If Ally Pally–bound Aussie Tim Pusey is treating the inaugural ANZ Premier League as a kind of mini marathon, then it’s fair to say he’s timed his kick for home to perfection.
With just one round to go before Finals Day, The Magnet reeled in the field in Wellington, taking the nightly win and vaulting himself into that all-important fourth and final play-off spot.
He didn’t exactly soar through the night, but he didn’t need to. In his quarter-final opener against local favourite Ben Robb, Pusey was marginally the better of the two – which, given Robb’s 77 average, was just about all that was required. The Kiwi would have loved nothing more than to win on home soil, but the numbers told the story.
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Next came Simon Whitlock, and this time Pusey’s finishing made the difference. The pair shared the opening six legs before The Magnet pulled clear, taking the last two to send The Wizard packing. By packing - I mean, he stays third in the league.
In the final, Pusey faced the home crowd’s main man, Jonny Tata, who had fought his way there with wins over Joe Comito and league leader Raymond “The Guru” Smith. With the Wellington crowd firmly behind their local hero, the atmosphere was electric – but class told in the end. Pusey kept his composure, silenced the crowd, and pocketed the win he fully deserved.
He now heads to the Gold Coast next weekend sitting fourth in the table – but with momentum and confidence suggesting he could climb higher still.
The State of Play
As it stands, Raymond Smith leads the pack on 17 points and is already guaranteed a play-off place. Tata follows on 13 and is also safe. Then comes Whitlock (10), Pusey (9), and a three-way logjam of Robb, Klinge, and Bailey, all on 7. Joe Comito, with just two appearances and one solitary win, will need a miracle and about three extra weeks added to the season to sneak in.
So... Who Gets the Ally Pally Spot?
Here’s where things get spicy. The winner of the ANZ Premier League earns a golden ticket to the PDC World Championship at Alexandra Palace. But of the current top four, Pusey and Tata are already qualified, and Raymond Smith has committed to the WDF World Championship instead.
That leaves one logical conclusion: if those four make up the play-off lineup, then by default, Simon Whitlock (above) could find his way back to Ally Pally without even winning the thing. Of course, if he does win it, there’ll be no debate. The way this season has gone, though, it wouldn’t be darts without a little chaos thrown in.
Quarter-Finals
Raymond Smith 5-4 Brody Klinge
Jonny Tata 5-3 Joe Comito
Simon Whitlock 5-3 James Bailey
Tim Pusey 5-3 Ben Robb
Semi-Finals
Jonny Tata 5-4 Raymond Smith
Tim Pusey 5-3 Simon Whitlock
Final
Tim Pusey 5-2 Jonny Tata
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