Simon Whitlock looking for Magic
By Kieron Casey: Simon Whitlock is aiming to become the first Australian to win the PDC World Darts Championship when the best players on the planet line up at the Alexandra Palace for the 2013 competition.
The Wizard came close in 2010 when he was beaten in the final by Phil Taylor. It was his first shot at the tournament since his switch from the BDO to the PDC.
Although he managed to see off darts odds favourites, Terry Jenkins, James Wade, and Raymond van Barneveld respectively, he could not deny the Power his 15th world title.
The Australian excited the crowd with his large checkouts, in particular with his trademark maximum finish of 170. In the final, he finished with an average of 100.51 but it was still short of Taylor who ended the evening at 104.38 for his three darts.
Whitlock was also runner up at the Lakeside championship in 2008, going down to Mark Webster in a tight final. The Welshman also later joined the PDC along with the Wizard.
It was not until this year that the man from Hornsby finally broke his major duck with the PDC by winning the European Darts Championship in Germany to land a cheque for £50,000.
His final task was to overcome Wes Newton of Fleetwood to lift the trophy where he managed to overcome the world number six 11-5.
There has also been wins in 2012 for Whitlock in the Dutch Darts Masters, Players Championship in Barnsley and Crawley.
A consistent year has helped him move up to fourth in the PDC Order of Merit behind Taylor, Adrian Lewis, and Wade. If he can better the Machine in London, he could finish the season in third place in the standings.
Kieron Casey
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