Three Players Who Caught My Eye This Week
Another week of grassroots darts, and my three selections this time are Tyler Garrett, Jack Johnson and Ryan Davies.
As always, this isn't simply about finding the three players who won the most tournaments or produced the biggest averages. The Weekly Spotlight is about performances that made me take notice.
This week we've got a junior producing a ton-plus average in a final, another young player hitting one of the biggest averages I've seen in the Q4QS data, and an experienced Welsh circuit regular who followed a final appearance with a tournament victory.
Three very different reasons for catching my eye.
Tyler Garrett — Q4QS Rank #1,861
Player Profile
Tyler Garrett may still be a long way down the overall Q4QS rankings, but his record already suggests that number doesn't tell the whole story.
Across 549 recorded matches, Tyler has won 406, giving him a 74.0% win rate from 102 events.
He's already collected 18 tournament victories, alongside 13 runner-up finishes, 16 semi-finals and 20 quarter-finals.
His overall recorded average stands at 70.17, while his best is 107.36. His last-ten average is considerably higher at 78.45, another indication of the level he's capable of producing. Tyler Garrett_profile
There are some impressive names among his best recorded victories too, including Robbie Martin and Stephen Cake, while he's beaten Harley Glycos on several occasions. Tyler Garrett_profile
This Week
Wednesday's Junior Volts at Pilcs Sports & Social Club in Pontypool was the performance that really caught my attention.
Tyler didn't just win it.
He produced some excellent darts along the way.
He averaged 96.97 in a 2–0 victory over Alfie O'Brien before beating Cody Sheppard 2–0.
Then came the knockout stages.
Tyler beat Oliver Williams 3–0 with an 85.08 average, Evan Flowers 3–0 with an 83.50, and reached the final against Joshua Russell.
And that's where he saved his best.
Tyler won the final 3–0 with a 100.20 average. Tyler Garrett_profile
A ton-plus average in a junior final is going to catch my eye every time.
Jack Johnson — Q4QS Rank #222
Player Profile
Jack Johnson is already much higher up the Q4QS rankings, and his wider record helps explain why.
He's played 205 recorded matches, winning 162 of them for an excellent 79.0% win rate.
From only 47 recorded events, Jack has already collected nine tournament victories, with another six runner-up finishes.
His overall match average is 82.48, while his Q4QS Average is slightly higher at 83.11. Jack Johnson_profile
There is some serious quality on his list of victories as well. He's beaten Owen Bates with a 95.24 average, Mitchell Lawrie, Jack Drayton with a 97.35, and Lewis Cook. Jack Johnson_profile
But one number from this week jumps off the page.
This Week
125.25.
That's the average Jack produced in a 2–0 victory over Robert Barton at the 6 and 1 Club in Tonbridge on Wednesday. It's also Jack's highest recorded average in the Q4QS database. Jack Johnson_profile
And it wasn't simply one spectacular match followed by an early exit.
Jack went on to win the tournament.
He averaged 99.95 in his 3–1 semi-final victory over Tony Balcombe before beating George Whyte 3–1 in the final with an 87.53 average. Jack Johnson_profile
Two days later he was back at the business end again at Walderslade Club in Chatham.
Jack reached the semi-final there, with his run including two separate 93.94 averages, against Jordan Walkling and George Whyte. Jack Johnson_profile
A tournament victory, another semi-final and a 125.25 average.
Jack was very close to making my three last week. This time he's made the decision rather easy.
Ryan Davies — Q4QS Rank #1,063
Player Profile
Ryan Davies is the most experienced of this week's three in terms of matches recorded by Q4QS.
He's played 897 matches, winning 704 of them for a 78.5% win rate across 146 events.
Ryan has won 25 tournaments, reached another 31 finals and made 34 semi-finals.
His overall recorded average is 77.43, with a Q4QS Average of 77.80 and a best of 115.62. Ryan Davies_profile
His record also includes multiple victories over Connor Hopkins, including averages of 89.36 and 100.20, as well as a win over Ashton Brown. Ryan Davies_profile
This Week
Ryan's week was more about sustained performance than one spectacular result.
On Tuesday he reached the final of the Vault at Lindsay Constitutional Club in Cefn Hengoed.
Ryan produced a 96.97 average during the event before eventually finishing runner-up to Connor Hopkins in a close 3–2 final.
Then on Friday he went one better at Wattsville National Club.
Ryan won the Friday Night Fun event, with his run including victories over John Prosser, Gordon Davies, Mason McCann, Callum Jenkins, Lozza Woods, Ieuan Podmore and Xavier Jones before beating Corey Evans 2–1 in the final.
His best recorded average during the event was 85.89, against John Prosser. Ryan Davies_profile
So a final early in the week followed by a tournament victory to finish it.
Ryan has now won nine of his last ten recorded matches. Ryan Davies_profile
Another very solid week from a player who seems to spend plenty of time at the business end of tournaments.
Three Different Stories
That's another week where I think the three selections show what this feature is supposed to be about.
Tyler Garrett produced a 100.20 average when it mattered most — in the final of a Junior Volts tournament.
Jack Johnson had an extraordinary 125.25 performance during a title-winning run, then reached another semi-final two days later.
And Ryan Davies backed up a Vault final with another tournament victory later in the week.
It doesn't always have to be the player who won the most tournaments.
Sometimes it's a performance, sometimes it's consistency, and sometimes one number simply makes you stop and look twice.
These are my three this week.
