Airlie Darts First Grand Prix Event

It was a milestone day on Sunday for the local darts club, as members gathered for their first-ever Grand Prix event — and what a day it turned out to be.

Traditionally a singles competition club, the event offered a refreshing twist with players teaming up in pairs and competing in a “doubles in, doubles out” format. The competition was seeded to create four evenly balanced teams, with the table after the three round-robin fixtures finishing as follows:

R. Peel / A. Peel – 6 points
A. McMinn / D. Friend – 4 points
S. Bacon / J. Wilson – 2 points
N. Mitchell / J. Maher – 0 points

There was also cause for celebration when Steve Bacon hit his first 180 at the club — a milestone many hope will be the first of many.

In the semi-finals, Reef and Andy Peel claimed a narrow 4–3 win over Naomi Mitchell and Jamie Maher, while Art McMinn and Dom Friend defeated Bacon and Joe Wilson 4–2.

In the final, the father-and-son Peel combination turned up the heat, producing a clinical display to defeat McMinn and Friend 4–0 and etch their names as the first winners on the new Grand Prix trophy. The win was also Reef’s first-ever trophy at the club.

The club thanked sponsors Mika Airlie, Whitsunday Tattooing, Master Butchers Whitsunday & MBW On the Barbie, ShirtFront Solutions, Dyson Automotive, and the Airlie Beach Bowls Club for their support.

Contributed with thanks to Jamie Maher

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Reef Peel and Andy Peel with the Grand Prix trophy on Sunday at the Darts Club. Photo supplied

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