1997 BDO World Darts Championship

Embassy World Darts Championship
Tournament information
Dates	4–12 January 1997
Venue	Lakeside Country Club
Location	Frimley Green, Surrey
Country	England, United Kingdom
Organisation(s)	BDO
Format	Sets Final – best of 11
Prize fund	£158,000
Winners share	£38,000
High checkout	Les Wallace
Champion(s)
Les Wallace[1]
«1996 1998»

The 1997 Embassy World Professional Darts Championship was held from 4–12 January 1997 at the Lakeside Country Club in Frimley Green, Surrey. It was won by Les Wallace, who became the second Scotsman to become World Darts Champion after Jocky Wilson won it twice in 1982 and 1989. Wallace defeated Wales' Marshall James 6-3 in the final. Wallace also became the first left-handed player to win either version of the World Darts Championship. It was also the second time in four years that two unseeded players had reached the Embassy final, and remains the most recent occasion that this has occurred.

Seeds

1. Martin Adams
2. Roland Scholten
3. Raymond van Barneveld
4. Richie Burnett
5. Steve Beaton
6. Colin Monk
7. Ronnie Baxter
8. Andy Fordham

Prize money

The prize money was £152,400.

Champion: £38,000

Runner-Up: £19,000

Semi-Finalists (2): £8,700

Quarter-Finalists (4): £4,400

Last 16 (8): £3,350

Last 32 (16): £2,100

There was also a 9 Dart Checkout prize of £52,000, along with a High Checkout prize of £1,600.

The Results

	First round				Second round				Quarter-finals				Semi-finals
	Best of 5 sets				Best of 5 sets				Best of 7 sets				Best of 9 sets
	John Part (87.54)	3
	Alan Brown (81.06)	1
					John Part (86.79)	1
					Roger Carter (85.62)	3
	Roger Carter (94.50)	3
	Martin Adams (97.05)	1
									Roger Carter (86.61)	3
									Marshall James (90.36)	4
	Marshall James (82.17)	3
	William Burnsfield (73.47)	1
					Marshall James (89.94)	3
					Andy Fordham (87.45)	2
	Andy Fordham (87.45)	3
	Matt Clark (89.88)	2
													Marshall James (89.88)	5
													Steve Beaton (85.17)	4
	Geoff Wylie (92.64)	3
	Andy Smith (87.93)	2
					Geoff Wylie (81.60)	0
					Steve Beaton (92.52)	3
	Steve Beaton (86.46)	3
	Carl Mercer (76.23)	0
									Steve Beaton (91.17)	4
									Leo Laurens (88.47)	3
	Leo Laurens (85.71)	3
	Ritchie Davies (83.43)	0
					Leo Laurens (92.46)	3
					Richie Burnett (88.95)	0
	Richie Burnett (91.23)	3
	Peter Hinkley (79.23)	1
	Bobby George (84.00)	3
	Mick Brooks (82.95)	1
					Bobby George (83.10)	0
					Roland Scholten (88.62)	3
	Roland Scholten (88.44)	3
	Mike Gregory (87.60)	2
									Roland Scholten (92.46)	2
									Mervyn King (91.77)	4
	Mervyn King (91.50)	3
	Graham Hunt (87.57)	1
					Mervyn King (96.78)	3
					Ronnie Baxter (93.15)	2
	Ronnie Baxter (85.86)	3
	Andy Jenkins (88.89)	0
													Mervyn King (96.84)	3
													Les Wallace (94.02)	5
	Paul Williams (83.16)	3
	Erik Clarys (81.99)	2
					Paul Williams (86.01)	3
					Colin Monk (85.68)	1
	Colin Monk (88.53)	3
	Chris Hornby (72.81)	0
									Paul Williams (95.34)	0
									Les Wallace (96.78)	4
	Les Wallace (99.45)	3
	Bob Taylor (92.43)	1
					Les Wallace (94.23)	3
					Raymond van Barneveld (95.31)	2
	Raymond van Barneveld (85.86)	3
	Sean Palfrey (77.88)	0

Final (Best of 11 sets) Sunday 12 January
(92.01) Marshall James	3-6	Les Wallace (92.19)
Highest Checkout: 130	1-3, 3-0, 3-2, 1-3, 0-3, 2-3, 1-3, 3-2, 0-3	Highest Checkout: 152
Les Wallace wins the 1997 Embassy World Darts Championship

References