Darts has a new prodigy! 15-year-old Mitchell Lawrie has made history by becoming the WDF Men’s World No. 1 after a dominant double victory at the Slovak Classic and Masters. Elsewhere, the ADA Tour saw a stunning 9-darter from Raymond Smith and multiple wins for Brody Klinge, while Graham Hall clinched the latest Modus Super Series title. The final amateur qualifiers for the UK Open 2026 are set, and German DDV Bundesliga leagues have completed their catch-up fixtures. Partnerships are strengthening on the European Tour, and the Nordic & Baltic Tour announces its next stop.
A Darts Prodigy’s Ascent: Mitchell Lawrie Becomes WDF World No. 1
The darts world is buzzing about Mitchell Lawrie, the Scottish sensation who, at just 15 years old, has ascended to the pinnacle of the WDF Men’s World Rankings. His remarkable achievement follows a spectacular performance in Slovakia, where he secured back-to-back titles at both the Slovak Classic and the Slovak Masters.
During the Slovak Classic, the tournament experienced a brief, unusual interruption due to a minor earthquake. This didn’t deter Lawrie, who went on to defeat WDF World Cup Champion Franko Giuliani 5-3 in the final. The ladies’ event was won by Jitka Cisarova, with Paige Pauling taking the girls’ youth title, and Lawrie himself also triumphing in the boys’ youth category.
Lawrie continued his winning streak at the Slovak Masters, beating András Borbely 5-3 in the final. This victory not only secured him another title but also propelled him to the historic position of WDF World No. 1, making him the youngest player ever to achieve this feat. Jitka Cisarova also completed a double victory in the ladies’ events, while Kaya Baysal won the boys’ youth and Paige Pauling once again dominated the girls’ youth competition.
Modus Darts Super Series: Hall Takes the Crown
The 13th season of the Modus Darts Super Series is nearing its halfway point. Graham Hall emerged as the Week 5 daily winner, overcoming Welshman Alex Williams 4-2 in a hard-fought final. Both Butch Devine and Justin Smith were whitewashed in their respective semi-final matches.
Looking ahead, the next International Pairs Week has been scheduled to commence on April 20th, with participating teams to be announced in early March.
ADA Tour Kicks Off with Dominant Performances
The new ADA Tour season in Mandurah, Australia, started with a bang, featuring four events over the weekend. Brody Klinge dominated the opening two tournaments, securing a 6-0 whitewash against James Bailey in the first final and then defeating former Tour Card holder Darren Penhall 6-3 in the second.
The latter two events belonged entirely to Raymond Smith. “The Guru,” a 2022 World Championship Last 16 participant, first claimed Event 3 with a 6-2 final win over Anthony Shreeve. Crucially, in the semi-final of Event 3, Smith achieved a perfect 9-darter – hitting nine darts to finish a leg from 501 points, a rare and spectacular feat in darts. He then closed out the first block of events by winning Event 4, defeating Michael Bajowski 2-1 in sets.
After four of 24 events, Raymond Smith and Brody Klinge are tied at the top of the rankings with $3,800 in prize money. The series champion will qualify for the PDC World Championship 2027, and the top five will earn spots in the ANZ Premier League.
UK Open 2026: The Final Amateur Qualifiers Revealed
The last four amateur spots for the prestigious UK Open 2026 in Minehead have been filled. Congratulations to Lewis Pearse (Harlow), Aden Kirk (Alfreton), Jake Eichen (London Victoria), and Samuel Whittaker (Enderby), who successfully secured their places. These players complete the full roster of 16 amateur qualifiers for the major tournament.
DDV Bundesliga: German Leagues Catch Up
The German Darts Association (DDV) Bundesliga held its postponed matchdays, bringing the league schedules back on track.
- In the 1st Bundesliga North, Dart Team Steinfurt 16 was the only team to secure a perfect four points, propelling them out of the relegation zone.
- The 2nd Bundesliga North also saw catch-up games, with Dartfighters Greifswald achieving a flawless matchday performance in Hannover and Seesen.
European & Nordic & Baltic Tour Updates
Good news for the European darts scene:
- The partnership between Elten Safety Shoes and PDC Europe is set to continue. Elten, who debuted as an event partner at the Poland Darts Open, will remain the title sponsor for eight tournaments. Both Hendrik van Elten and Werner von Moltke expressed enthusiasm for the ongoing collaboration, highlighting the synergy between their brands and the passionate darts community.
- The PDC Nordic & Baltic Tour will host its second weekend of events in Riga, Latvia. Due to venue availability, the competition will run from Saturday, March 28th, to Monday, March 30th, featuring two Pro Tour events and three qualifiers for European Tour tournaments.
WDF Action in the USA: Port City Open
Two WDF Silver-ranked world ranking tournaments were contested in Portland. At the Port City Open, PDC World Championship participants Leonard Gates triumphed in the men’s event, defeating Adam Sevada 5-4 in the final. In the women’s category, Carolyn Mars secured a 5-2 victory against Cali West, with World Championship qualifiers Paula Murphy and Tracy Feiertag reaching the semi-finals.
DDV Regional Roundup
Across Germany, six DDV state associations also saw competitive action. Riccardo Rech and Deniz Baudis were the men’s winners in Rheinland-Pfalz and Sachsen, earning points for the DDV ranking list. Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Bremen, and Hamburg hosted ranking tournaments, while Stephan Hoffmann was crowned individual champion in Thüringen.
Foto-Credit: Taylor Lanning/PDC
Source: Based on an article from dartn.de.
