Richie Burnett
Encyclopedia
Richie Burnett is a Welsh
darts
player who was the 1995 Embassy World Darts Champion and currently plays in Professional Darts Corporation
events. His nickname is The Prince of Wales.
. After the WDC
and the BDO
players went their separate ways from 1994, Burnett began to win several titles in the BDO. During that first year after the split, he won the Dutch Open, Welsh Open, British Matchplay and the Denmark Open. He then added one of the two BDO major titles, the Winmau World Masters
beating Steve Beaton
in the final.
Although the 1995 BDO World Darts Championship was his debut, he had risen in the rankings to become number two seed and eventually went on to win the title, beating Raymond van Barneveld
6–3 (sets
) in the final.
He would also reach the final of the BDO World Championship on two more occasions, losing in 1996 to Steve Beaton
and in 1998 to Raymond van Barneveld
. His 1996 final defeat was his first match loss at Lakeside and ended a run of nine consecutive match wins. The 1998 final went down the 11th and deciding set and Burnett failed with an outshot opportunity that would have given him a second World title. A year later, after first round defeat in the 1999 World Championship to Ronnie Baxter
, he switched to compete on the PDC
circuit.
. At the World Championships, he twice reached the quarter finals (2002 and 2003), but his world ranking steadily fell afterwards and by the end of 2006 he had almost slipped out of the top 50. As a result he now has to qualify for all the major PDC tournaments, and failed to qualify for the World Championships for the first time in 2006.
He had to win four matches to qualify for the televised stages of the 2007 PDC World Darts Championship
, but lost in the first round to Alex Roy
, with his ranking subsequently falling to as low as 100. He was also reported to be suffering from dartitis
which was visible at the 2009 UK Open
where he lost in the first round.
After several years of poor form, he showed an improvement in October 2010 by reaching the semi-finals of the John McEvoy Gold Dart Classic, losing in a last-leg decider to Gary Anderson
. A week later, he reached two successive PDC Pro Tour
finals in Bad Nauheim
, Germany
- losing 4–6 to fellow Welshman Mark Webster
on Saturday, and then by the same scoreline to Simon Whitlock
on Sunday. His improved form put earned him qualification for the 2011 World Championships
and the 2011 Players Championship Finals.
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
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 was the 1995 Embassy World Darts Champion and currently plays in Professional Darts Corporation
Professional Darts Corporation
The Professional Darts Corporation is a professional darts organization, established in the United Kingdom during 1992, when a group of leading professional players split from the British Darts Organisation to form what was initially called the World Darts Council...
events. His nickname is The Prince of Wales.
BDO career
Burnett first came to prominence shortly after the split in the gameSplit in darts
The split in darts refers to an acrimonious dispute between top professional darts players and the game's governing body which began in 1992 and resulted in the formation of a new organisation to arrange tournaments - including a second version of the World Professional Darts Championship...
. After the WDC
Professional Darts Corporation
The Professional Darts Corporation is a professional darts organization, established in the United Kingdom during 1992, when a group of leading professional players split from the British Darts Organisation to form what was initially called the World Darts Council...
and the BDO
British Darts Organisation
The British Darts Organisation, or the BDO for short, is a darts organisation founded on 7 January 1973 by Olly Croft, OBE. The BDO is a founder member of the World Darts Federation which was formed in 1976....
players went their separate ways from 1994, Burnett began to win several titles in the BDO. During that first year after the split, he won the Dutch Open, Welsh Open, British Matchplay and the Denmark Open. He then added one of the two BDO major titles, the 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...
beating Steve Beaton
Steve Beaton
Steve Beaton is an English professional darts player for the Professional Darts Corporation...
in the final.
Although the 1995 BDO World Darts Championship was his debut, he had risen in the rankings to become number two seed and eventually went on to win the title, 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...
6–3 (sets
Set (darts)
A set in darts consists of a sequence of legs played, ending when the count of legs won meets certain criteria. Throwing first is considered an advantage in a leg, so players alternate who throws first in each leg during the set....
) in the final.
He would also reach the final of the BDO World Championship on two more occasions, losing in 1996 to Steve Beaton
Steve Beaton
Steve Beaton is an English professional darts player for the Professional Darts Corporation...
and in 1998 to 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...
. His 1996 final defeat was his first match loss at Lakeside and ended a run of nine consecutive match wins. The 1998 final went down the 11th and deciding set and Burnett failed with an outshot opportunity that would have given him a second World title. A year later, after first round defeat in the 1999 World Championship to Ronnie Baxter
Ronnie Baxter
Ronnie Baxter is an English darts player. He uses the nickname The Rocket for his matches. Baxter is known for his fast, robotic throwing action...
, he switched to compete on the PDC
Professional Darts Corporation
The Professional Darts Corporation is a professional darts organization, established in the United Kingdom during 1992, when a group of leading professional players split from the British Darts Organisation to form what was initially called the World Darts Council...
circuit.
PDC career
Since joining the PDC, Burnett's overall record has not been as successful as his time in the BDO. His best performance to date came by reaching the final of the 2001 World Matchplay2001 World Matchplay Darts
The 2001 World Matchplay was a darts tournament held in the Empress Ballroom at the Winter Gardens, Blackpool. This was the second World Matchplay tournament to be sponsored by UK bookmaker Stan James...
. At the World Championships, he twice reached the quarter finals (2002 and 2003), but his world ranking steadily fell afterwards and by the end of 2006 he had almost slipped out of the top 50. As a result he now has to qualify for all the major PDC tournaments, and failed to qualify for the World Championships for the first time in 2006.
He had to win four matches to qualify for the televised stages of the 2007 PDC World Darts 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...
, but lost in the first round to 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....
, with his ranking subsequently falling to as low as 100. He was also reported to be suffering from dartitis
Dartitis
Dartitis is a condition which can affect dart players, and severely damage their performance and results. It can be compared to the 'yips', an expression used to describe apparent loss of fine motor skills without any explanation...
which was visible at the 2009 UK Open
2009 UK Open Darts
The 2009 Blue Square UK Open was the seventh 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...
where he lost in the first round.
After several years of poor form, he showed an improvement in October 2010 by reaching the semi-finals of the John McEvoy Gold Dart Classic, losing in a last-leg decider to Gary Anderson
Gary Anderson (darts player)
Gary Anderson is a Scottish professional darts player from Eyemouth, Scottish Borders, currently playing in the Professional Darts Corporation, and a former BDO and WDF world number one. His nickname is The Flying Scotsman...
. A week later, he reached two successive PDC Pro Tour
PDC Pro Tour
The PDC Pro Tour is a series of non-televised darts tournaments organised by the Professional Darts Corporation . They comprise Professional Dart Players Association Players Championships and UK Open Regional Finals.-Players Championships:...
finals in Bad Nauheim
Bad Nauheim
Bad Nauheim is a town in the Wetteraukreis district of Hesse state of Germany. , Bad Nauheim has a population of 30,365. The town is located approximately 35 kilometers north of Frankfurt am Main, on the east edge of the Taunus mountain range. It is a world-famous resort, noted for its salt...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
- losing 4–6 to fellow Welshman 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...
on Saturday, and then by the same scoreline to Simon Whitlock
Simon Whitlock
Simon Whitlock is an Australian professional darts player who plays in Professional Darts Corporation tournaments, although he did have a spell playing in the rival organisation, the British Darts Organisation. He uses the nickname The Wizard for his matches...
on Sunday. His improved form put earned him qualification for the 2011 World Championships
2011 PDC World Darts Championship
The 2011 Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship was the 18th World Championship organised by the Professional Darts Corporation since it separated from the British Darts Organisation.Phil Taylor was the defending champion, having won the 2010 tournament...
and the 2011 Players Championship Finals.
BDO
- 1995: Winner (beat Raymond van BarneveldRaymond van BarneveldRaymond 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...
6–3) - 1996: Runner-Up (lost to Steve BeatonSteve BeatonSteve Beaton is an English professional darts player for the Professional Darts Corporation...
3–6) - 1997: Second Round (lost to Leo LaurensLeo LaurensLeo Laurens is a retired Belgian darts player who competed in British Darts Organisation events. By the end of 1993, Laurens became number one in the WDF world rankings after all of the BDO's top players broke away to form the World Darts Council...
0–3) - 1998: Runner-Up (lost to Raymond van Barneveld 5–6)
- 1999: First Round (lost to Ronnie BaxterRonnie BaxterRonnie Baxter is an English darts player. He uses the nickname The Rocket for his matches. Baxter is known for his fast, robotic throwing action...
0–3)
PDC
- 2001: Second Round (lost to Keith DellerKeith DellerKeith Deller is an English darts player, who won the Embassy World Professional Darts Championship in 1983. He was the first qualifier ever to win the championship and remains one of the youngest champions in history...
2–3) - 2002: Quarter-Finals (lost to Colin LloydColin LloydColin 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...
4–6) - 2003: Quarter-Finals (lost to Kevin PainterKevin PainterKevin Painter is an English professional darts player who plays in Professional Darts Corporation tournaments, where he is known as "The Artist"...
2–5) - 2004: Third Round (lost to Simon WhatleySimon WhatleySimon Whatley is an English darts player who plays in the Professional Darts Corporation. He began with a very good 2002 campaign, reaching the quarter-finals of the Las Vegas Desert Classic, beating Dennis Smith in the last 16, losing to Lee Palfreyman...
3–4) - 2005: Third Round (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) - 2007: First Round (lost to Alex RoyAlex 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....
0–3) - 2011: First Round (lost to Alan TabernAlan TabernAlan Tabern is an English darts player for the Professional Darts Corporation, where he is also known as "The Saint" and "Tabby"...
2-3)