Veteran Scots Sensation Anderson Recapturing Darts Dominance
In a remarkable resurgence, veteran Darts superstar Gary Anderson has re-emerged as a force to be reckoned with on the professional circuit. The 53-year-old Scot has showcased his prowess in recent months, particularly impressing at this year’s Players Championship and securing a European Tour title for the first time in a decade.
Delving deeper into Anderson’s impressive statistics, Darts analyst Kempf notes that achieving a 90% win rate on the professional tour is an almost impossible feat. “Since the European Tour was added to the ProTour calendar in 2012, only two players have managed to reach that lofty threshold – Phil Taylor in 2012 and Michael van Gerwen in 2016,” he explains.
In a bid to achieve the seemingly unattainable, young sensation Luke Littler currently leads the way with an 83% win rate, closely followed by reigning world champion Luke Humphries at 76%. Nestled in between these rising stars is the resurgent Anderson, who is pushing hard to surpass the 82% mark for the first time since 2020.
Anderson’s recent European Darts Grand Prix triumph, where he defeated Ross Smith 8-6 in the final, marks a significant milestone. At 53 years of age, the Scottish titan is approaching the level of dominance that Phil Taylor displayed at a similar stage in his career. If Anderson can maintain this form until the end of his career, he could well set a new benchmark for performance in Darts and across the wider sporting landscape.
Delving deeper into the numbers, Kempf highlights Anderson’s impressive 32-7 ProTour record, which includes five victories against current Premier League players, nine wins at the quarter-final stage or later, and an astounding four 6-0 whitewashes. Furthermore, the Scot has not been defeated by a margin of more than two legs in any of his seven losses, underscoring his exceptional consistency.
Despite his resurgent form, Anderson currently finds himself ranked only 21st in the world. Kempf notes that even the substantial prize money from his recent European Grand Prix triumph is not among the 25 largest payouts of his illustrious career. However, with an average of 100 so far in the 2024 season and a multitude of top-ten statistical rankings, it appears only a matter of time before the veteran Scot climbs back into the top 16 of the world rankings.
Looking ahead, the prospect of a final world title could be the driving force behind Anderson’s remarkable comeback. Kempf suggests that if the 2025 World Championship were to commence today, the “Flying Scotsman” would arguably be the favorite, making him the unexpected, unheralded, and most outstanding player of the 2024 Darts season so far.
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