Fast-developing darts venue hosts Grand Slam Doubles Event featuring top players including 10-year-old darts champion Lennon Wharf
Stonham Barns Park – one of Suffolk’s premier leisure, retail and holiday destinations – will be hosting a major darts tournament on Saturday 9 November for the second year in the company of some of the country’s top players, including PDC card holders and last year’s event winners Stephen Burton and Ryan Meikle who will return to defend their title.
The Grand Slam Doubles event is expected to have a full entry of 160 players. Organised by Evolution Darts, with the support of Target Darts and The Darts Referee (YouTube’s no1 darts influencer), it has a £2000 prize fund with competitors coming from all over the UK to play at the community venue The Barn.
Entries are now selling fast with major names signing up including English international Jo Locke and a number of former PDC tour card holders as well as a host of Development tour stars including Suffolks own Nathan Potter and JJ Wright. Also included in the line-up for this year will be 11-year-old darts champion Lennon ‘The Force’ Wharf, from Brandon in Suffolk, who will partner fellow Suffolk County youth player Jack Elvin. Lennon will be familiar with the leisure and holiday venue as he is sponsored by Stonham Barns Park and is a regular visitor there.
Lennon ‘The Force’ Wharf – the name he chose from his favourite Star Wars films – joined Target Dart’s Elite 1 team at just 10 years old which makes him their youngest ever player! He aims to be an integral part of the JDC Foundation Tour going forwards having been playing competitive darts for a while now breaking records as he goes and becoming the youngest ever player to represent the UK Under 18s. Now with a Sports Management Company with multiple sponsorships in place including the latest from Stonham Barns Park he is looking at a very bright future in darts.
Says Lennon: ‘I will be trying my very hardest to do well in the Grand Slam Doubles tournament. It’s a competition for adults so Jack and I will be doing well if we can outplay the adults, but I do feel quite comfortable with the challenge. I have been playing really well – having just hit my 600th 180 – so it could happen but as we all know with darts it all depends on how it goes on the day!’
Stonham Barns Park has been hosting various darts events at The Barn and Legends Bar – named in honour of a variety of sporting legends – including famous names from the world of darts Russ Bray and Ipswich-based Keith Deller.
The Grand Slam Doubles tournament will start at 12.00noon. There will be a fully licensed bar available for players and supporters.
Said Darren Moyes from Evolution Darts, ‘This year looks to be an even higher standard than before as some serious players are stepping up for the event. We are looking forward to staging another memorable Grand Slam Doubles tournament at Stonham Barns Park which is the perfect venue for such a prestigious event.’
‘The standard of the venue puts it up there with some of the top sites in the county and for this reason we want to bring people in to soak up the atmosphere that we are confident we will be able to create.’
‘It’s going to be the perfect opportunity for darts fans to once again watch some high quality matches live.’
The Super Series Darts final will culminate in an event to be staged at Stonham Barns Park on 7 December.
