later, Part was Canada's No.1 player.Another big win came at the 1993 Blueberry Hill
Blueberry Hill (restaurant)
Blueberry Hill is a restaurant and bar located in the Delmar Loop neighborhood in University City, a suburb of St. Louis, Missouri. Legendary performer Chuck Berry performs there for one hour on a single Wednesday each month, downstairs in the Duck Room....
Open at Chuck Berry
Chuck Berry
Charles Edward Anderson "Chuck" Berry is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter, and one of the pioneers of rock and roll music. With songs such as "Maybellene" , "Roll Over Beethoven" , "Rock and Roll Music" and "Johnny B...
's restaurant in St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
.
PDC Success
It wasn't until 2001, some four years after joining the PDC that Part began to make an impact on the circuit. He made it to the final of the 2001 PDC World Championship2001 PDC World Darts Championship
The 2001 Skol World Darts Championship was held between December 28, 2000–January 3, 2001 at the Circus Tavern, Purfleet.The tournament saw a notable first as Gayl King of Canada became the first woman to appear in the men's World Championship, having been given a wild card by organisers the...
losing to Taylor, who averaged a record 107.46 in the final.
At 6-5, with Part needing only to hold his darts to win the title, Taylor broke back to force a deciding set. However, when the crunch came, Taylor struggled to find his range and Part stayed calm to break the throw and hold on for victory.
He dropped down the world rankings somewhat in 2005 and 2006, but still enjoyed a major championship success in July 2006, when he added the Las Vegas Desert Classic
Las Vegas Desert Classic
The Las Vegas Desert Classic was a darts tournament, organised by the Professional Darts Corporation and was held each year in July from 2002 until 2010...
trophy to his haul of championship wins, beating 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...
, 6 sets to 3 in the final. Following this, Part was a consistent semi-finalist in 2007, reaching this stage in three televised events: the US Open, the Desert Classic, and the World Grand Prix. He also reached the quarter-finals of 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...
(losing to Taylor) and had moved back up to 11 in the world rankings by the end of 2007.
Ending a successful year, Part won the 2008 PDC World Championship
2008 PDC World Darts Championship
The 2008 Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship, sponsored by Ladbrokes, was the 15th World Championship organised by the Professional Darts Corporation since it separated from the British Darts Organisation...
with a 7-2 victory over Kirk Shepherd
Kirk Shepherd
Kirk Shepherd is a darts player who competes in Professional Darts Corporation events, and lives in Birmingham, England. He is the youngest player ever to reach a final of the World Professional Darts Championship...
, winning the first four sets on his way to victory and joining Taylor, van Barneveld, Eric Bristow
Eric Bristow
Eric Bristow MBE is a British darts player, whose skill at the game in the 1980s helped turn it into a worldwide spectator sport.- Early career :...
and John Lowe
John Lowe
John Lowe is an English darts player who was one of the best-known men in darts during the 1970s and 1980s, particularly in the United Kingdom. Lowe is one of only five players to have won the World Championship 3 times.-Biography:Lowe won the World Championship title in three different decades -...
as the only players to have won a World Championship more than twice.
With this win he also became only one of two players to have won the PDC World Darts Championship
PDC World Darts Championship
The PDC World Darts Championship is a world championship competition for the sport of darts, organised by the Professional Darts Corporation . It was introduced following a dispute in 1994 with the British Darts Organisation, which has run its own world championship since 1978...
more than once, the other player being Taylor. Part also became the first dart player to win the World Championship in three different venues – having won the 1994 BDO at Lakeside
Lakeside Leisure Complex
The Lakeside Leisure Complex is a hotel, entertainment and leisure complex in Frimley Green near Camberley in Surrey. It is most famous as being the venue of the BDO World Darts Championship.-History:...
, the 2003 PDC at Circus Tavern
Circus Tavern
The Circus Tavern is an entertainment venue in Purfleet, Essex, England which hosts functions, cabaret acts and is also a nightclub venue. However, it is most famous as having been a long-time venue of the PDC World Darts Championship....
and the 2008 PDC at Alexandra Palace
Alexandra Palace
Alexandra Palace is a building in North London, England. It stands in Alexandra Park, in an area between Hornsey, Muswell Hill and Wood Green...
. This has since been equalled by Taylor.
Despite winning the World Championship, Part had an indifferent 2008. He finished bottom of the 2008 Premier League and suffered early exits in the US Open, Desert Classic and the European Championship. He did however reach the quarter finals of the World Grand Prix.
Part was defeated in the first round of the 2009 PDC World Championship
2009 PDC World Darts Championship
The 2009 Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship was the 16th World Championship organised by the Professional Darts Corporation since it separated from the British Darts Organisation....
, losing 3-0 to American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Bill Davis
Bill Davis (darts player)
Bill Davis is an American darts player who plays for the Professional Darts Corporation.Davis made his televised debut in the States, taking part in the World Series of Darts in 2006, losing in the first round to Denis Ovens in a tight game...
- the second time in which Part has lost his first match in the World Championship, having won the title the previous year (he was knocked out by 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...
in 2004
2004 PDC World Darts Championship
The 2004 Ladbrokes.com World Championship was the 10th anniversary of the PDC version of the World Darts Championship. An extra preliminary round was introduced bringing the total players at the televised stages to 48. Ladbrokes, who sponsored the event initially for one year in 2003, decided to...
having won the title in 2003
2003 PDC World Darts Championship
The 2003 Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship was the tenth World Championship organised by the Professional Darts Corporation since it split from the British Darts Organisation in 1993. Ladbrokes took over sponsorship of the event from Skol.The field at the televised stages expanded for the...
). Part was defeated by Kirk Shepherd
Kirk Shepherd
Kirk Shepherd is a darts player who competes in Professional Darts Corporation events, and lives in Birmingham, England. He is the youngest player ever to reach a final of the World Professional Darts Championship...
in the second round of the 2010 World Championship in a repeat of the 2008 final, only recording a 76 average in a 4-1 loss. This result meant Part droped down the rankings and did not appear in the Premier League.
In June 2010 Part came through a large field of players to win the PDC North American Darts Championship in Las Vagas.
Part lost heavily to Danish Qualifier Per Laursen
Per Laursen
Per Laursen is a Danish darts player. He reached the final of the WDF World Cup in 2005 and won the Welsh Open earlier that year - performances which enabled him to qualify for the BDO World Darts Championship for the first time in 2006....
in the first round of the 2011 World Championship, in which the score resulted as 3-0.
He won his first players championship since 2007 in February 2011 in Derby whitewashing Mark Walsh 6-0 with 104.86 average. On the previous day he narrowly missed double 12 for a 9 dart finish. The next day Part stated "he had nothing to lose" and that "illness had stopped him reaching where he wanted to be at the World Championships. Part's form continues when he won another players championship in May 2011 in Austria by thrashing Denis Ovens
Denis Ovens
Denis Ovens is an English darts player currently ranked number 29 in the PDC Order of Merit. He is nicknamed The Heat and is now based in Stevenage. Ovens is widely regarded as one of the most consistent players in the circuit, though he has as yet failed to convert his form from the circuit to...
6-0 in the final and during the event he overcame Phil Taylor 6-2. This win makes him qualify for the major tv tournaments in 2011 which he failed to do in 2010 except for the 2010 UK Open Darts
2010 UK Open Darts
The 2010 Rileys Darts Zones UK Open was the eighth year of the PDC darts tournament where, following numerous regional qualifying heats throughout Britain, players competed in a single elimination tournament to be crowned champion...
.
During the First Round of the 2011 World Matchplay, John hit a 9 Darter against Mark Webster
Mark Webster (darts player)
Mark Webster is a left-handed Welsh darts player who lives in Denbigh. Known as Webby, he plays in Professional Darts Corporation events, having previously won the 2008 BDO World Championship. Mark became a full time professional in 2009, having previously been a fully qualified Gas registered...
and came from 7-1 down to within one leg at 9-8. He subsequently lost the match but hit a milestone in his darting career with his first ever televised perfect game.
He qualified for the World Grand Prix, in which he won his first round match against current World Champion Adrian Lewis. When he was about to be out of the tournament (he was led by 1 set to nil and two legs to nil in the second set) He won three consecutive legs to equal the match.Then he won the next set to give him a place in the last 16 of the event. He lost against the eventual runner-up Brendan Dolan 1-3.
Television Commentary
In June 1994, BBC commentator Sid Waddell decided to leave the BBC to join Sky Television. This left just Tony GreenTony Green
Tony Green is a darts commentator for the British Darts Organisation on the BBC. He is also a former referee and master of ceremonies and was also co-host of the hit darts quiz show Bullseye on ITV alongside Jim Bowen and the show revived in 2006 on Challenge with Dave Spikey.- Darts career :A...
as the only commentator on the event. Part is considered to be one of the games's best "counters" or "spotters" (the ability to work out scoring shots or where the next dart may be thrown). This knowledge is essential to a darts commentator and contributed to Part being chosen by the BBC to join Green in the commentary box during the latter stages of the 1995 Embassy World Championships.
Despite his decision to play in the PDC World Championship from 1998 onwards, he was a regular in the BBC commentary box up until 2007. He missed work for two days of the 2003 Embassy World Championship due to the fact he was winning the PDC World Championship at the time.
He also missed the 2007 Winmau World Masters
Winmau World Masters
The Winmau World Masters is one of the longest running and most prestigious professional darts tournaments, which began in 1974 - even before the current World Professional Championship...
, a tournament which he would usually commentate on, as he was taking part in the first-ever 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...
in Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region...
. He has not returned to commentating at the Lakeside Country Club since 2007, having taken position in the BBC commentary box from 1995-2007.
World Championship Performances
- 1994 (BDO) - Winner beat Bobby GeorgeBobby GeorgeRobert Francis George is an English darts player and presenter. He is widely recognised as one of the game's biggest personalities, known for his flamboyant entrances in which the "King of Darts" makes his way to the stage bedecked in jewellery, wearing a crown and cloak and holding a candelabra...
6-0 - 1995 (BDO) - Round 2 lost to Paul Williams 2-3
- 1996 (BDO) - Round 2 lost to Steve BeatonSteve BeatonSteve Beaton is an English professional darts player for the Professional Darts Corporation...
0-3 - 1997 (BDO) - Round 2 lost to Roger CarterRoger Carter (darts player)Roger Carter is an American darts player.Carter appeared in the BDO World Darts Championship four times with his best run being in 1997 when he made it to the Quarter finals, where he lost to Marshall James...
1-3 - 1998 (PDC) - Round 1 lost to Paul LimPaul LimPaul Lim Leong Hwa known simply as Paul Lim is a professional darts player who will be best remembered for being the first player to hit a perfect nine-dart finish during the Embassy World Professional Darts Championship in 1990...
1-3 - 1999 (PDC) - Round 1 lost to Alan Warriner-LittleAlan Warriner-LittleAlan Warriner-Little is an English professional darts player. He currently lives in Crosby, Cumbria and plays with the nickname The Iceman...
0-3 - 2000 (PDC) - Round 2 lost to Dennis SmithDennis Smith (darts player)Dennis Smith is an English darts player who plays in Professional Darts Corporation events. He is a stalwart on the PDC circuit, having been playing on the circuit since 1994 but has yet to capture a major title to add to his collection of Open wins...
0-3 - 2001 (PDC) - Runner Up lost to Phil Taylor 0-6
- 2002 (PDC) - Quarter-finals lost to Phil Taylor 0-6
- 2003 (PDC) - Winner beat Phil Taylor 7-6
- 2004 (PDC) - Round 3 lost to Mark DudbridgeMark DudbridgeMark 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...
3-4 - 2005 (PDC) - Round 4 lost to Mark DudbridgeMark DudbridgeMark 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...
2-4 - 2006 (PDC) - Round 3 lost to Wayne MardleWayne MardleWayne Mardle is a darts player for the Professional Darts Corporation, and former player in the BDO. He now lives in Romford...
2-4 - 2007 (PDC) - Round 2 lost to Chris MasonChris Mason (darts player)Christopher John Mason is an English darts player who plays in the Professional Darts Corporation. He uses the nickname Mace the Ace for his matches.- BDO and first PDC spell :...
2-4 - 2008 (PDC) - Winner beat Kirk ShepherdKirk ShepherdKirk Shepherd is a darts player who competes in Professional Darts Corporation events, and lives in Birmingham, England. He is the youngest player ever to reach a final of the World Professional Darts Championship...
7-2 - 2009 (PDC) - Round 1 lost to Bill DavisBill Davis (darts player)Bill Davis is an American darts player who plays for the Professional Darts Corporation.Davis made his televised debut in the States, taking part in the World Series of Darts in 2006, losing in the first round to Denis Ovens in a tight game...
0-3 - 2010 (PDC) - Round 2 lost to Kirk ShepherdKirk ShepherdKirk Shepherd is a darts player who competes in Professional Darts Corporation events, and lives in Birmingham, England. He is the youngest player ever to reach a final of the World Professional Darts Championship...
1-4 - 2011 (PDC) - Round 1 lost to Per LaursenPer LaursenPer Laursen is a Danish darts player. He reached the final of the WDF World Cup in 2005 and won the Welsh Open earlier that year - performances which enabled him to qualify for the BDO World Darts Championship for the first time in 2006....
0-3