Saturday morning and we arrived at the venue around 10.15, registered and got on with loosening up on the practice boards... Form hasn't been the best of late but walking into the Metrodome and seeing all the familiar faces gave me a lift and the confidence seemed to start coming back...
The draw was made and Lynn came over to the practice board to tell me who I had drawn...Kim Huybrechts...Not the easiest of first rounds but you know what you will get with Kim..
We was first game on, board 6 ( i think) and a smiling Anne was there to greet us...After a few goes each Kim finally won the bull.. He kicked of the first leg in 11 darts ( welcome back to the PDC
). The second leg I scored well and the darts felt really comfortable, I had one dart at Dbl 18 for a 15, which i missed and Kim took out a twelve 
. The third leg Kim won again in 14 or 15 to go 3-0 up, but not to dissapointed as I was right behind him and scoring well.I kicked off the 4th leg 98,followed by 100, 133, 134 and 36 for 13 darts...3-1.
over the next three legs I had chances to win them but Kims finishing was awesome and the score ended 6-1.... No one likes getting beat and by that score its worse but I actually came off full of confidence at how I had played and the positives were there to be taken into tomorrow...
Sunday and the draw was made, I had drawn Devon Petersen on board 12 and Ray was our marker. I won the bull and took the first leg, I then managed to break Devon to go 2-0..The third leg was probably the decider as I scored well and took out 161 to go 3-0, I sensed Devon was beating himself up as his body language was all over the place... My sharp finishing carried on throughout the match and after wiring dble 18 for a 141 I took it out first dart to win 6-0...
To be fair Devon never got going at all and I didnt have to get my A game going to beat him and I felt for him afterwards...I give no mercy whilst playing and I know it sounds funny but can honestly say its not a great feeling beating another Pro 6-0..
The second round saw me up against my fellow Essex mate Colin Lloyd, it was here that my inexperience showed. Colin won the bull and kicked off 100, 180 and took the first leg comfortably. Colin is quite a quick player and I let myself get drawn into a quick game and just didnt settle at all, at 3-0 down a quick look up at my wife and Tony West and they told me to slow down which I did, my darts started to get better and managed to get a couple of legs back, with the score at 5 -2 I missed double 16 for a 106 and Colin checked out... shaking his hand Colin said that it wasnt me playing that game and a word of advice 'play at your own Pace'.
Words from Colin which wont be forgotten in a hurry...Big Lesson learned...
So mixed emotions really, dissapointed at only picking up 200 pound but with Dublin just round the corner if I can replicate some of the form I had against Kim then hopefully will do OK.
Thanks again to Anne and Ray and was good to see Daz, Chissy, Stubby and Essex Mark again..
Also well done to Maishy reaching the quarters on Sunday and pushing Whitlock to 6-5..
Oh and Lloydy, I'll be better next time
