One Place on the MODUS Stage – South West Vault 18 Regional Final Preview

 

The road through Vault 18 reaches its conclusion in the South West on Saturday 22 August, when 20 of the region’s leading players battle it out for one of the biggest prizes available on the grassroots circuit.

A place on the MODUS Super Series stage awaits the winner.

For the last seven weeks, players across the South West have been competing in Vault events, collecting points and trying to position themselves high enough in the regional standings to reach this final day.

Now, the points race is over.

There are no more calculations to make and no more weeks to recover from a bad result.

For these 20 players, it comes down to one tournament.

Win it, and the reward is a televised MODUS Super Series opportunity.

That pathway has already shown just how significant these regional qualifiers can be. In Vault 17, Henry Cooper won the South West MODUS qualifier at Shaftesbury Football Club, defeating Andy Steed 6-4 in the final and averaging 85.51 across the event.

Now Cooper is back trying to do it all again.

Cooper Bids for Back-to-Back Qualification

There could hardly be a better starting point.

Henry Cooper enters the Vault 18 Regional Final as the defending South West qualifier champion — and his current form suggests another run is entirely possible.

Cooper is 10-0 across his last ten recorded matches in the Q4QS database and comes into Saturday after winning at The Kings Arms in Wallisdown with an exceptional 93.95 tournament average.

His recent sequence is formidable.

Three wins from his last five recorded events, another final, and tournament averages of 83.91, 84.02, 92.33 and 93.95 underline just how consistently well he has been playing.

He also has individual recorded performances of 109.98 and 104.86 among his recent results.

Repeating a regional qualifier victory is a difficult ask, but Cooper appears to be arriving at exactly the right level.

Gareth Griffiths Might Be the Man to Beat

If Cooper has the previous regional title, Gareth Griffiths may have the strongest current case.

Griffiths is ranked 83rd in the Q4QS database, with an overall average of 87.07, and he is also 10-0 across his last ten matches.

His latest appearance was spectacular.

Griffiths went 8-0 to win at Indian Queens WMC with a 93.35 tournament average, having already recorded victories over Kevin Mitchell, Neil Meneer and Logan Symons Jr during his recent run.

There is also unfinished business here.

Griffiths reached the semi-finals of the previous South West MODUS qualifier, averaging 90.08, before his run was ended by Andy Steed.

This time, he'll be looking to go two rounds further.

Spurdle Has Been Consistently in Contention

Kieran Spurdle is another player whose recent record makes a strong case.

He comes into Saturday 8-2 across his last ten, having won Vault 18 events at both The Choughs in Chard and Pegasus 68 in Taunton.

His recent five-event sequence contains two wins, two finals and a semi-final, making him one of the most consistently successful players in this field.

Spurdle's best recent winning average was 77.44, while individual performances have climbed as high as 88.41.

He might not carry the same headline scoring numbers as Griffiths or Cooper, but tournament darts is about repeatedly getting through matches — and Spurdle has been doing exactly that.

Cleave Comes in With Winning Form

Finlay Cleave is another who has been accumulating deep runs.

Cleave is also 8-2 in his last ten, and his recent results include victory at 8 Ball Bar & Sports in Paignton, where he went a perfect 8-0 with a 76.78 tournament average.

He followed that with semi-finals in Taunton and at Galaxy Sports Bar, while his recent wins include an 89.24 performance against Andy Steed and an 88.41 against Charlie Wiles.

Again, that gives him precisely the sort of profile that can work well in a one-day knockout.

Andrews Has Already Been Winning Around Bristol

Lee Andrews comes into Saturday with slightly less impressive immediate win-loss numbers than some of the favourites, but his recent record contains plenty of evidence that he belongs in the conversation.

Andrews recently won a Vault at Bessellscotts in Bristol, while his other recent results include semi-finals at North Star Club and Saintbridge Sports Club.

He has also shown a ceiling well above his overall 70.86 database average, with the preview data recording a best performance of 100.20.

In a shorter field where only a handful of wins separate somebody from the MODUS stage, that makes him a genuine threat.

Guilfoyle Provides the Unknown Element

My sixth player to follow is rather different.

Dan Guilfoyle doesn't have anywhere near the amount of Q4QS data behind him that the other leading names do.

He has only one qualifying event in the current database sample, but that appearance produced a 5-2 record and a quarter-final at St Breward, including several wins in the mid-to-high 50s.

So rather than presenting him as one of the statistical favourites, I'd see Guilfoyle as the intriguing unknown among my six.

Sometimes these regional finals throw up players whose broader level hasn't yet been fully captured by the database.

Saturday gives us a chance to find out more.

⭐ Q4QS Six to Follow

🎯 Gareth Griffiths
The highest-ranked player among my six, 10-0 recently and coming off an 8-0 title-winning performance with a 93.35 average.

🎯 Henry Cooper
The defending South West MODUS qualifier champion, also 10-0 recently and producing some outstanding 90+ tournament numbers.

🎯 Kieran Spurdle
Two wins, two finals and a semi-final among his latest five events make him one of the most consistent players in the field.

🎯 Finlay Cleave
Another 8-2 player who has already shown he can put together an unbeaten Vault-winning run.

🎯 Lee Andrews
A recent Bristol Vault winner with several other deep runs and enough scoring power to threaten anyone in the draw.

🎯 Dan Guilfoyle
The least exposed of the six in the Q4QS database, but his 5-2 Vault appearance makes him an interesting player to keep an eye on.

Plenty of Threats Beyond the Six

As with the South East & London qualifier, selecting six does not mean the rest can be ignored.

Danny Humphries comes into Saturday 9-1 across his last ten, has recently won a Vault at Matson Rugby Club with an 81.34 tournament average and has been gaining valuable Challenge Tour experience as well.

Callum Harrison is 7-3 and recently reached a Sturminster final, while Trevor Pengelly has the same 7-3 recent record and has reached semi-finals during both Vault 17 and Vault 18.

Then there are several significant names for whom the uploaded preview pack doesn't contain enough current detail to analyse in the same way — including Jamie Kay, Ricky King, Neil Meneer, C-Jay Pipe, Robbie Roy, Andy Steed, Sean Taylor, Martin Walker and Barry Wylds.

And Andy Steed in particular hardly needs explaining as a danger: he reached the final of the Vault 17 South West MODUS qualifier before losing to Cooper.

A Smaller Field – But Not an Easier One

The South West qualifier has an interesting difference to the South East & London event.

There are 20 players rather than 32 after the final field was confirmed, with Zach Quinn, Brooklyn Anthony and Josh McCarthy no longer taking part.

On the surface, that means fewer matches and fewer players standing between somebody and MODUS.

But it doesn't necessarily make the tournament easier.

With Cooper and Griffiths both arriving 10-0, Spurdle and Cleave at 8-2, Humphries at 9-1 and several proven regional performers elsewhere in the field, there is quality throughout the entry list.

And with only one prize that really matters, eventually somebody has to beat those players.

One More Opportunity

This is what seven weeks of Vault 18 have been building towards.

The weekly wins, ranking points and long evenings at venues across Bristol, Somerset, Devon, Cornwall, Dorset and Gloucestershire have created the field.

On Saturday, all of that disappears.

Whether somebody qualified first or twentieth doesn't matter once the darts begin.

Twenty players.

One South West Regional Final.

One MODUS Super Series place.

Henry Cooper has already travelled this road successfully once.

On Saturday we'll discover whether he can do it again — or whether somebody else takes the South West's latest opportunity to step out of the Vault and onto the televised MODUS stage.

One Win From the MODUS Stage – South East & London Vault 18 Regional Final Preview

 

Seven weeks of Vault competition. Hundreds of matches. Dozens of venues and countless legs of darts.

On Saturday, it all comes down to one day.

The ADC Vault 18 South East & London Regional Final takes place on Saturday 22 August, bringing together 32 of the leading performers from one of the strongest and deepest regions in the Vault system.

And this time the prize is about considerably more than winning another darts tournament.

The winner earns a place on the MODUS Super Series, taking them from the grassroots Vault circuit onto the televised MODUS stage and giving them an opportunity to take another significant step in their darting career.

That pathway is precisely what makes the Vault concept so fascinating.

For seven weeks, players have competed in regular round-robin tournaments across the region, accumulating points towards the regional standings. The leading players then earn their shot at the Regional Final, where everything effectively resets.

Thirty-two players.

One knockout tournament.

One MODUS opportunity.

The Vault regulations describe the prize as a live MODUS Super Series place, guaranteeing either a five-day appearance or two separate two-day appearances.

For players accustomed to competing in clubs, pubs and social venues around the country, that is an enormous opportunity.

And the South East & London field looks particularly difficult to predict.

Cressey Looking to Do It Again

There is an obvious place to begin.

George Cressey knows exactly what it takes to win one of these.

Cressey won the Vault 17 South East & London Regional Final, earning his previous MODUS opportunity, and returns for Vault 18 attempting the difficult feat of qualifying again.

His wider form suggests that previous success was certainly no one-off.

The Q4QS database has Cressey averaging 85.17, while his recent results include victory at the Once Twitten Early Bird tournament where he averaged an outstanding 93.58 across the event. He has also produced a recorded match average of 120.40.

There is another interesting element to Cressey's story.

He has already shown that when the prize becomes bigger, his game can rise with it. That previous experience of navigating a regional final could prove extremely valuable on Saturday.

But this is far from a one-man tournament.

Dutton Brings Serious Form

If we're looking for one of the strongest statistical cases in the field, Stuart Dutton is difficult to ignore.

Dutton comes into the Regional Final with an 83.03 database average and an 8-2 record across his last ten matches.

His recent tournament record is even more impressive.

There are wins at Riverside Club and Sports Bar & Lounge in Milton Keynes, semi-finals at Bradmoor Farm and Charville Community Centre, and a semi-final at the Winmau CDC Classic where he averaged 84.50.

That's exactly the sort of consistency required in a 32-player knockout.

There won't be much room for a slow start on Saturday.

Crook Has Already Shown His Quality

Roger Crook is another player arriving with winning form behind him.

Crook won ADC Winmau Championship South Event 12, going through that tournament 8-0 and averaging 82.60. More recently, he reached another final at the GWRSA Club while averaging 88.19 across the event.

His last-ten record stands at 8-2.

Perhaps more importantly, those performances have come in substantial fields and against strong opposition. There should be very little about the pressure of Saturday's Regional Final that intimidates him.

Levett's Consistency Makes Him Dangerous

Connor Levett may be one of the most interesting players in the draw.

An 81.15 database average is backed up by an 8-2 recent record, while Levett has already won Vault 18 tournaments at TMG Social Club and Southwick Sports & Social Club.

He followed those victories by reaching another final at The Bear Free House, averaging 81.06.

That is a very solid body of Vault form.

And in an event made up predominantly of players who have earned their place through this exact competition, being consistently successful within the Vault format itself could be particularly significant.

Holley Knows How to Win

Then there's Sean Holley.

Holley has multiple recent Vault successes in the database, including an unbeaten 8-0 victory at Chinnor Community Pavilion and another tournament win at Bradmoor Farm where he averaged 85.80.

His best individual performances suggest there is another gear available as well, with the preview data recording a best average of 117.72.

If that higher level appears at the right moment, Holley becomes extremely dangerous.

Caste Might Be the Form Player

If recent wins are the deciding factor, however, Mat Caste demands attention.

Caste is 9-1 across his last ten recorded matches.

His recent run contains a semi-final at Hotshots, another semi-final at Bradmoor Farm and then three tournament victories – at the Carlton House Club, Windmill Hill Golf Centre and Hotshots Sports Bar.

At Windmill Hill he averaged 85.66 across the tournament.

There may be players with higher long-term numbers in this field, but very few appear to be arriving with greater momentum.

Six to Follow

My six for Saturday are therefore:

George Cressey – the defending Vault regional qualifier winner and already proven in exactly this situation.

Roger Crook – recent ADC Winmau Championship winner with another final immediately among his recent results.

Connor Levett – consistently producing around the 80-plus level and already a multiple Vault winner.

Stuart Dutton – arguably the strongest all-round statistical profile among the leading contenders.

Sean Holley – plenty of winning experience and capable of producing significantly bigger numbers when everything clicks.

Mat Caste – 9-1 across his last ten and coming into the tournament on a superb sequence of deep runs and victories.

Those are also the six highlighted by the Q4QS preview data.

But Don't Ignore the Rest

Perhaps the biggest danger when assessing this tournament is concentrating too heavily on the obvious six.

There are some remarkable runs elsewhere in the field.

Nathan Beckett, for example, is listed at 10-0 across his last ten and has recently won at The Empire Club, Plough & Horse and The Earl of Abingdon.

George Whyte is also 10-0, his latest appearance producing victory at the IDL Super GP Ruislip.

Remarkably, James Smith is another player carrying a 10-0 record, with victories at Saintbridge Sports Club and South Croydon Conservative Club among his latest results.

And Clayton Ford makes it four players in the wider field whose database form reads 10-0, having most recently won the Chinnor Pavilion Vault Break.

That illustrates the quality of this Regional Final better than almost anything else.

There are players outside an obvious six-to-follow shortlist arriving having barely lost a match.

The Beauty of the Regional Final

What I particularly like about these events is what they represent.

The MODUS Super Series has become an important bridge between grassroots and professional darts. Players don't necessarily need a PDC Tour Card or a major management deal to suddenly find themselves playing televised darts.

They can earn the opportunity on the board.

For the Vault players, Saturday is the culmination of weeks of travelling, entering events, accumulating ranking points and trying to finish high enough in their region to reach this stage.

Now none of those points matter.

The objective becomes beautifully simple.

Win your matches and reach MODUS.

Cressey has already done it.

Dutton, Crook, Levett, Holley and Caste have compelling cases.

Several others arrive on extraordinary winning runs.

And somewhere among this 32-player field is someone who will finish Saturday having transformed a successful Vault campaign into an opportunity to showcase their darts on the MODUS Super Series stage.

That's quite a prize to play for.

Vault 18 Regional Finals: Wales Shows the Depth, but the South West Has Plenty of Firepower

 

Vault 18 came to an end on 16 August, bringing seven weeks of qualification to a close and setting up the next stage: the Regional Finals.

For the players who have made it through, the rewards are significant. There is serious prize money available, but perhaps even more importantly, an opportunity to progress towards the MODUS Super Series and the exposure that comes with playing live on Pluto TV.

That can open doors well beyond one weekend.

For this first look at the Regional Finals, I am concentrating mainly on the two areas I have covered most closely throughout Vault 18: the South West and Wales.

I am not making outright predictions yet. That will come closer to the Regional Finals themselves.

Instead, I wanted to answer a different set of questions.

How strong were the Vault events in each region? Which venues consistently produced the toughest fields? How do the final Top 32s compare? And does the regional table necessarily tell us who the most dangerous players actually are?

The results are fascinating.

---

Wales Has the Deeper Top 32

The clearest finding comes from comparing the actual Vault averages of the 32 qualifiers in each region.

At the very top, there is virtually nothing between them.

The five strongest averages in the South West produce a combined figure of 83.32, while the equivalent five in Wales come out at 83.48.

That is effectively level.

Move further down the field, however, and Wales begins to pull away.

Field depth	South West	Wales
Best 5 average	83.32	83.48
Best 10	80.75	82.70
Best 16	78.84	81.49
Best 20	77.82	80.69
Full Top 32	74.55	78.26

The contrast becomes even clearer when looking at the number of players reaching certain standards.

The South West has four players averaging 80 or more.

Wales has 11.

The South West has 15 players averaging at least 75.

Wales has 26.

So the story is not that Wales necessarily possesses a far stronger group of favourites.

It is that the Welsh field appears to lose much less quality as you travel through the draw.

That could make the Welsh Regional Final particularly unforgiving.

---

Henry Cooper Sets the Standard in the South West

If Wales wins the depth argument, the highest individual average across the two fields belongs to the South West.

Henry Cooper leads the South West rankings with a superb 87.22 average.

He finished on the maximum 320 points despite competing in only 12 events, making his qualification particularly impressive.

And he isn't alone at the top.

Gareth Griffiths sits seventh in the regional table but averaged 85.59.

Josh McCarthy is sixth at 81.66.

Robbie Martin, despite being only the 14th seed, averaged 82.40.

That latter number is particularly interesting when cross-referenced with the wider Q4QS database.

Martin is one of the strongest South West qualifiers in the wider data and arrives with a 10-0 recent record, including consecutive Vault 18 titles.

That immediately shows why simply following the regional seedings could be dangerous.

---

The South West Players Whose Seeds Could Be Misleading

The wider Q4QS data throws up several players who look considerably stronger than their Vault position might initially suggest.

Gareth Griffiths ranks extremely highly in the wider Vault-filtered Q4QS data despite qualifying seventh.

Robbie Martin is 14th.

Zach Quinn, with a 78.32 Vault average, qualified only 22nd.

Then comes perhaps the most eye-catching example.

Declan Cox qualified 32nd.

Last place in the Regional Final field.

Yet Cox has already demonstrated that his ceiling is considerably higher than that seed suggests. At North Star Club in Calne he produced a 103.66 average, while Josh McCarthy hit 100.20 at the same event. Cox went on to win the tournament.

That is not the profile of somebody you would necessarily want as the bottom seed in your section of the draw.

The South West may not have the same depth of 80-plus averages as Wales, but it contains plenty of players capable of producing very high-level darts on the right day.

---

Wales: Danger Almost Everywhere

The Welsh field looks different.

The eye-catching feature is not just the top of the rankings.

It is how many strong players appear deep into the 32.

The first 12 qualifiers all finished on 320 points, but even that does not tell the full story.

Some of the strongest statistical players are much further down.

Llew Bevan is only the 26th seed but averaged 84.39 — the highest average in the entire Welsh Top 32.

Keenan Thomas is 29th with an 81.38 average.

Luke Newport is 17th at 81.59.

Ryan Davies is 20th at 79.98.

Gavin Sterio is 27th at 79.46.

That is extraordinary depth.

It means drawing somebody ranked in the twenties in Wales offers no guarantee whatsoever of getting an easier match.

---

Connor Hopkins Leads the Wider Q4QS Picture

Cross-referencing the Welsh qualifiers with the larger Vault 18 database produces another significant name.

Connor Hopkins ranks second across the entire Vault-filtered Q4QS player pool.

He qualified fifth in Wales.

That demonstrates just how little the regional seed alone tells us about underlying playing standard.

And we already have evidence of his ceiling.

At Wattsville National Club, Hopkins produced averages of 98.92 and 95.94, while Stephen Cake hit 100.20 and 95.94 at the same event.

Cake eventually finished top of the Welsh Regional rankings.

Alec Small, another of the Welsh 320-point qualifiers, also appeared prominently in that same event and later won at Tredegar, where he produced a 92.02 average.

So the Welsh depth isn't merely the product of accumulated averages.

There have been plenty of high-level performances behind those numbers.

---

Points Do Not Tell the Whole Story

This is another important part of the Vault 18 picture.

Players competed in very different numbers of events.

That means points partly reflect performance, but they also reflect opportunity and volume.

Take the South West.

Henry Cooper reached 320 points from just 12 events.

Gareth Griffiths earned 212 from only eight.

Jamie Kay reached 208 from nine.

Compare that with some players who competed in more than 20 tournaments.

Wales provides an even more extreme example.

Alex Williams reached 320 points from only 11 events.

Stephen Cake also scored 320 but competed in 26.

Timothy Jones required 28 events to reach the same total.

None of this makes one player automatically better than another.

But it does highlight why points, averages and underlying Q4QS strength should all be considered together rather than treating the regional standings as a simple power ranking.

---

Which Region Had the Strongest Vault Events?

The tournament-strength export produces one of the more surprising findings.

I use a calculated Tournament Strength score in the Q4QS database. It is important to stress that this is not simply an average. Player strength and the quality of the field contribute to the calculation.

Looking across the Vault 18 series, Wales and the South West were actually much closer than the Regional Final averages might suggest.

Across the events I could confidently classify, the average Tournament Strength multiplier was approximately:

Wales — 1.085

South West — 1.081

That is almost nothing between them.

The median figures are similarly close.

So this isn't a case of Wales simply having much stronger Vault tournaments throughout the seven-week series.

The everyday playing environments in the two regions were broadly comparable.

The bigger difference appears when we get to which players accumulated enough points to form the final 32.

That is a much more interesting conclusion.

---

Lindsay Constitutional Club Leads the Way in Wales

When the venues are separated out, one stands above the rest.

Lindsay Constitutional Club, Cefn Hengoed

Across seven recorded Vault 18 events, Lindsay produced an average Tournament Strength multiplier of approximately 1.254.

Its strongest individual event reached 1.350, comfortably the highest figure I found across the South West and Welsh comparison.

The average Top-20 figure across its events was also around 67.82.

And the results data supports that strength.

Stephen Cake won there during Vault 18, producing 91.69 and 90.73 performances on the night.

Behind Lindsay, some of the other strongest recurring Welsh venues included:

Cardiff County Conservative Club

Brynmawr Social Club

PILCS Sports & Social Club

Mile End Inn, Swansea

Brynmawr is particularly noteworthy because it produced 14 recorded Vault events while still maintaining a strong overall field level.

That suggests sustained depth rather than one unusually strong tournament.

---

Sartan Leads a Strong South West Group

The strongest recurring South West venue was:

Sartan Club, Bishopsworth

Across eight events, Sartan produced an average Tournament Strength multiplier of approximately 1.235, with a best event of 1.305.

That makes it the South West benchmark for Vault 18.

Behind it came:

North Star Club, Calne

Elmore Football Club, Tiverton

Yeovil Labour Club

Indian Queens WMC, Cornwall

with Magpies Social Club, Stonehouse and Saintbridge Sports Club, Gloucester very close behind.

Again, this is useful context.

The South West doesn't rely on one strong pocket of darts.

There are competitive fields spread across Bristol, Wiltshire, Somerset, Devon, Cornwall and Gloucestershire.

At Indian Queens, for example, Gareth Griffiths and Neil Meneer met in a Vault final after both producing 96.97 averages during the event. Griffiths also hit 91.84 in the final.

---

South West v Wales: What Have We Actually Learned?

There are three different comparisons here.

And they don't all produce exactly the same answer.

At the very top of the Regional Finals

Almost nothing separates the regions.

South West even possesses the highest individual average through Henry Cooper.

Across the full Top 32

Wales looks significantly deeper.

The Welsh field contains far more 80-plus players and very few qualifiers whose averages drop much below the mid-70s.

Across the Vault tournaments themselves

The regions were surprisingly similar in overall tournament strength.

Wales has the strongest individual venue in Lindsay Constitutional Club and a slightly higher average strength figure, but the difference across all events is relatively small.

That leads me to perhaps the most interesting conclusion of all.

The strength difference in the Regional Finals isn't necessarily because Wales had vastly harder Vault events.

It appears to be more about the depth of players who successfully emerged from them.

---

Some Seeds May Mean Almost Nothing

This is perhaps the thing I'll be watching most closely once the actual Regional Finals begin.

There are players buried deep in both rankings whose underlying numbers look far stronger than their seed.

In the South West:

Robbie Martin — #14

Zach Quinn — #22

Joe Bagguley — #27

Logan Symons Jr — #30

Declan Cox — #32

And in Wales:

Luke Newport — #17

Llew Bevan — #26

Gavin Sterio — #27

Keenan Thomas — #29

Dean Reynolds — #30

A draw involving some of those players could look favourable on paper while being anything but.

---

What Comes Next?

For now, I'm stopping short of predicting winners.

That will come closer to the Regional Finals themselves, when I'll look at the actual draws, recent form and the strongest routes through each field.

That is where the likes of Cooper, Griffiths, Hopkins, Cake, Bevan, Martin and others can be assessed properly as potential winners rather than simply interesting statistical profiles.

But one thing is already clear.

The jump from a local Vault night to the Regional Finals represents a significant opportunity.

There is prize money to be won, but beyond that lies the prospect of appearing in the MODUS Super Series, playing in front of a much larger audience and potentially opening doors that simply aren't available on an ordinary local darts night.

For 64 players across the South West and Wales, the seven weeks of Vault 18 have got them this far.

Now the serious part begins.

Are ADC Vaults Tougher Than People Think? The Numbers Tell an Interesting Story

 

The ADC Vault has become one of the biggest developments in grassroots darts.

Thousands of players now compete across the UK and Ireland, from relative newcomers to players capable of competing at MODUS Super Series and professional level.

But how strong are the tournaments themselves?

Having already used my Q4QS Tournament Strength Score to compare the major tours around the world, I wanted to apply the same measurement to the Vault.

Could an ordinary night at your local Vault actually produce a field comparable with some recognised international tours?

The answer is more complicated than I expected.

First – What Is Tournament Strength?

The Q4QS Tournament Strength Score is not the tournament average.

It is a calculated measure designed to assess the overall quality of a tournament field, incorporating factors including player ratings, performances and the strength of the players taking part.

That means two tournaments producing similar match averages don't necessarily receive the same Strength Score.

For this analysis I've also separated ordinary weekly Vault tournaments from the larger Regional Finals and MODUS Super Series qualifying events.

That's important.

A normal £6 Vault night open to players of widely differing standards isn't really the same competition as a Regional Final containing many of the strongest players from an entire region.

How Strong Is a Normal Vault?

This is where the size of the Q4QS database becomes particularly useful.

There are more than 3,500 ordinary 2026 Vault tournament records in the dataset after removing Regional Finals, MODUS qualifiers, Level Up events, break-week competitions and obvious malformed records.

Across that enormous sample, a typical Vault sits at around 60 Tournament Strength points.

But that doesn't tell the whole story.

The strongest ordinary Vault nights are considerably tougher.

Some of the Strongest Regular Vaults in the Database

Event	Tournament Strength
8 Ball Bar & Sports, Paignton – Vault 17	75.08
Lindsay Constitutional Club, Cefn Hengoed – Vault 18	73.44
Bengeworth Club, Evesham – Vault 18	71.06
Hotshots Sports Bar, Bletchley – Vault 18	70.62
Sartan Club, Bishopsworth – Vault 18	70.25
Lindsay Constitutional Club, Cefn Hengoed – Vault 18	69.93
Samba Darts Academy, Tipton – Vault 17	69.81
Beechwood Club, Blackburn – Vault 17	69.50
Cardiff County Conservative Club – Vault 18	69.35
Sartan Club, Bishopsworth – Vault 16	69.26

That immediately demonstrates something important.

There is no single standard of “Vault darts”.

One venue can produce a substantially stronger field than another, and even the same venue can change significantly from week to week.

That's hardly surprising when Vault is deliberately accessible to players across a very wide range of abilities. The ADC describes the format as being for everyone, from beginners through to experienced competitors.

Paignton Produces the Standout

The biggest surprise in the regular-event data is 8 Ball Bar & Sports in Paignton.

Its Vault 17 event on 27 April scores 75.08.

That is particularly interesting when compared with the figure from the previous article in this series:

PDC Women's Series – 74.95

I wouldn't interpret a difference of 0.13 points as meaning the Paignton Vault is definitively "stronger than the Women's Series".

The methodology and samples are different, and we're comparing one exceptionally strong Vault with the leading events used for a whole circuit.

But it demonstrates the level that an unusually strong local Vault can reach.

A grassroots Monday-night tournament producing a field that even enters the same numerical territory is noteworthy.

Then the Regional Finals Change Everything

Once we move from ordinary Vault nights to the end-of-series Regional Finals and MODUS qualifiers, the numbers rise again.

Among the strongest in the database are:

Vault Finals/Qualifier	Strength
South East & London Vault 16 MODUS Qualifier	82.19
South Wales Vault 15 MODUS Qualifier	79.98
South Wales Vault 17 MODUS Qualifier	79.19
South Wales Vault 16 MODUS Qualifier	79.17
South West Vault 16 MODUS Qualifier	78.79
South West Vault 17 MODUS Qualifier	78.53
Midlands Vault 17 MODUS Qualifier	78.12
South West Vault 15 MODUS Qualifier	77.70

And 82.19 changes the conversation considerably.

How Does 82.19 Compare With the World Tours?

Using the illustrative Tournament Strength figures from the previous Q4QS analysis gives us some context:

Circuit/Event	Q4QS Strength
Challenge Tour	91.85
Development Tour	89.26
Asian Tour	87.13
DPA Australia	83.25
Strongest Vault Regional Final	82.19
Nordic & Baltic	82.46
DPNZ New Zealand	79.22
CDC North America	79.05
Strongest ordinary Vault	75.08
PDC Women's Series	74.95
CDLC	66.48

Now it gets interesting.

The strongest Vault Regional Final in the database is sitting almost level with the Nordic & Baltic circuit, not far behind the DPA, and above the figures we produced for DPNZ and CDC.

Again, that doesn't mean ADC Vault is a stronger tour than CDC or DPNZ.

It isn't a like-for-like comparison.

We're comparing the very strongest Vault Regional Final with representative scores from complete circuits.

But it does demonstrate the quality that can assemble at the sharp end of the ADC system.

And the ADC pathway is specifically designed to funnel local Vault competition into Regional Finals, National Finals and ultimately opportunities including the Global Championship and MODUS Super Series.

But Is Vault Challenge Tour Standard?

This is where the data gives us a pretty decisive answer.

No.

At least not as a circuit.

The Challenge Tour score of 91.85 is in another bracket.

So too is the Development Tour at 89.26.

Even the strongest Vault Regional Final currently recorded at 82.19 remains around seven points below Development Tour level.

That's quite a substantial gap on this scale.

And an ordinary Vault, typically around 60, is obviously operating in a completely different competitive environment.

But that shouldn't really be surprising.

Challenge Tour fields contain former Tour Card holders and players actively attempting to enter or return to the professional game.

Vault has a completely different purpose.

Perhaps That's Actually the Strength of Vault

This might be the most interesting conclusion of all.

The attraction of the Vault isn't that every tournament is brutally difficult.

It's that the standard can stretch so far.

At one end, someone relatively new to competitive darts can enter their local event.

At the other, the strongest players progress into Regional Finals containing fields capable of registering Tournament Strength Scores above 80.

The structure deliberately accommodates that range. Vault operates through seven-week series before Regional Finals, while the wider 2026 pathway also includes average-banded Level Up competitions.

That's a very different model from the Challenge or Development Tours.

Location Matters – A Lot

There is another story hidden in these numbers that I'll return to later in this series.

Where you play your Vault matters.

Paignton reaching 75.08 while thousands of other Vault tournaments sit around the 60 mark demonstrates just how much local player pools affect tournament difficulty.

Sartan Club appears repeatedly towards the higher end.

So does Lindsay Constitutional Club.

Evesham, Bletchley, Tipton and several other venues also produce particularly strong nights.

That opens up another question:

Where are the toughest places in Britain to play darts?

That's an article for later in this series.

Final Thoughts

So, are ADC Vaults tougher than people think?

At the top end, absolutely.

A normal Vault isn't comparable with the Challenge Tour or Development Tour, and it would be misleading to pretend otherwise.

But the best ordinary Vault fields can reach the mid-70s on the Q4QS Tournament Strength scale.

And once the strongest players from a region are concentrated into the Regional Finals, scores can climb beyond 80.

That's enough to put the strongest Vault showcase events into territory occupied by some established international circuits.

Perhaps that's the real story.

The journey from a normal local Vault night to the sharp end of a Regional Final represents a considerable increase in difficulty in its own right.

And for a competition designed to provide a pathway from grassroots darts towards much bigger opportunities, that's exactly what you would hope to see.

Next in the Q4QS Tournament Strength series: The Toughest Individual Tournaments of 2026.

Yesterday's Results Round-Up – Wednesday 29 July 2026

 

Wednesday was another busy evening for grassroots darts, with 56 tournaments added to the Q4QS database. Vault events dominated the schedule, while local leagues, round robins and Champions of Champions qualifiers ensured there was plenty of action across the country.

From a South West perspective it was another excellent night, with strong performances in Stonehouse, Torquay, Bodmin, Ilfracombe and Bishopsworth producing some outstanding darts.

South West Spotlight

Josh McCarthy produces a century average in Stonehouse

One of the performances of the night came at Vault 18.0 @ Magpies Social Club, Stonehouse, where Josh McCarthy defeated Shaun Vernall 3-2 in a high-quality final. McCarthy produced a superb 100.20 average, while Declan Cox also impressed with 95.04 during another excellent evening in Gloucestershire.

Neil Meneer edges Bodmin classic

There was plenty of quality at Vault 18.0 @ Bodmin Band & Social Club, where Neil Meneer defeated Jamie Kay 3-1 to lift the title. Although Kay fell just short in the final, his remarkable 115.62 average was the highest individual average recorded across all the South West events and one of the best performances anywhere in the country.

Connor Davies ends Robbie Long's winning run

At The Sartan Club, Bishopsworth, Connor Davies claimed another Vault title with a 3-1 victory over the in-form Robbie Long. Connor averaged 92.02 during the evening, while Zach Quinn also showed his class with a 93.94 average. It was another strong standard from one of the South West's most competitive weekly events.

Charlie Wiles triumphs in Torquay

Charlie Wiles claimed the title at Galaxy Sports Bar, Torquay, edging Richie Blaynee 3-2 in the final. Wiles averaged 86.46 during the evening to continue his excellent recent form.

Daniel Donovan wins in Ilfracombe

Further west, Daniel Donovan took victory at The Wellington Arms, Ilfracombe, defeating Andy Steed 3-1 in the final to add another Vault title to his record.

Chris Hurds breaks the 107 barrier

At Shooters Bar, Leominster, Chris Hurds produced one of the performances of the night. He lifted the title with a 3-1 win over Zac Griffiths and fired in a brilliant 107.36 average, the highest by an adult winner on the Q4QS featured graphic.

Performances of the Night

Several players produced exceptional averages during Wednesday's action:

• Jamie Kay – 115.62 (Bodmin)
• Chris Hurds – 107.36 (Leominster)
• Josh McCarthy – 100.20 (Stonehouse)
• Declan Cox – 95.04 (Stonehouse)
• Peter Barton – 93.94 (Burnham & Highbridge)

There were also impressive performances elsewhere from Kyle Jones (111.33), Adam Mould (107.36), Daniel Astbury (107.36), Matt Dennant (104.86) and Louis Melville (103.66), underlining the standard being achieved across the grassroots game.

Another Busy Night for Q4QS

With another 56 tournaments processed, the Q4QS database continues to grow, providing an increasingly detailed picture of grassroots darts throughout the UK. Congratulations to all of Wednesday's winners, and good luck to everyone competing again tonight.

Yesterday's Results Round-Up South and South West – Monday 27 July 2026

Monday delivered another packed evening of grassroots darts, with 30 tournaments added to the Q4QS database. There were strong performances right across the country, while the South West once again produced several eye-catching winners and some outstanding averages.

Finlay Cleave Impresses In Paignton

One of the standout performances of the evening came in Paignton, where Finlay Cleave claimed the Vault 18 title with a convincing 3-0 victory over Andy Steed.

The final was played to an excellent standard, with both players recording 93.94 averages, while Dan Bevan (91.09) and Robbie Martin (91.09) also featured among the night's highest performers.

Carl High Continues His Rise In Minehead

After being highlighted in my preview earlier this week, Carl High justified the attention by winning Vault 18 at The Banckers Draught, Minehead.

High edged past Jack Walker 3-2 in an entertaining final to continue his impressive recent form. Jack Walker, Brooklyn Anthony and Steve Boundy were all among the players enjoying another productive evening in Somerset.

Josh McCarthy Claims Calne Honours

At Vault 18 @ North Star Club, Calne, Josh McCarthy lifted another title after defeating Declan Cox 3-2 in the final.

McCarthy also produced the tournament's highest average of 96.72, underlining why he remains one of the strongest performers on the local circuit.

Salisbury Success For Danny Humphries

The Stratford Social Club hosted another competitive Vault event, with Danny Humphries defeating Daryl Beaven 3-1 in the final.

Humphries topped the averages with 92.02, while Zachary Petty and Daren Field also produced strong displays during the evening.

Barnstaple And Beyond

There was another excellent turnout in Barnstaple, where Ben Rigler overcame Harry Childs in a closely fought final.

Meanwhile, Johnny Haines won in Didcot, Callum Grealis took the honours in Basingstoke and Lee Evans triumphed in Andover as another busy Monday of Vault action unfolded across the country.

Performances That Caught My Eye

Some of Monday's best performances included:

• 🎯 Josh McCarthy – 96.72 (Calne)
• 🎯 Finlay Cleave – 93.94 (Paignton)
• 🎯 Andy Steed – 93.94 (Paignton)
• 🎯 Danny Humphries – 92.02 (Salisbury)
• 🎯 Taylor Foster – 91.09 (Minehead)
• 🎯 Ben Rigler – 88.41 (Barnstaple)

Highest Average Of The Day

The performance of the day belonged to Stuart Scarsbrook, who produced a superb 112.73 average on his way to victory at the Daventry Vault. Anthony Coleman also exceeded 109, while Ryan Davies, Callum Grealis and Jake Eichen all broke the 103 barrier during an outstanding evening of darts.

Another excellent night's darts is now in the books, with plenty of familiar names continuing their fine form as the race towards the major ADC events gathers pace.

Congratulations to everyone who picked up titles and produced standout performances. 

Under-Average Darts Competitions – Good for the Game?

 

Few topics in grassroots darts create as much debate as under-average competitions.

Speak to ten players and you'll probably get ten different opinions.

Over the last few years, the rise of the ADC has transformed opportunities for players across the UK. More people than ever are playing competitive darts, and crucially, many of those players are not county stars, former professionals or players averaging 80-plus. They are simply people who enjoy the game and want regular competition against opponents of a similar standard.

For many years, local tournaments often saw the same handful of top players dominating week after week. While there is absolutely nothing wrong with that, it could sometimes discourage newer or developing players from entering regularly. Nobody particularly enjoys paying an entry fee every week only to be knocked out immediately by a county player averaging 85.

The answer, it seems, has been the growth of under-average competitions.

The Route for Ambitious Players

For players with aspirations of reaching the highest levels of the game, the ADC Vault system has created a genuine pathway.

Players compete over a series of events within their region, earning points throughout the season. The strongest performers qualify for a Finals Day, where the winner can earn an invitation to compete on television in the Modus Super Series, subject to meeting the required average criteria (typically around 77+).

A strong run on the Modus stage can be life-changing. Television exposure brings opportunities for sponsorship, endorsements, prize money and increased recognition, all without necessarily having to navigate the challenges of PDC Q School or qualify for major WDF events.

For ambitious players, the Vault system offers a clear and realistic route to bigger opportunities.

Darts for Everyone

Not every player wants to become a professional.

Many players simply want competitive, enjoyable darts against opponents of a similar standard.

This is where under-average tournaments have become incredibly important.

Across the UK you'll find Under 70, Under 65 and Under 55 competitions, each designed to cater for different ability levels. In some areas there are even Under 45 events aimed at complete beginners and newer players.

The average limit itself is usually determined by the organiser, allowing flexibility depending on the local player base.

An Under 70 event might suit players who are progressing from pub darts or lower-level leagues and want stronger competition. Under 65 tournaments often sit comfortably between recreational and county-level standards. Under 55 events are ideal for newer players who are still developing consistency and confidence.

The beauty of the system is that players can choose the level that suits them best.

A player averaging 45 can still enter an Under 70 competition if they wish. They'll simply face tougher opposition and perhaps gain valuable experience. Equally, a player averaging 68 may choose to test themselves at open events or Vault competitions.

Another positive development is that the ADC pathway doesn't stop at the Vault Finals. Alongside the main Vault structure, competitions such as Core, Emerging and Rise Up provide additional opportunities for players to progress and earn recognition. Importantly, these events are not restricted by carrying average in the same way as many under-average tournaments, meaning players can continue to challenge themselves as they improve. It creates a ladder of progression where virtually every player entering a local ADC event has something to aim for, regardless of their current standard.

My Personal View

Personally, I've always believed that the goal should be to become too good for your current level.

If you're winning regularly at Under 55 level, perhaps it's time to move into Under 65 events. If you're consistently performing well there, maybe Under 70 or open competitions become the next challenge.

Progression is one of the most satisfying parts of darts.

The under-average system doesn't stop players improving. In fact, it often encourages development by giving players achievable stepping stones rather than expecting them to jump straight into events filled with county stars and former professionals.

The Argument Against

Of course, there are criticisms.

The most common argument is that stronger players now have fewer tournaments available to them. Historically, many local events were open to everyone, allowing the best players to compete wherever they wished.

There is certainly some truth in that.

Top players naturally want regular high-quality competition, and some feel that the increasing number of restricted events reduces their opportunities.

However, it's worth asking an important question.

If the same small group of elite players dominated every local tournament, would we see the participation numbers that exist today?

Many players who now compete weekly may never have entered the sport at all without under-average competitions. The confidence gained from competitive matches against players of similar ability often leads to greater participation, league involvement and long-term commitment to the game.

Finding the Balance

The reality is that grassroots darts needs both.

It needs Vault competitions and open events for ambitious players chasing higher honours.

It also needs Under 70, Under 65, Under 55 and beginner-level events to encourage participation and provide enjoyable competition for the vast majority of players.

The ADC is still relatively young, and not every town or city currently offers the same breadth of opportunities. Some areas have a thriving calendar of events at every level, while others are still developing.

But the direction of travel is clear.

Vaults continue to expand. Under-average events continue to attract strong entries. More players are entering competitive darts than ever before.

As long as organisers continue to provide opportunities for players of all abilities, darts remains a game for everyone.

And that's surely a good thing for the future of the sport.