Darts goes ‘Bunting Mental’ at The 2024 Masters: Delight for Stephen Bunting who finally gets across the line on the big stage

National World - LocalTV

The Cazoo Darts Masters was nothing short of incredible drama. As fan favourite Stephen Bunting emerged with a chance for a first PDC televised title in the final, here’s a breakdown of the action and how it all unfolded in Milton Keynes.

Transcript

00:00 I feel a lot more consistent, I feel a lot more composed and I think you can see that

00:05 on the hockey, on my averages, on the way I've performed the whole season, probably

00:10 the last six to nine months.

00:13 Yeah, so listen, it's good enough talking about the great averages and 'oh he's had

00:18 another 110', but I'm not winning tournaments so it's about time to turn them big averages

00:23 into wins and listen, I'm trying the best I possibly can to make that happen.

00:29 Rewind to November and that there, a disappointed Stephen Bunting at the Grand Slam of darts.

00:36 He has been there, or thereabouts, in a multitude of big events on the circuit, but couldn't

00:42 quite get across the line.

00:44 That'll change at the Kazoo Masters when he put in a brilliant performance to defeat Michael

00:48 van Gerwen in the final and win his first televised PDC title.

00:55 The Englishman beat five-time champion van Gerwen 11-7 in Milton Keynes in his first

01:00 televised PDC final since 2014.

01:04 Having thrashed Peter Wright 10-2 and Nathan Aspinall 11-1, Bunting kept up that form to

01:09 average 102 in the title match.

01:13 The action at the Masters was slightly marred by Peter Wright defending his place at the

01:18 Premier League.

01:20 It follows ITV pundit Chris Mason calling for Chris Doby to be in the selected eight

01:25 following his Masters win last year.

01:27 Wright was quick to call him out saying it's a Mickey Mouse tournament and wins at the

01:32 European Championships carry far more significance.

01:35 "Whatever a dart player dreams of, it's being a world champion and the prize money and what

01:42 comes with it afterwards is what everyone wants to do.

01:46 So I'm lucky enough to be double world champion and I know what it takes to win it so I'll

01:53 be doing the right things.

01:54 The other players who haven't won it before, they'll still be searching for things to make

02:01 them a world champion."

02:04 One thing gathered from the tournament so far this year is you have to topple Michael

02:09 van Gerwen to endure some big stage success.

02:12 MVG has appeared in both the World Series finals so far and of course now the Masters.

02:18 The green machine has ensured his game is in a good place but he understands falling

02:22 at the final hurdle is part of the sport.

02:25 "Not good when I had to do well and I put myself too much under pressure.

02:30 I don't know why but that's the way how darts go sometimes.

02:34 Sometimes that's not the explanation for certain things.

02:37 Of course I was a little bit distracted by a few people in the crowd.

02:42 Usually when I'm in a good mood the crowd doesn't distract me and I only can blame myself

02:47 for that.

02:48 Even a couple of the crowd was a little bit out of order but that's the way how darts

02:53 go sometimes."

02:55 Another fantastic year on tour is brewing and we're definitely dealing with a more open

03:00 field when it comes to the champions.

03:03 [BLANK_AUDIO]

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