The 4th of November saw the Scottish Tour of 2023 conclude as Finals Day was played out. Adverse weather saw the Finals postponed but 32 players attended the Ciswo in Glenrothes to battle it out for the titles. 24 men, split into four groups of six and eight ladies, split into two groups of four.
MEN’S GROUP STAGES
Group A began with Glen Parsons taking a 4-2 victory over Neil MacDougall, Jamie Bain defeating Steve Buchan by 4 legs to 1 and Scott Robertson whitewashing Ronnie Gethins 4-0. In the next round of fixtures Jamie Bain would emerge as the man to beat as he defeated Ronnie Gethins 4-0, averaging 100 in the process. Glen Parsons and Scott Robertson also maintained their unbeaten records. Scott Robertson would end Glen Parsons’ winning start and Neil MacDougall would also claim a 4-2 victory over Jamie Bain, Neil averaging 88 and Jamie 92. Parsons would return to winning ways as Ronnie Gethins succumbed to another whitewash defeat. Scott Robertson would suffer his first defeat at the hands of Jamie Bain who averaged 90 in the process. Victories for Bain over Parsons, MacDougall over Gethins and Robertson over Buchan would end Group A and see Jamie Bain and Scott Robertson progress with 4 wins out of 5.
Group B would be the scene of history in Glenrothes! Gary Stone kicked off proceedings with a 4-0 win over Greg McHattie. Danny Trueman would take to the oche next to face off against Michael Thomson. A 13-dart hold would open Trueman’s account for the match but it was Leg 2 where history was made. Back-to-back 180’s would leave Danny 141 and the Scotland International would make no mistake, taking the leg with a magnificent nine dart finish! Thomson would register a consolation leg but Trueman would run out a 4-1 winner. Colin Hepplewhite defeated William Kirkwood 4-3 in a very close match between the two. As the group progressed, Stone and Trueman emerged as the front runners. Stone would come out as the winner when the two faced off and would end the group with a 100% record. Trueman would record victories over William Kirkwood, Greg McHattie and Colin Hepplewhite to finish second in the group with 4 wins from 5.
Group C saw the in-form Scott Winder playing some excellent darts. He would begin with a 4-3 win over Sean Ryan, defeat Jack McNeilly, Derek Maclean and John Imrie by 4 legs to 2 before losing his final group game to “Big C” Colin Miller by 4 legs to 1, both men averaging in the mid 90’s. Miller would recover from losing his first two matches to Derek Maclean and Sean Ryan to defeat John Imrie, Jack McNeilly and Scott Winder to progress. His three victories enough to finish second in the group in front of Imrie, McNeilly, Ryan and Maclean who all won two games apiece.
Group D got up and running with a 4-2 victory for Scott Campbell over Robbie Chalmers. Jamie Curran opened his account with a hard-fought win over Nicky Denoon and Lakeside-bound Shaun McDonald defeated Ross MacDougall 4-1. Campbell would keep his run going, defeating Curran 4-2 before registering a 111 average in dispatching Ross MacDougall 4-1. A 90 and a 96 average would follow for Campbell as he came through the group unscathed. Three wins in a row for Nicky Denoon after his opening defeat would be enough to see him through to the knockout stages, defeating McDonald, Chalmers and Ross MacDougall before tasting defeat at the hands of the unbeaten Scott Campbell.
WOMEN’S GROUP STAGES
Group A would begin with Lakeside-bound Lorraine Hyde defeating Bobbie Smith 3-1. In a group that featured three current internationals, it was always going to be a difficult group to qualify from! Scotland Captain Susanna McGimpsey would defeat her fellow international Emily Davidson 3-0 before Emily would suffer defeat again, this time at the hands of Lorraine Hyde. McGimpsey would defeat Smith to ensure qualification alongside Hyde, meaning their match would be to see who topped the group. Lorraine would register a 3-0 victory over her Scotland Captain to claim top spot. The final match of the group saw Bobbie Smith pick up her only victory as she defeated Emily Davidson by 3 legs to 1.
Group B saw Christine Hyde kick off with a 3-0 win over Northern Ireland’s Tammy-Jo Grafton. Scotland International Lynsey Ward would open her account with a 3-1 victory over Michelle-Louise Rennie. Rennie would bounce back and claim victory in her next match as she defeated Christine Hyde 3-0 and Lynsey Ward made it 2 from 2 as she defeated Grafton 3-2. Lynsey would top the group with a 100% record as she defeated Hyde by 3 legs to 1. The last group match would decide who would qualify and, despite losing 3-2 to Tammy-Jo Grafton, it would be Michelle-Louise Rennie who would qualify, having a superior leg difference.
KNOCKOUTS
Group A winner Jamie Bain would take on Group C’s runner up Colin Miller in Quarter Final number one. Big C would take the first leg but would soon find himself trailing by 3 legs to 1. Miller managed to pull it back to 3-3 before a 15-dart leg from Bain left him one away from the Semis. Miller would draw level once more and a nervy, scrappy final leg would go the way of Jamie Bain.
Nine dart hero Danny Trueman would take on Scott Campbell in Quarter Final number two. Both players shared the opening two legs before Trueman marched into a 3-1 lead. 3-1 became 4-2 before Campbell fired in a 13-dart leg to reduce his arrears to one. A 17-dart leg from Danny Trueman would, however, see him through to the Semi Finals.
Gary Stone, who had come through Group B unscathed would take on Nicky Denoon in Quarter number 3. Legs of 18, 18 and 11 darts would see Denoon take a 3-0 lead over Lakeside-bound Stoney. Back-to-back 15 darters would see Gary get to within one before Denoon produced a 15 darter of his own. Stone would hit back with an 18 darter to once again get within one but a 180, 140 start from Denoon would set him on his way to a 5-3 victory over Gary Stone.
It was a Battle of the Scotts in Quarter Final 4 as Winder took on Robertson. Winder would start the match with a lovely 16 dart leg to take the early lead, but it would be the only time in the match he would be in front. 14 and 15 darters gave Robertson the lead and missed chances from Winder gave Robertson a 3-1 lead. A 14 darter would put Robertson one away from victory and it was missed doubles in Leg 6 that would cost Scott Winder dearly, having started the leg with a 174. Robertson had missed doubles of his own but would finally check out 12 to progress to the Semi Finals.
Our first Women’s Semi Final saw Lorraine Hyde take on Michelle-Louise Rennie. Scotland International Hyde would take the scrappy first leg before registering back-to-back 19 darters to move one away from victory. Neither player performed as they can in this one and Lorraine Hyde was able to come through her Semi Final relatively unscathed, winning 4-0.
Semi Final two saw Renfrewshire’s Lynsey Ward take on Scotland and Greater Glasgow Captain Susanna McGimpsey. Ward would race into a 2-0 lead before McGimpsey bounced back to win 3 on the spin. Lynsey would tie it up at 3-3 to take us to a decider and, despite a boatload of missed doubles, Susanna would prevail and take her place in the Final!
Men’s Semi 1 would see Jamie Bain facing off against Danny Trueman. Both men shared the first four legs before Trueman moved into a 4-2 lead. The next two legs were also shared and it left Trueman one leg away from the Final at 5-3. Remarkable back-to-back 13-dart legs from Bain would see the match tied at 5-5 and it would be Jamie Bain, checking out 71, that would take the victory and earn a place in the final!
Nicky Denoon and Scott Robertson would play for the right to meet Jamie Bain in the final. Again, the first four legs were shared before Denoon won back-to-back legs to move 4-2 in front. 4-2 became 5-3 and Robertson had it all to do. A 16-dart leg reduced his arrears to one but his scoring power deserted him as Nicky Denoon won the leg in 18 darts to reach the final!
THE FINALS
Our Ladies final would be between two of our most decorated players in Lorraine Hyde and Susanna McGimpsey. Lorraine would win the bull but Susanna would kick off the match with a 21-dart break of throw. Lorraine would break straight back with a 21-darter of her own and consolidate the break with a 24-dart hold of throw. Another break of throw would follow as Hyde clocked in an 18-dart leg and would again go on to hold with another 21-darter, putting her one leg away from the title. Hyde had the steadier start in Leg 6 and, with a 40 checkout, would take the leg, the match and the title of Scottish Tour Finals Women’s Champion!
The Men’s final would be played between Jamie Bain, Group A winner and Nicky Denoon, who came through Group D in second place. Bain would win the bull and, indeed, the first two legs. Denoon would then produce a magnificent comeback. 17 and 14-darters would restore parity at 2-2 before he burst into a 4-2 lead with legs of 19 and 16 darts. A 19-dart break of throw would leave Nicky one leg from victory and with the darts! An evenly matched leg went with the throw and, with a 70 checkout, Nicky Denoon would seal the victory and become the Scottish Tour Finals Men’s Champion!
Our congratulations to go Lorraine and Nicky on their victories and a special congratulations goes to Danny Trueman for his magnificent 9-dart leg!
That concludes the 2023 Scottish Tour! We look forward to the start of the 2023/24 Tour which will begin on Saturday, December 2nd – the same day the Lakeside World Championship will begin. We wish the very best of luck to our five playing representatives at Lakeside: Lorraine Hyde, Shaun McDonald, Davie Kirwan, Gary Stone and Mark Barilli. I hear the MC is Scottish too! That’ll be good fun!
by Antony Dundas
