DARTS: BULLSEYE USA

DARTS supremo Barry Hearns insists the sport has succeeded where David Beckham has failed and taken America by storm.

The greatest players in the world have been showcasing their talents this week at the world-famous MGM Grand hotel in Las Vegas to huge audiences normally reserved for the likes of Celine Dion and Fleetwood Mac.

Hearn believes the sport which is normally confined to smoky British pubs has conquered the gambling capital of the world.

Three hundred of the finest darts players including current world champion John Part and legend Phil 'The Power' Taylor are gunning for the 120,000-dollar first prize.

The Las Vegas Desert Classic II event has been broadcast live on Sky Sports since the prequalifying rounds narrowed the field down to just 24 on Thursday.

It has now come down to the last eight, with some notable names once again competing for honours.

The 24 players were split into eight groups of three, with the winners of each one going through to the quarter-finals.

Taylor clinched his berth with an 8-3 demolition of Terry Jenkins and will now face Alan Warriner.

Part breezed through his two matches and has to beat Dennis Smith to get through to the semi-finals.

The host nation's only hope, Tony Payne, broke American hearts when he lost out to Steve Beaton.

But Hearn, who is overseeing the finals as chairman of the Professional Darts Corporation, has already proclaimed the event a huge success.

He said: "When it comes to big names in neon on the Vegas Strip you'd expect to see Celine Dion, Fleetwood Mac, and the outrageous Cher.

"But this week the cherubic face of Phil 'The Power' Taylor, the greatest darts player who ever lived, is peering down from a 100- foot screen over the MGM Grand.

"It's darts week in the gambling capital of the world - The Las Vegas Desert Classic II is in town, brought in by the conquistadors of the Professional Darts Corporation and Sky Sports. Beer bellies, pints of beer and a few arrows down the Queen Vic on Wednesday night? Those days have gone for pro darts.

"The Power's picture is everywhere and even Becks is nowhere to be seen. It is all about the likes of Phil Taylor, John Part and Ronnie 'The Rocket' Baxter.

"Real Madrid have spent millions to boost their global brand but darts, The Power and the PDC have done what no football star has Stateside and shown the Yanks what the Best of British is all about.

"Even the commentary team and officials who mark the boards for the PDC have been spreading the gospel of darts for all in the pool halls and poolsides and even by the 25cents slot-machines.

"John Gwynne, Dave Lanning and Sid Waddell have spent their down- time at Pool Sharks and BJ's boring the ears off the locals about the beauty of reverse stacking, bullying and averaging over a hundred - and that's not the temperature outside in the Desert!"

Hearn added: "Tournament Director Tommy Cox and his team have added Geordie folk-songs to the usual fare down the karaoke bar and have bent ears to get the punters in to the arrows.

"Over six days of darts 300 players have chucked their best at the MGM Grand and 24 of them made it to the stage where Sky Sports and Fox Sports World cameras to do their bit.

"That included born-again Christian and last remaining US player Tony Payne, who was on a crusade of his own to convert the kids to darts.

"He'd even built an oche of his dreams in the barn at the back of his farm. People will come, they cry! It's crazy! Darts at the biggest B&B in the world, darts starring alongside the greatest entertainers on the planet, darts wowing the Vegas public!

"It's what PDC darts are all about. The skill of an elite sport and all the fun of an English tavern.

"Hundreds of fans have come down to watch. After all, why lay down two hundred bucks to see Siegfried and Roy pull a tiger out of a hat, when you can see The Power work his magic on a gang of visiting Elvis impersonaters for the price of a Family Value meal at the next-door burger joint?

"A 120,000-dollar prize is up for grabs at the Desert Classic. It's big stakes in a big-money town - and it proves that the folk at the PDC mean business when they say they are taking the professional game to new heights."

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