'The most picturesque location in darts': Mermaid Tavern hosts second Herm Open

191020 - Herm Darts Open, Guernsey - Credit: ITV Channel TV
The second Herm Darts Open took place over three days at the island's Mermaid Tavern. Credit: ITV Channel TV

More than 50 darts players from Guernsey battled it for the local game's only prize pot as the Herm Open returned for a second year.

The event, which has quickly become a firm favourite in the island calendar, should have featured competitors from Jersey and the UK but was limited to Guernsey-based players because of the Bailiwick's travel restrictions.

It was played out over two competitions - the Herm Classic and Herm Open - with £500 on offer to the men's champions and £300 to the winners of the women's draws.

"The cash prize is encouraging for a lot of people, but I think a lot of them just want their name on the trophy now because it's such a big tournament", said men's Classic winner Adie Exall.

"Unfortuntely the Jersey players can't come over this year and some English players too, which they'll be absolutely gutted about, so to get the name on the trophy is probably the ultimate prize really".

The four trophy winners at the 2020 Herm Darts Open. Credit: Guernsey Darts Association

Exall beat Nick Ogier 5-4 to clinch a tight final before Ken Waters took the Open crown with a 5-2 victory over Michael Ogier.

Meanwhile double-defending champion Tracy Ingrouille lost out to Jo Fallaize 4-1 in the women's Classic final before falling 4-3 to Yvonne Le Gallic in the Open.

"You could almost say it's the most picturesque location in world darts", said darts journalist Roger Spencer who spent 14 days in isolation on Herm ahead of the event.

Herm hosted its first darts open last year. Credit: ITV Channel TV

"The standard has been very good - one of the players here took out a 12-dart leg yesterday so the players actually have it in them".

"This type of tournament is quite rare for them so playing for this sort of money, the pressure is on, it's something they're not used to, but in time it'll benefit them."

"I believe Guernsey darts is firmly on the rise and I think they've got the talent and over the next few years we'll see them show it on a more regular basis", he said.

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Guernsey is set to become an interim member of the World Darts Federation from next year, which could see island teams playing in its World Cup and Europe Cup events in the future.

"Hopefully we're going to get a festival of darts over here, like they used to do in Jersey, and we'll see all these brilliant players, all these world players, coming to play with us", said Tracy Ingrouille.

"It can only be brilliant for Guernsey darts".