Larry Butler’s superb effort to become the first American World Master ended in disappointment as World #1 Glen Durrant lifted the title by a score of seven sets to three.  The pair were so evenly matched – as illustrated by the final match averages – but a couple of missed doubles were to prove costly.  It must be said the final scoreline wasn’t truly representative of Butler’s contribution to the game.

The American’s day started with a fabulous 3-1 victory over former Grand Slam Champion Scott Waites.  After a scintillating start from the Englishman – he opened the match with a great 11-dart leg – Butler immediately bounced back to take the set.  He followed by winning the second set in legs of 11 and 15!  The Yorkshireman was far from finished, though, and quickly pulled back to 2-1.  Butler, however, was in no mood to to let Waites back, and sealed victory 3-1.

The semi-final promised to be something special, as Butler took on three-times World Master Martin Adams.  Things looked grim for the Ohioan as Adams stormed into a two-set lead, but Butler turned on the heat to take the the next four sets.  A 5-2 triumph looked probable, only for the former World Matchplay Champion to miss from 60.  Then, a 5-3 triumph looked on, but when he just failed to finish from 140,  Adams tied it at 4-4.

Butler held his throw in the first leg of the ninth set, but for the third time in as many sets, couldn’t put away the Double 10, and it was 1-1.  With the advantage of the darts in the decider, American hopes were raised when Butler kicked off with a maximum 180!  This time, he wasn’t in the mood to give it away, and became the first American to reach the World Masters final thanks to a beautiful 13-darter!

Having beaten the reigning World Champion, a former Grand Slam Champion, and a three-time World Master on the way to the final, the US #1 hoped to complete the set by seeing off the current World #1!  Like he did against Adams, Butler allowed his opponent to open up a two-set lead.  The next four sets went with the darts, giving Durrant (who beat Switzerland’s Thomas Junghans in the semi) a 4-2 advantage.  The seventh set was to prove crucial as Duzza broke serve to take a 5-2 lead.

A leg down in the eighth, Butler tied the set with a fabulous 11-darter (180, 100, 140, 81) – while the Englishman was sitting on 41 after 9!  When Durrant missed his shot at 84, Butler had a chance to close the gap with a 120 checkout, but sadly, the last dart just fell short of the double.  It took three darts – and a last dart D3, but the top seed was now just one set from his first major title.  It actually took him two sets to achieve that, and Larry Butler has to wait a little longer to lift a second world title on foreign soil.

Still Glen Durrant was a deserving champion, and Butler proved beyond all doubt that, even after a ten-year break from the game, he has still got the old magic!  In the last few weeks, he has secured his place in both the Lakeside World Championship and Grand Slam of Darts, and came so close to becoming the World Master!  So, we will bring you news when Larry Butler returns to England next month for the GSoD in Wolverhampton.

Glen Durrant wasn’t the only player to pocket a championship today, as Aileen de Graaf (Netherlands) emerged as Women’s Champion.  De Graaf squeaked past the redoubtable Deta Hedman (by the odd leg in seven) in a high-qualty semi-final; the longest leg was 18 darts!  England’s Lisa Ashton, meanwhile, took only five legs to see off young Fallon Sherrock in their Top 4 clash.

Twice world-champ Ashton was an obvious favorite, but de Graaf was always going to be a difficult opponent.  As it was, the first six legs all went with the throw.  Ashton then looked to have grabbed the initiative, checking out a brilliant 132 against the darts to go one leg from victory.  It wasn’t to be, though, and de Graaf broke straight back, and kicking off the decider with 121, 60, 180, held on to become the third Dutch Women’s champion, following in the footsteps of Francis Hoenselaar and Karin Krappen.

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