Sunday saw the last of the Youth events for the weekend, with the qualifiers for the Lakeside World Championship. Two girls and four boys would advance from these playoffs.

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2022 WDF Winmau World Masters – Day Four

By Steve BrownUpdated: December 11, 2022http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?&href=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.adodarts.com%2F2022%2F12%2F11%2F2022-wdf-world-masters-day-four%2F&send=false&layout=box_count&width=450&show_faces=false&action=like&colorscheme=light&font&height=90https://platform.twitter.com/widgets/tweet_button.644279d1635fd969e87af94a98bd232b.en.html#dnt=false&id=twitter-widget-1&lang=en&original_referer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.adodarts.com%2F2022%2F12%2F11%2F2022-wdf-world-masters-day-four%2F&size=m&text=2022%20WDF%20Winmau%20World%20Masters%20%E2%80%93%20Day%20Four%20-%20American%20Darts%20Organization&time=1670873449328&type=share&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.adodarts.com%2F2022%2F12%2F11%2F2022-wdf-world-masters-day-four%2Fhttps://apis.google.com/u/0/se/0/_/+1/fastbutton?usegapi=1&size=tall&origin=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.adodarts.com&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.adodarts.com%2F2022%2F12%2F11%2F2022-wdf-world-masters-day-four%2F&gsrc=3p&jsh=m%3B%2F_%2Fscs%2Fabc-static%2F_%2Fjs%2Fk%3Dgapi.lb.en.geaHZXF2-fw.O%2Fd%3D1%2Frs%3DAHpOoo9yYF5eCIYPx4UH9gpJptM2Q_GGxQ%2Fm%3D__features__#_methods=onPlusOne%2C_ready%2C_close%2C_open%2C_resizeMe%2C_renderstart%2Concircled%2Cdrefresh%2Cerefresh&id=I1_1670873447028&_gfid=I1_1670873447028&parent=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.adodarts.com&pfname=&rpctoken=36135391

Today saw the youth players complete their weekend, starting out with the Playoffs for the WDF World Championship, followed by the finals of the World Masters events.

In the girls’ qualifiers, Kaylee Zerby lost her opener, but Kenzie Anderson stormed to a nice 4-1 win against Daphne Camijn (Netherlands). In her second game, Kenzie was quickly two legs to the good. 2-0 became 2-1 after Kenzie missed three at 40, and Rebecca Eleanor Allen cleaned up her remaining 20. The Irish girl then stepped up a gear, and took the match by a score of 4-2.

Jimmy Fitzsimmons, Seth Patenaude, Jeremy Demers, and David Kramer were first-match casualties in the boys, while Ryan Avellino, Kaden Anderson, and P.J. Stewart all advanced. This is where some tough draws started to take effect…

Ryan was the first to go, as he faced Leighton Bennett. Leighton, you may remember, actually competed in the 2020 Lakeside World Championship – as an adult! Ryan started strongly, and took the first leg. He showed good form throughout the rest of the match, but missed doubles were to cost him, and the English lad clinched it 4-1. P.J. and Kaden both won.

P.J. was now up against current World Youth # 1, Luke Littler – who had posted a 96 average in the previous round. Littler was unable to replicate that form, but Stewart couldn’t quite take advantage. Luke won 4-2, but if only P.J.’s dart at the bull for a 124 out (in the sixth leg) had gone in, it could have been a different story. Meanwhile, Anderson was eliminating Austrian Leon Eder in six legs.

Now, it was Kaden’s turn to meet Luke Littler! Again, if only…

Luke sped into a 2-0 lead, only for Kaden to take the next two and square the match.

Anderson then proceeded to miss six darts at 20 in the third (with the throw), and Littler managed to regain the lead. Undeterred, Kaden broke straight back to make it 3-3, but a miss from 63 in the next cost him the leg. He fought hard in the ninth leg, leaving 147, but Littler checked out from 81. What really hurts is that a win here would have given him a spot at Lakeside…

That was the last actual “event” for the youth, but P.J. Stewart still had some unfinished business on stage; he faced World # 1 Luke Littler to see who woud become 2022 Boys’ World Master!

The winner would be the first to 6 legs, and it took Little just 15 darts to capture the first – with a beautiful 146 checkout! Would that shake Stewart? If it did, it certainly didn’t show as three 140’s in the first four shots set him up to level the score. Six darts from 60 SHOULD have been enough to give P.J. the lead, but it wasn’t.

That certainly wasn’t the problem next leg, as he opened 100, 140, 60, 177 to leave tops! Problem was, Luke checked out from 105 for a second 15! P.J. responded in style to make it 3-2 but a 13-darter from Littler prevented him from finishing the required 124. The next three legs went with the darts, which meant that it was now 5-4 to the Englishman.

Littler had the throw in the tenth, and he managed to keep the advantage right down to the D16 that won him the title.

What a fantastic effort from P.J. It wasn’t to be, but he was so close to making history by becoming the first American male to lift a trophy at the World Masters.

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