John Part facts for kids

Quick facts for kids John Part
Part in 2022
Personal information
Nickname	"Darth Maple"
Born	(1966-06-29) 29 June 1966 (age 59) Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Home town	Oshawa, Ontario, Canada
Darts information
Playing darts since	1987
Darts	23g Loxley Darts Signature
Laterality	Right-handed
Walk-on music	"The Imperial March" (Darth Vader's theme from Star Wars)
Organisation (see split in darts)
BDO	1993–1997
PDC	1997–2020
BDO majors – best performances
World Ch'ship	Winner (1): 1994
World Masters	Last 16: 1995, 1997
World Darts Trophy	Last 16: 2007
Int. Darts League	Last 32 Group: 2007
PDC premier events – best performances
World Ch'ship	Winner (2): 2003, 2008
World Matchplay	Runner Up: 2002, 2005
World Grand Prix	Runner Up: 2002, 2003
Grand Slam	Quarter Final: 2007, 2012
Premier League	6th: 2005, 2009
Desert Classic	Winner (1): 2006
European Ch'ship	Last 32: 2008, 2009, 2011, 2013
UK Open	Runner Up: 2004
US Open/WSoD	Semi Final: 2007
Players Ch'ship Finals	Last 16: 2009
Other tournament wins
Bob Jones Memorial 2005 Canadian Mixed Pairs 1995 Canada National Championships 1995, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2007 Canadian Open 1995, 2001, 2004 CDC Tour Event 2018 Golden Harvest North American Cup 2004 Klondike Open 1993, 1996, 1998 Las Vegas Open 1998 North American Darts Championship 2010 North American Pro Tour Chicago 2012 Ontario Champion 1992, 1993, 1995, 1998, 2002 PDC Eastbourne Open 2000 PDC Nations Cup Singles 2002 PDC Northern Ireland Open 2002 Quebec Open 1994, 1996, 1999, 2002 Soft Tip Bullshooter World Championship 2008 USA Darts Classic 2000 WDF World Cup Pairs 1993 World Cup International Open 1995 WDF Americas Cup Singles 2002 European Tour Events UK Masters 2013 Players Championships (x5) 2007, 2008, 2011 (x3) UK Open Regionals South West England 2003
Other achievements
PDC World Number 1 January to June 2003 Member of Oshawa Sports Hall of Fame Member of National Darts Federation of Canada Hall of Fame Member of the PDC Hall of Fame
Updated on 2017.

John Part (born 29 June 1966) is a famous Canadian former professional darts player. He is also a commentator and plays in World Seniors events. His nickname is "Darth Maple".

John Part is a three-time World Champion. He won the 1994 BDO World Darts Championship when he first competed in a world championship. He also won the PDC World Championship in 2003 and 2008. Many people think he is one of the best darts players ever. He is also considered North America's greatest darts player.

He was the first player from outside of Britain to win the World Championship. He is also the only non-European player to win the PDC World Darts Championship. His first championship win was special because he only lost one set in the whole tournament. John Part's second World Championship win came nine years after his first. This is one of the longest gaps between world titles.

His third victory in 2008 made him the first player to win a world title in three different places. He was also the first to win at the Alexandra Palace. After his 2008 win, he joined a small group of players with three or more World Championships. In 2017, he was added to the PDC Hall of Fame.

John Part's Darts Career Highlights

Early Years and First World Title (1987–1994)

John Part was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He received a dartboard as a Christmas gift in 1987. Even though darts wasn't widely shown on TV in Canada, he watched the World Professional Darts Championship and the World Masters. He learned a lot from famous players like Bob Anderson.

Part won his first big title, the Syracuse Open, in 1991. He became a professional darts player that same year. He soon started representing Canada in the WDF World Cup. He felt that playing against top North American players helped him become a world champion.

By 1993, John Part was Canada's top-ranked player. He competed in major events organized by the British Darts Organisation. He and Carl Mercer won the Pairs Championship for Canada at the 1993 WDF World Cup. When he entered the 1994 BDO World Darts Championship, he was not well-known.

This championship was the first after a big split in the darts world. Many new players, including Part, were competing. In the first round, Part beat the second-seeded player, Ronnie Baxter, easily. He then continued to win, only losing one set on his way to the final. He faced the popular player Bobby George in the final and won 6–0. Just six years after getting his first dartboard, John Part was a World Champion! He was the first non-British player to win this title.

Challenges and Moving to the PDC (1995–2000)

After his big win in 1994, John Part found it hard to keep up his success in the mid-1990s. He won more titles in North America, like the Canadian Open and Canadian National Championships in 1995. However, he struggled in major tournaments in the United Kingdom.

In the 1995 BDO World Darts Championship, he lost in the second round. He never reached the quarter-finals of the BDO World Championship again after 1994. He also did not reach the quarter-finals of the World Masters during his time in the BDO.

In June 1997, Part left the British Darts Organisation and joined the Professional Darts Corporation. He hoped this move would improve his game. However, his performance in major events remained difficult. He had early exits in the 1998 and 1999 PDC World Championships.

The year 2000 brought some small successes. He won the Eastbourne Open and reached the quarter-finals of the PDC World Grand Prix. These improved results hinted at the successful period that was about to begin for Part.

Becoming a PDC World Champion (2001–2003)

The 2001 PDC World Darts Championship was a turning point for John Part, even though he lost in the final. He played well and reached his first major PDC final. There, he met Phil Taylor, who was considered the best darts player ever. Taylor had won the last six world championships.

Taylor played incredibly well in the final, winning 7–0. Part only won three legs in the entire match. This tough loss could have hurt Part's confidence. Instead, it motivated him to get better. Over the next two years, Part won many smaller titles. He rose to number two in the world rankings and developed a rivalry with Taylor.

In 2002, Part reached another major final at the World Matchplay. He led Taylor 16–15, but Taylor won the last three legs to win 18–16. Part also reached the final of the World Grand Prix in October 2002, but Taylor won again.

Going into the 2003 PDC World Darts Championship, Taylor was the big favorite. However, Taylor showed some weaknesses in this tournament. Part, as the number two seed, also reached the final. He had a tough semi-final match against Kevin Painter, winning 6–4.

Before the final, many thought Part would lose. He had lost all five of his televised matches against Taylor. Part had just finished a tiring semi-final, while Taylor had an easier path. Taylor had also won eight world championships in a row.

But Part started the final strongly, hitting a 121 checkout on the bullseye in the first leg. He took a 3–0 and then a 4–1 lead. Taylor fought back to lead 5–4. Part then won the next two sets to lead 6–5, just one set away from the title. Taylor won the next set, forcing a deciding set. In the final set, Part broke Taylor's throw and won the title with his first match dart.

He became world champion for the second time. He also ended Taylor's amazing winning streak. This final is often called one of the greatest darts games ever. Part said this win was his most special victory. Like his BDO win, Part was the first non-British player to win the PDC World Championship. He also became the world number one in the PDC rankings.

After the Second World Title (2003–2005)

The years after Part's second world championship win had mixed results. He beat his rival Taylor several times on TV. However, he did not win any major titles from February 2003 to 2005. He did win some smaller events, like the UK Open Southwest Regional Final in 2003, where he beat Taylor.

Part reached the final of the 2003 Las Vegas Desert Classic, but lost to Peter Manley. He also made it to his second straight World Grand Prix final, but Taylor won again. Taylor also took back the world number one ranking from Part.

The 2004 PDC World Darts Championship started with another loss for Part. As the defending champion, he lost his first match to Mark Dudbridge. Taylor went on to win the World Championship that year. In 2004, Part had success in North America, winning the Canadian Open and Canadian National Championships again. He also won the Golden Harvest North American Cup.

Part beat Taylor again in the 2004 UK Open quarter-final. He reached the final of that event but lost to Roland Scholten. At the 2004 World Matchplay, Part had some exciting wins, including a close match against Bob Anderson. He reached the semi-finals, where he faced Taylor again. Taylor won the match, and went on to win the tournament.

In 2005, Part did not win any tournaments. In the 2005 PDC World Darts Championship, he lost to Mark Dudbridge again. He was also invited to the first Premier League, but he struggled and finished near the bottom.

Despite this, Part had two memorable matches against Taylor in 2005. In the 2005 UK Open, Part led Taylor 10–6 but lost 11–10. He got revenge in the 2005 World Matchplay quarter-final, beating Taylor 16–11. This ended Taylor's long winning streak in that event. Part then reached the final, but lost to Colin Lloyd.

Overall, from 2003 to 2005, Part beat Taylor four times on TV. However, he lost in the final in three of those events. This period was less successful for Part, and his ranking dropped.

Las Vegas Champion and Third World Title (2006–2008)

The year 2006 was important for darts and for John Part. Raymond van Barneveld, a four-time BDO World Champion, joined the PDC. Van Barneveld quickly became Taylor's main rival. Part's status as a top player was affected, and he lost to Wayne Mardle in the 2006 PDC World Championship.

Despite these challenges, Part's career saw a boost in the next three years. In July 2006, he won his first major title since 2003: the 2006 Las Vegas Desert Classic. He had often done well in this tournament, reaching six semi-finals. This time, he won the trophy. He beat van Barneveld 6–3 in a close final, securing his second major PDC title.

Part's other results in 2006 were not as strong. He lost to Phil Taylor 13–2 in the 2006 World Matchplay. In the 2007 World Championship, he lost in the second round to Chris Mason.

However, Part returned to good form for the rest of 2007. He reached three semi-finals in televised majors: the US Open, the World Grand Prix, and the Las Vegas Desert Classic. These strong performances meant he was the 11th seed for the 2008 PDC World Darts Championship.

Part played steadily through the tournament. He had the highest average in the second round against Mensur Suljović. He won a very close quarter-final against James Wade. In the semi-final, he faced Kevin Painter again, just like in his 2003 win. Part won 6–2 and reached his fourth world championship final.

In this tournament, top players like Taylor and van Barneveld had been defeated. Part faced Kirk Shepherd, a 21-year-old qualifier who was a big underdog. Shepherd was the youngest ever world finalist. This match reminded people of Part's 1994 final, but this time Part was the experienced player.

Part quickly took a 4–0 lead. Shepherd fought back to 5–2, but Part finished the match strong, winning the last two sets for a 7–2 victory. This gave him his third world championship. He joined an elite group of players with more than two world titles. He also became the second player, after Taylor, to win the PDC World Darts Championship more than once. Part set a new record by being the first player to win the world championship in three different venues.

However, the years after Part's championship wins in 1994 and 2003 were often less successful. 2008 followed this pattern. Part won the first tournament he entered as world champion, the Gibraltar Players Championship. But this was his only PDC victory for the next two years. He played poorly in the Premier League and finished last. His year ended with a tough 3–0 loss in the first round of the 2009 PDC World Championship to Bill Davis.

Nine-Dart Finish and Ranking Changes (2009–2016)

John Part lost in the first round of the 2009 World Championship. This was the second time he lost his first match after winning the title the previous year. In the 2010 World Championship, he lost to Kirk Shepherd in the second round. Part's ranking dropped, and he did not play in the 2010 Premier League.

In June 2010, Part won the PDC North American Darts Championship in Las Vegas. He lost in the first round of the 2011 World Championship and almost fell out of the top 32 players.

In February 2011, he won his first Players Championship since 2007. He beat Mark Walsh 6–0. Part said he had nothing to lose and that illness had affected his previous World Championship performances. His good form continued in May 2011 when he won another Players Championship in Austria, beating Denis Ovens 6–0 in the final. This win helped him qualify for major televised tournaments in 2011.

During the first round of the 2011 World Matchplay, Part achieved a special moment: he hit a 9-dart finish against Mark Webster. This is a perfect game in darts. Even though he lost the match, it was a big milestone in his career.

He qualified for the World Grand Prix and beat the reigning World Champion Adrian Lewis in the first round. He lost in the next round.

At the 2012 World Championship, he reached the quarter-finals for the first time since his 2008 title. He played James Wade in a very close match that went to a deciding leg. Wade won, and Part later called it "the greatest game I've ever lost!"

Part represented Canada in the 2012 PDC World Cup of Darts with Ken MacNeil. They lost to England in a sudden-death leg in the second round. In July 2012, Part won the first PDC North American pro tour event in Chicago.

Despite this, Part had a quiet season and did not qualify for many major tournaments. However, he was invited to the Grand Slam of Darts, where he reached the quarter-finals. He lost to Andy Hamilton.

At the 2013 World Championship, he won his first-round match but lost in the second round. Part again represented Canada in the 2013 PDC World Cup of Darts, this time with Jeff Smith. They reached the second round.

Part then won his first European Tour event in 2013, the UK Masters. He beat several top players and won the final 6–4 against Stuart Kellett. He also reached the quarter-finals of the European Darts Trophy.

In April, he reached a UK Open Qualifier final but lost. At the 2013 UK Open, he lost in the fourth round. He also lost in the first round of the European Championship and the World Matchplay.

At the Players Championship Finals, Part wore glasses for the first time in a match. He played well but missed many chances to win and lost a close match.

In the 2014 World Championship, he won his first-round match but lost 0–4 to Wes Newton in the next round. His ranking dropped to 28th. In 2014, Part did not qualify for any televised ranking tournaments. His ranking continued to fall.

He qualified for the 2015 World Championship but lost to newcomer Keegan Brown. After the 2015 UK Open, he left the top 32 players in the world. Part did not qualify for the 2016 World Championship. This was the first time in 22 years he missed the event.

Hall of Fame and Recent Years (2017–Present)

In January 2017, John Part was honored by being added to the PDC Hall of Fame. He was the first person from outside the United Kingdom to receive this award. This recognized his achievements, his work as a commentator, and his good sportsmanship.

In the same month, he entered the PDC Qualifying School to try and get back his tour card. He succeeded on the third day, even beating Kirk Shepherd in a rematch of their 2008 World Championship final. In March 2017, Part returned to using Unicorn darts.

His success in Qualifying School did not lead to many wins in 2017. His best performance was at the World Cup of Darts, where he and his partner lost in the second round.

In 2018, Part qualified for the televised stages of the 2018 UK Open. This was his first televised event since 2015. He won several matches, including against Mervyn King, to reach his first televised quarter-final since 2012. He lost in the quarter-finals. Part lost his tour card in 2019.

Part now plays on the Championship Darts Circuit (CDC) in North America. He won the very first event on this circuit in 2015. He has won two more CDC events since then. As of August 2023, he was ranked 24th on the CDC Order of Merit.

Part also plays on the World Seniors Darts Tour. He was invited to the first 2022 World Seniors Darts Championship. He lost his first TV match since 2018 to John Walton. However, he got his first win on the Seniors Tour at the 2022 World Seniors Darts Masters, beating Paul Lim. He then lost to his old rival Phil Taylor. Part also played in the 2022 World Seniors Darts Matchplay, losing in the first round.

He continued to compete in 2023, playing in the 2023 World Seniors Darts Championship and the 2023 World Seniors Darts Masters. In the Masters, he had a surprise win over Kevin Painter before losing to Robert Thornton. In January 2024, Part tried to get his PDC Tour Card back but was unsuccessful. He continues to compete in World Seniors Darts events, reaching the second round of the 2025 World Seniors Darts Championship.

John Part's Major Finals

BDO Major Finals: 1 (1 Title)

Outcome	No.	Year	Championship	Opponent in the final	Score
Winner	1.	1994	World Championship	Bobby George	6–0 (s)

PDC Major Finals: 10 (3 Titles)

Outcome	No.	Year	Championship	Opponent in the final	Score
Runner-up	1.	2001	World Championship	Taylor, PhilPhil Taylor	0–7 (s)
Runner-up	2.	2002	World Matchplay	Phil Taylor	16–18 (l)
Runner-up	3.	2002	World Grand Prix	Phil Taylor	3–7 (s)
Winner	1.	2003	World Championship	Phil Taylor	7–6 (s)
Runner-up	4.	2003	Las Vegas Desert Classic	Manley, PeterPeter Manley	12–16 (l)
Runner-up	5.	2003	World Grand Prix	Phil Taylor	2–7 (s)
Runner-up	6.	2004	UK Open	Scholten, RolandRoland Scholten	6–11 (l)
Runner-up	7.	2005	World Matchplay	Lloyd, ColinColin Lloyd	12–18 (l)
Winner	2.	2006	Las Vegas Desert Classic	van Barneveld, RaymondRaymond van Barneveld	6–3 (s)
Winner	3.	2008	World Championship (2)	Shepherd, KirkKirk Shepherd	7–2 (s)

PDC European Tour Finals: (1 Title)

Outcome	No.	Year	Championship	Opponent in the final	Score
Winner	1.	2013	UK Masters	Kellett, StuartStuart Kellett	6–4 (l)

World Championship Appearances

BDO World Championship

• 1994: Winner (beat Bobby George 6–0)
• 1995: 2nd round (lost to Paul Williams 2–3)
• 1996: 2nd round (lost to Steve Beaton 0–3)
• 1997: 2nd round (lost to Roger Carter 1–3)

PDC World Championship

World Seniors Darts Tour (WSDT)

• 2022: Second round (lost to John Walton 1–3)
• 2023: Second round (lost to Darryl Fitton 2–3)
• 2024: First round (lost to Richie Howson 0–3)
• 2025: Second round (lost to Ross Montgomery 2-3)

Nine-Dart Finishes

A nine-dart finish is a perfect game in darts, where a player scores 501 points in the fewest possible throws (nine darts).

John Part Televised Nine-Dart Finishes

Date	Opponent	Tournament	Method	Prize
16 July 2011	Mark Webster	World Matchplay	3 x T20; 3 x T20; T20, T19, D12	£10,000

Images for kids

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  John Part in 2022