Champions on target as Australian Open draws to thrilling conclusion

By Josh Huntly

Aug 9, 2022

On target: WDF champion Beau Greaves throws at the Australian Darts Open. Photo: Steve Huntley Photo by Steve Huntley

The Australian Darts Open of 2022 has drawn to a close in Moama, with the first event since 2019 seeing two new champions crowned on Saturday night in front of a packed Moama Bowling Club crowd.

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English world number one Beau Greaves took out the women’s final in an 8-5 victory over 2019 finalist Mikuru Suzuki, while Australian number one Raymond Smith took out the men’s title in a thrilling leg-for-leg battle against New Zealand’s Haupai Puha.

Smith ran out a 10-9 victor in the best-of-19-legs clash, bringing a close to the first Australian Darts Open in Moama for three years.

Greaves’ path to the final included a clean sweep of her group before facing New Zealand’s Nicole Regnaud in the semi-final, running away with that clash 6-3.

The 18-year-old was then on target from start to finish in the final, adding another accolade to an already impressive resume.

For Smith, his journey saw him overcome countryman Peter Machin 6-2 in the quarter-finals to book a date with 2022 World Darts Federation champion Neil Duff of Northern Ireland.

Duff took the first two legs in the semi-final but Smith recovered to run away with an eventual 8-6 win, progressing to the final against Puha, who accounted for South Australia’s Scott Hallett.

Puha took the first leg of the final, but Smith had the early ascendancy with a 4-2 lead.

From that point, both players went leg-for-leg until Smith eventually saluted in the final leg of the tournament, sparking raucous scenes in the crowd.

In a quirk of the fixture, Smith was drawn to face his son Ky in the first group stage, walking away with a win.

The 2022 edition of the Australian Darts Open marks the return of the event after COVID-19 forced cancellations in 2020 and 2021.

The open attracts some of the best darts talents from around the world in a treat for local fanatics, and an increase in the prize purse to $80,000 as a result of the event’s elevation to platinum-rated status ensured a high quality of play.

The ‘festival of darts’ continued on Sunday, August 7, with the Pacific Masters at Rich River Golf Club, before the Australian Championships, which run from August 8 to 13, got under way.