Ronnie Baxter facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ronnie Baxter
Baxter in 2009
Personal information
Nickname	"The Rocket"
Born	(1961-02-05) 5 February 1961 (age 64) Blackpool, Lancashire, England
Home town	Blackpool, Lancashire, England
Darts information
Playing darts since	1980s
Darts	23 Gram Tommy's Darts
Laterality	Right-handed
Walk-on music	"Don't Stop Me Now" by Queen
Organisation (see split in darts)
BDO	1987–2001
PDC	2001–2018
BDO majors – best performances
World Ch'ship	Runner Up: 1999, 2000
World Masters	Runner Up: 1997
World Darts Trophy	Semi Final: 2006
Int. Darts League	Last 16 Group: 2006
Finder Masters	Semi Final: 2001
PDC premier events – best performances
World Ch'ship	Quarter Final: 2002, 2010
World Matchplay	Runner Up: 1998
World Grand Prix	Semi Final: 2004
Grand Slam	Last 16: 2010
Premier League	5th: 2006, 2010
Ch'ship League	Winners Group – 6th: 2012
Desert Classic	Runner Up: 2002
European Ch'ship	Quarter Final: 2008, 2010
UK Open	Semi Final: 2009
US Open/WSoD	Semi Final: 2006
Players Ch'ship Finals	Semi Final: 2009
Other tournament wins
British Matchplay 1992, 1998 British Pentathlon 1997 Denmark Open 1996 Eastbourne Pro 2005, 2006 England GP of Darts Blackpool 2012 Finnish Open 1998 German Open 1995 Hampshire Open 2001 Irish Masters 2003 Isle of Man Open 1996, 1997, 2000 Jersey Festival of Darts 1989 Shoalhaven Classic 2008, 2008 Swiss Open 1997 Syracuse Open 1987 Vauxhall Autumn Open 2001 Welsh Open 1991, 1993 Windy City Open 2007 Winmau Darts Dazzler Batley 2009 Players Championships Players Championship (BAR) 2010 Players Championship (BIR) 2012 Players Championship (CAN) 2011 Players Championship (GER) 2011 Players Championship (NED) 2004 Players Championship (IOW) 2005 Players Championship (VEG) 2009 Players Championship (WAL) 2008 UK Open Regionals/Qualifiers Regional Final (IRL) 2003

Ronnie Baxter, born on February 5, 1961, is a former professional darts player from England. He was known as "The Rocket" because of his super-fast way of throwing darts. Ronnie was famous for his quick, almost robotic, throwing style. He lives in his hometown of Blackpool. Many people think Ronnie is one of the best darts players who never won a major TV tournament. He still plays in special exhibition matches today.

Ronnie Baxter's Early Darts Career (BDO)

Ronnie Baxter started his darts journey in North America in the 1980s. When he joined the British Darts Organisation (BDO), he often reached the final stages of their big events. He won the Isle of Man Open three times and the Welsh Open twice. He also won other tournaments like the Syracuse Open, German Open, and Danish Open.

World Championship Debuts

Ronnie first played in the BDO World Championship in 1991. He won his first match but lost in the second round. In 1992, he had a great start but still lost in the first round. He missed the 1993 event.

In 1994, Ronnie was ranked second in the world. However, he lost in the first round to the player who ended up winning the tournament, John Part. After missing the 1995 championship, he reached the quarter-finals for the first time in 1996. He was beaten by Richie Burnett in that match.

Reaching Major Finals

In 1997, Ronnie reached his first major final at the Winmau World Masters. He played well but lost to Graham Hunt. In 1998, he was again ranked second in the world. However, he surprisingly lost in the first round.

Ronnie showed his true skill in 1999. He made it all the way to the World Final for the first time! He beat several top players before losing a very close match, 5-6, to Raymond van Barneveld. He was even ahead for much of the game. Still ranked second, he reached the final again in 2000. This time, he lost quickly, 0-6, to Ted Hankey. It was the fastest final in the tournament's history. Ronnie's last BDO World Championship appearance was in 2001, where he lost in the quarter-finals.

Ronnie also played for the England international team many times. He helped England win five WDF World Cups and five WDF Europe Cups. He also played in ten British Internationals, winning all of them.

Ronnie Baxter's Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) Career

In 2001, Ronnie Baxter moved to the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC). He quickly showed his talent, reaching the quarter-finals in his first PDC World Championship in 2002. This remains his best performance in that tournament.

Key Matchplay Moments

Even while still a BDO player, Ronnie reached the final of the 1998 World Matchplay. This was his first big TV tournament. He surprised everyone by beating the defending champion, Phil Taylor. Ronnie made it to the final but lost a very close match, 17-19, to Rod Harrington. He even had a chance to win with one dart at the end.

Ronnie also reached the final of the 2002 Las Vegas Desert Classic in 2002, where he lost to Phil Taylor. His high ranking allowed him to play in the Premier League Darts in 2006, where he finished fifth. Despite his great potential, he has not yet won a major televised tournament.

Ronnie has thrown four perfect "nine-dart finishes" in competitions. A nine-dart finish is when a player scores 501 points in just nine darts, which is very rare and difficult. None of his perfect games were shown on TV.

Later Career Highlights

At the 2009 PDC World Darts Championship, Ronnie had a thrilling match against Raymond van Barneveld. He lost in a sudden-death leg, even after having chances to win. In July 2009, Ronnie played in the World Matchplay in his hometown of Blackpool. He had amazing support from the crowd. He reached the semi-finals but was defeated by Terry Jenkins.

In 2010, Ronnie reached the quarter-finals of the PDC World Championship. This performance helped him move up to sixth in the world rankings. This meant he automatically qualified for the 2010 Premier League. He played surprisingly well in the Premier League, staying near the top for most of the season. He finished fifth, just missing out on the semi-finals.

In June 2012, Ronnie won a Players Championship event, beating the world champion Adrian Lewis. He continued to play well, reaching another final shortly after. These results helped him qualify for the World Matchplay. He reached the semi-finals in his hometown, but lost to Phil Taylor.

Ronnie continued to play in major tournaments for several more years. He had some close matches, like his second-round loss at the 2013 World Championship. He also reached the quarter-finals of the UK Open in 2013, where he had another very close match that went down to the last dart.

In 2015, Ronnie won his first televised match in a while at the World Championship. However, he lost in the next round. He also missed qualifying for the 2016 World Championship, which was the first time he hadn't been in a World Championship since 1995.

Ronnie struggled to qualify for major events in 2016 and 2017. In 2018, he played fewer events. By the end of 2018, he lost his special "Tour Card" which allows players to compete in all PDC events. After taking a break in 2019, Ronnie announced he wanted to return to darts in 2020.

World Championship Performances

Ronnie Baxter has played in many World Championships for both the BDO and PDC.

BDO World Championship Results

• 1991: Second round (lost to Jocky Wilson 1–3)
• 1992: First round (lost to Bob Anderson 1–3)
• 1994: First round (lost to John Part 0–3)
• 1996: Quarter-finals (lost to Richie Burnett 2–4)
• 1997: Second round (lost to Mervyn King 2–3)
• 1998: First round (lost to Peter Johnstone 2–3)
• 1999: Runner-up (lost to Raymond van Barneveld 5–6)
• 2000: Runner-up (lost to Ted Hankey 0–6)
• 2001: Quarter-finals (lost to Wayne Mardle 3–5)

PDC World Championship Results

• 2002: Quarter-finals (lost to Peter Manley 2–6)
• 2003: Third round (lost to Kevin Painter 3–5)
• 2004: Fourth round (lost to Kevin Painter 2–4)
• 2005: Fourth round (lost to Bob Anderson 2–4)
• 2006: First round (lost to Ray Carver 2–3)
• 2007: First round (lost to Adrian Gray 2–3)
• 2008: Second round (lost to Mark Dudbridge 2–4)
• 2009: Third round (lost to Raymond van Barneveld 3–4)
• 2010: Quarter-finals (lost to Raymond van Barneveld 0–5)
• 2011: Second round (lost to Mark Webster 0–4)
• 2012: First round (lost to Steve Farmer 2–3)
• 2013: Second round (lost to Kevin Painter 3–4)
• 2014: First round (lost to Ricky Evans 0–3)
• 2015: Second round (lost to Robert Thornton 0–4)

World Seniors Darts Tour (WSDT) Results

• 2023: First round (lost to Kevin Painter 0–3)

Career Statistics

(W) Won; (F) finalist; (SF) semifinalist; (QF) quarterfinalist; (#R) rounds 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1; (RR) round-robin stage; (Prel.) Preliminary round; (DNQ) Did not qualify; (DNP) Did not participate; (NH) Not held

Performance Timeline

BDO Major Finals: 3 (3 Runner-up Finishes)

Outcome	No.	Year	Championship	Opponent in the final	Score
Runner-up	1.	1997	Winmau World Masters	Graham Hunt	2–3 (s)
Runner-up	2.	1999	World Championship	Raymond van Barneveld	5–6 (s)
Runner-up	3.	2000	World Championship	Ted Hankey	0–6 (s)

PDC Major Finals: 2 (2 Runner-up Finishes)

Outcome	No.	Year	Championship	Opponent in the final	Score
Runner-up	1.	1998	World Matchplay	Rod Harrington	17–19 (l)
Runner-up	2.	2002	Las Vegas Desert Classic	Phil Taylor	0–3 (s)