Stephen Bunting took the overall victory on Wednesday night at an exhibition tournament in Cheltenham, the venue that also hosts famous horse races every year.
The field of participants included as many as eight well-known darters. In addition to Bunting, Luke Humphries, Mark Webster, Daryl Gurney, Simon Whitlock, Robert Thornton, Joe Cullen and Fallon Sherrock were also in attendance.
Bunting won 4-1 over Thornton in his first match. In his second match, the former Lakeside champion convincingly triumphed 4-1 against Sherrock by throwing an average of 100.82. In the final he faced Gurney, who had defeated both Whitlock (4-1) and Humphries (4-2).
The final was a high-level match. Both players threw averages above 100; Bunting 101.05 and Gurney 100.21. However, it was Bunting who prevailed 4-3 after he managed to produce no fewer than five 180 scores in seven legs.
In addition to the singles tournament, the eight top darters also played a pairs tournament in Cheltenham. Gurney and Sherrock formed a duo and they won 4-2 over Bunting and Webster in the first semifinal. In the second semifinal, Cullen and Whitlock were 4-2 too strong for Humphries and Thornton. Whitlock and Cullen then also won the final by beating Gurney and Sherrock 4-1.
Many world top players play exhibitions during this period. Not primarily for a nice extra pocket money, but also to keep up match rhythm ahead of the PDC World Darts Championship.
Quarterfinals
Luke Humphries 4-1 Mark Webster
Daryl Gurney 4-1 Simon Whitlock
Stephen Bunting 4-1 Robert Thornton
Fallon Sherrock 4-1 Joe Cullen
Semi-final
Daryl Gurney 4-2 Luke Humphries
Stephen Bunting 4-1 Fallon Sherrock
Final
Stephen Bunting (101.05) 4-3 (100.21) Daryl Gurney
Semi-final
Daryl Gurney/Fallon Sherrock 4-2 Stephen Bunting/Mark Webster
Joe Cullen/Simon Whitlock 4-2 Luke Humphries/Robert Thornton
Final
Joe Cullen/Simon Whitlock 4-1 Daryl Gurney/Fallon Sherrock
🏆BUNTING THE WINNER IN CHELTENHAM!
— MODUS Sports (@ModusDarts180) November 27, 2024
Stephen Bunting is your Champion in Cheltenham, taking a high-quality 4-3 win against Daryl Gurney, where both averaged over a ton.
It's been a great evening here, and it's on to Cardiff tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/2Fn0VM9CqG