Wayne Mardle facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Wayne Mardle
Mardle in 2022
Personal information
Full name	Wayne William Mardle
Nickname	"Hawaii 501"
Born	(1973-05-10) 10 May 1973 (age 52) Tottenham, London, England
Home town	Romford, London, England
Darts information
Playing darts since	1986
Darts	22g Legend Darts Wayne Mardle
Laterality	Right-handed
Walk-on music	"Hawaii Five-O Theme" by The Ventures
Organisation (see split in darts)
BDO	1993–2002
PDC	2002–2011
BDO majors – best performances
World Ch'ship	Semi Final: 2001
World Masters	Last 16: 2001
World Darts Trophy	Last 32: 2002, 2007
Finder Masters	Quarter Final: 2000
PDC premier events – best performances
World Ch'ship	Semi Final: 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008
World Matchplay	Runner-Up: 2003
World Grand Prix	Quarter Final: 2005
Grand Slam	Group Stages: 2007, 2008, 2009
Premier League	5th: 2008
Desert Classic	Runner Up: 2004, 2005
European Ch'ship	Last 16: 2008
UK Open	Last 16: 2004
Players Ch'ship Finals	Last 16: 2009
Other tournament wins
Atlanta Players Championship 2007 British Teenage Open 1989 Denmark Open 2001 Dutch Open 2000 Vauxhall Autumn Open 2002 Vauxhall Autumn Pro 2002, 2003 Vauxhall Spring Open 2004, 2006 Players Championships Players Championship (KIR) 2007 Players Championship (WAL) 2004 UK Open Regionals/Qualifiers UK Open Regional (MID) 2004
Updated on 17 February 2008.

Wayne William Mardle (born 10 May 1973) is a famous English former professional darts player. He competed in major darts events for both the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) and the British Darts Organisation (BDO). Wayne was a runner-up in three big PDC tournaments. In all these finals, he lost to the legendary player Phil Taylor. He also reached the semi-finals of the World Championship five times.

Today, Wayne Mardle is well-known as a darts expert and commentator. He is often called "Hawaii 501." This nickname started in 2000. It's a fun mix of the TV show Hawaii Five-O and "501," which is the starting score in a game of darts. He began wearing bright Hawaiian shirts in 1998 because of a bet. His cool shirts and exciting dance moves on stage made him a huge fan favorite!

Early Life and Darts Journey

Wayne Mardle was born in Tottenham, North London, England. He started playing darts when he was 11 years old. He would practice with his dad. Just two weeks after he began, he hit his first 180 (the highest score you can get with three darts!).

Soon, Wayne became better than his dad. His first competition win happened on his 13th birthday in 1986. He won it at a pub called the 'Double Top'.

Wayne first played in the BDO World Championship (called Lakeside) in 2000. He lost in the first round. In 2001, he did much better, reaching the semi-finals. He beat top players like Co Stompé and Ronnie Baxter. He then lost to the player who eventually won, John Walton. In 2002, he made it to the quarter-finals before losing.

Wayne's PDC Career Highlights

Wayne Mardle joined the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) in 2003. In his first PDC World Championship, he lost to Phil Taylor. Later that year, he played in the World Matchplay. He had a great run, beating John Part, Alan Warriner, and Colin Lloyd. He reached the final but again lost to Phil Taylor.

From 2004 to 2006, Wayne reached the semi-finals of the PDC World Championship three times in a row. He lost to Phil Taylor in 2004 and 2006. In 2005, he lost to Mark Dudbridge. At his best, he was ranked fifth in the world. Sometimes, his darts would drift and land in the "5" or "Treble 5" sections instead of the "20" or "Treble 20." This was jokingly called the "Mardle Drift."

Premier League Adventures

Wayne played in the first two Premier League seasons in 2005 and 2006. These years were tough for him, and he finished last in both seasons. Because of this, players who finish last in the Premier League are sometimes said to have won the "Mardle Cup." He wasn't chosen for the 2007 season due to his form.

In 2008, Wayne had an amazing performance at the World Championship. He caused a huge upset by beating Phil Taylor 5–4 in the quarter-finals. Taylor had won the championship 13 times before and had never lost before the final. After this big win, many thought Wayne would win the tournament. However, he lost in the semi-finals to a younger player, Kirk Shepherd. Wayne later said he was too confident and didn't respect his opponent enough.

After his great World Championship, Wayne was given a special entry into the 2008 Premier League. He proved he deserved it by finishing fifth, just missing out on the play-offs. He also reached the semi-finals of the 2008 World Matchplay, but lost to James Wade.

In the 2009 Premier League, Wayne faced health issues. He got mumps and had to withdraw from the tournament. He later said his darts form never fully recovered after being out for six months.

Wayne's last World Championship appearance was in 2010. He continued to drop in the world rankings. Eventually, he decided to stop playing professionally. He chose to focus on being a commentator for Sky Sports and playing in exhibition matches.

Wayne Mardle's World Championship Results

BDO World Championship

• 2000: 1st round (lost to Matt Clark 1–3)
• 2001: Semi-finals (lost to John Walton 3–5)
• 2002: Quarter-finals (lost to Colin Monk 4–5)

PDC World Championship

• 2003: 3rd round (lost to Phil Taylor 3–5)
• 2004: Semi-finals (lost to Phil Taylor 2–6)
• 2005: Semi-finals (lost to Mark Dudbridge 4–6)
• 2006: Semi-finals (lost to Phil Taylor 5–6)
• 2007: 1st round (lost to Alan Caves 2–3)
• 2008: Semi-finals (lost to Kirk Shepherd 4–6)
• 2009: 3rd round (lost to Co Stompé 0–4)
• 2010: 1st round (lost to Jyhan Artut 0–3)

Major PDC Finals

Wayne Mardle reached three major PDC finals, but finished as runner-up in all of them. He always lost to Phil Taylor.

Outcome	No.	Year	Championship	Opponent in the final	Score
Runner-up	1.	2003	World Matchplay	Phil Taylor	12–18 (l)
Runner-up	2.	2004	Las Vegas Desert Classic	Phil Taylor	4–6 (s)
Runner-up	2.	2005	Las Vegas Desert Classic	Phil Taylor	1–6 (s)

Personal Life and Interests

In 2006, Wayne Mardle co-wrote a darts book called Hawaii 501 – Life as a Darts Pro. It shares stories about his life as a professional darts player during 2005.

Wayne is a big fan of the football team Tottenham Hotspur. He even appeared in their official club magazine, Hotspur, in May 2009.