PREVIEW: Scotland’s dominance under threat at World Seniors Darts Championship?
WSDT
We’re less than 2 months into the year, and already we’ve had some brilliant action. From Littler’s world championship win to Van Gerwen’s revenge on the opening night of the Premier League, it looks like we’re in for another great year of darts. But this week, it’s all about the seniors.
The 2025 World Senior Darts Championship is here, with the action kicking off on Wednesday, February 19th, and running through to this Saturday, February 22nd. Hosted once again at the Circus Tavern in Purfleet, the event brings together some of the most experienced names in darts to battle for the £73,000 prize fund, and the winner will walk away with a healthy £30,000 payday.
The senior championship is open to players over the age of 45 who do not hold a PDC Tour Card for the 2025 season. Featuring 28 players, the format has four seeded players enter in the second round, while the remaining 24 begin their campaigns in the first round.
Who are the favourites?
Since it was created back in 2022, the tournament has been dominated by the Scots, with Robert Thornton winning the first two editions before John Henderson claimed victory last year. With three editions and three Scottish champions, will 2025 be the year that another nation claims the crown?
John Henderson
John Henderson enters the tournament as the defending champion, having produced a dominant display in last year’s final where the Scotsman crushed Colin McGarry 5-0 to claim the title.
Henderson had a year to remember in 2024, as he also won the World Seniors Matchplay and World Masters. These victories secured his place as the top dog in senior darts, and he’ll be hoping to continue this momentum in 2025. While Henderson always had the ability, consistency was something that had eluded him during his peak years but it looks like he’s found a solution to that now.
His best showing at the PDC World Championship was a last-16 finish in 2018, where he lost to eventual winner Rob Cross. Despite never breaking into the elite ranks of the PDC, his longevity has earned him the chance to be the best in the senior game.
Heading into this year’s championship, Henderson will be brimming with confidence. If he can replicate his 2024 form, will anyone be able to stop him? Or will the pressure of now being the defending champion unsettle his game?
Robert Thornton
Two-time champion Robert Thornton is back in the mix, looking to reclaim the title he lost last year. After storming to victory in the first two editions of the event, Thornton suffered a surprising early exit in 2024, losing to Andy Hamilton in just the second round. Since then, he has struggled to add to his senior darts trophy cabinet, last winning a major back in 2023.
‘The Thorn’ is no stranger to big titles, having won the UK Open in 2012 and the World Grand Prix in 2015 during his time in the PDC. Despite his past successes, last year’s defeat was a humbling moment for the Scot, and something he’ll desperately want to avoid repeating this week.
Twelve months ago, Thornton entered the tournament as the favourite, expected to make a deep run, but simply could not get his A game going against Hamilton. Can he clinch his third crown this time around?
Most recently, he was beaten by Henderson in the final of the World Seniors Darts Masters last November. Thornton, once the king of this competition, now finds himself in a position where he has to fight to reclaim his place at the top against his fellow Scotsman.
If Thornton can get back to his best, there’s no doubt that he will be one of the main contenders for the title. However, with a highly competitive field, he will have to be at his very best to get his hands back on the trophy.
One of the most exciting additions to this year’s championship is Simon Whitlock, who makes his debut in the senior game. The 55-year-old Australian, a professional since 1984 (yes 1984!), is best known for his run to the PDC World Championship final in 2010, where he lost to Phil Taylor 7-3. Along the way, he took down big names like James Wade and Raymond van Barneveld, which shows just how good he can be.
Throughout his career, ‘The Wizard’ has produced some unforgettable moments, including his incredible win over Michael van Gerwen at the 2020 Grand Slam of Darts, where he won 16-15 in a deciding leg while also setting a tournament record with 20 maximums. Not even Littler has been able to do that just yet!
Now entering the senior circuit, Whitlock is set to face Paul Hogan in his debut match.
Leonard Gates is another major contender, but is missing a senior world title from his resume. Just a couple of months ago, the American was a fan favourite at the PDC World Championship, where he made it to the second round before falling to Nathan Aspinall.
Gates has an impressive resume in senior darts, having won the World Senior Matchplay, Masters, and Champions titles in 2023. Can he win the world title and become the first non-Scotsman to get his hands on the trophy? The former Baseball player will be hoping so, and fans are in for a treat whenever he is in action.
One of the most widely loved figures in all of darts, the legendary ‘Bronzed Adonis’ makes his World Seniors debut at the Circus Tavern this year, after retiring from PDC darts at the end of 2024.
Fresh off the PDC Tour, Beaton has already proved himself a more than capable operator on the MODUS Super Series in early 2025. Although Colin McGarry, finalist at the 2024 World Seniors Darts Championship poses as an early test in the opening round, you get the feeling that if Beaton is allowed to grow into the tournament, he could be unstoppable if he reaches full flow!
Another of the newbies to the World Seniors Darts Tour, Mervyn King was reaching PDC major finals as recently as 2021. A seven-time major finalist all told with the PDC, King also twice reached the Lakeside final in the BDO.
Despite this sorry run in major finals, King starts the 2025 World Seniors Darts Championship as one of the standout names. Already in 2025, King has shown strong form on the Challenge Tour, actually earning appearances back on the PDC Pro Tour as a replacement. This recent match practice against the very best in the world could prove telling when ‘The King’ makes his entrance at the Circus Tavern against Derek Coulson in round one!
So, there you have it, our list of favourites for this years World Senior Darts Championship. Will Scotland continue their stronghold on the event, or will a new champion emerge? Could someone else not from our list cause an upset?
Draw World Seniors Darts Championship 2025
First round
Mark Dudbridge v Chris Mason
Derek Coulson v Mervyn King
Tony O’Shea v Lisa Ashton
Kevin Edwards v Michael Huntley
Richard Rowlands v Graham Usher
Neil Duff v Vincent van der Voort
Kevin Painter v Richie Burnett
Colin McGarry v Steve Beaton
Paul Hogan v Simon Whitlock
Martin Adams v Darryl Fitton
Jim McEwan v John Part
Ross Montgomery v Trina Gulliver
Second Round
John Henderson v Dudbridge/Mason
Coulson/King v O’Shea/Ashton
Leonard Gates v Edwards/Huntley
Rowlands/Usher v Duff/Van der Voort
Richie Howson v Painter/Burnett
McGarry/Beaton v Hogan/Whitlock
Robert Thornton v Adams/Fitton
McEwan/Part v Montgomery/Gulliver
Beaton, King, Whitlock and Burnett, the Seniors is now starting to shape up into a tournament of class players who had actually won events in their heyday rather than average players hardly anyone had heard of.
It is 30 years since the great Richie Burnett won his World Championship, how fitting it could be to add the seniors. It is mad to think Richie is edging towards being 60.
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