Grand Slam Qualifier

After his success here last year all eyes were on Mile High early on and his draw was non too pleasant, two PDC professional in the first two rounds, Steve's Grubb and Farmer. Mr Grubb played well early on and Mark did well to step up and claim a 4-2 victory playing solidly considering he was not at his best. Diamond was given an equally tough group but somewhat quieter start and proceeded quietly through the early stages. Mile High and The Train (Mr Farmer) did not fire on all cylinders and Mark went through comfortably. Next up was Reece Robinson, the youngster has tremendous talent but did not show his true form in being defeated. A long day from the youth world championships may be behind that. Finally for Mile High Colin Lloyd had played superbly to win his board without dropping more than a leg! Despite a late rally, from Mark, Jaws went some way to avenging his world champs defeat by inflicting a 4-2 last 16 defeat upon Mile High.

Pro Tour Crawley 1 & 2

`Mile High’ was suffering this weekend and went down to our old friend Mick Todd, who then went ton to claim a useful £600. We are always pleased to see Mick do well but it often seems to be at our expense. Another mixed day here with 9 comps in 3 weeks or so, and little time at home and a extra long weekend, taking its toll. Mile High was in better shape than the Saturday but still not firing fully. So a highly entertaining game between Mark and Alex Roy was first up, Alex opened with 9, laughed it off and proceed to win the leg with three scores of over 120 including a max and then opened the next with 2 more of 140+. Mile High rode out the storm and sealed a good win 6-3 in order to move on to game with former practice partner Slugger Brown. Slugger raced into an early lead but Mile High had more about him today and produced some great darts in the middle section to go 4-2 and then 5-3 up, Slugger fought back with a 132 finish bull, bull 32! to claim leg 9 and then have 4 darts at tops to force a decider. Mark checked out to prevent what would I am sure have been a very tough last leg. Next Up Chizzy, well Dave is on fire at the moment and despite playing some pretty good stuff and two narrow misses on 164 check outs Mile High was not in shape to give of his best in that encounter. Congrats to Chizzy on 1st of many Pro Tour wins! With a fortnight spare to stay sharp Mark headed off to the Open and league circuit where he could keep his arm warm catch up with some great folk and play some good but possibly less tense darts! A few titles in the Burton League, proved most enjoyable and for the 1st time Mark could look forward to a Pro tour weekend where he was not worried about qualifying etc.

Pro Tour Derby 1 & 2

The last weekend is always somewhat strange with the results of almost every game having possible effects on many others! A tough draw against Darren Johnson who needed every £ for the orders of merit and played very well indeed for his deserved 6-2 win. Day 2 saw a little return to form and fluency for Mile High, wins over Mark Dudbridge 6-5 from 2-5 down and then 6-4 over the impressive youngster Reece Robinson saw a board final against old friend Steve Beaton. Steve kept up a good recent run over Mark with a 6-2 win. Still with the effect of worrying about friends and the end of a tiring season approaching it was nice to end the 2011 Pro Tour with a couple of wins. Best thing about the weekend was Marks practice partner & friend Ian White qualifying to be at The Ally Pally in December! Some rest and recovery was needed but no time available as the very next week would see the 4th major of 2011 for mark who would make his debut at Doncaster in the Players Championship Finals.

December is always a harassed month no matter what walk of life you are in, but for darters it is bordering on the insane. 2010 had proven pretty demanding but in 2011 two majors were to be held. The Players Championship Finals and The World Championships. Following the close of the Pro Tour season it was clear that the upcoming time would be especially demanding for Mile High. It had not been an easy few months in private and things were beginning to take their toll. In addition in the 23 months since turning professional Mark had barely had time for a break and only 1 full week away, almost 11 months before! The season was actually a little longer this year and that before adding the Players Championship Finals!

Players Championship Finals.

Despite its unfortunate timing Mark was very proud of reaching this major, due to his slightly slow start in 2010 this event had eluded him, to qualify is clear evidence that mark was in the top echelon of professional darters during this season and to be seeded 22 was quite an achievement. However despite a another draw against old foe and friend Mark Walsh, the signs were not good. The result indeed was a disappointing 3-6 defeat, which despite hitting 3 180’s in 2 legs Mark never quite looked like avoiding after Walshie had got off to a good start. The lack of atmosphere and the lack of relaxation time between season end and this event may have played a part, but at the end of the day it was probably Mark 1st ever bad day at a TV event! He will certainly look forward to another go at this great leveller of an event.

World Championships

So just over a week to go to see if Mile High could get into shape to take on Vincent van de Voort in the The World Championships. Despite the poor results of recent weeks and the tough times behind the scenes, Team Hytlon and Mark were determined to get into the best possible condition in what was not really enough time. The best efforts were indeed and thanks to those who helped Mark almost turn it around in time. The event itself went like clock work, the same routines as 2010 were sued and the familiarity probably helped this time. Well I am sure you will have seen the game, all that can be said was that Mark fought fantastically in the face of an onslaught of 11 180’s from Vincent. Mile High looked totally at home now and SKY seem to think he will be around a while, he had his own intro package and the walk on and inflatable plane proved very popular! As we said on the facial social media the following day, the whole team were enormously proud of Mark’s effort he very nearly managed to snatch a win against an in form No 16 seed, despite being exhausted and only just coming into form himself. The Photo’s on Mile High Fan Page (face book) tell their own story. What a superb 12 months Mark has had, just have a look around this site, the reviews of 2010 and 2011, the follow mile high, ranking section and many other area’s show what superb progress has been made. I know Mark himself, and everyone associated and supportive of him are looking forward to 2012 with nothing but optimism and enthusiasm. Mile High to Fly in 2012. Thank you to each and every sponsor, friend, supporter, official or well wisher. Mark is deeply grateful for all the support he receives and as you all know, he puts in 100% in return every time he throws!

After completing the set of qualifications for the big quintet of Majors Mark was struck down with the Flu! It would appear he was not alone as many of those who went to Nulland returned with similar! Pre Tournament Those who know Mark and ourselves will know that we plan well in advance and in meticulous detail to give Mark every chance to achieve his potential, in this case however much of the plan had to be thrown in the bin. Mark missed most of the weeks practice sessions and weekly league appearances and even had to cancel the original flights in order to gain maximum recovery time. Team Hylton left for Dublin on Friday via a hastily arranged ferry crossing to Dublin and the collection of old friend Kirk Shepherd. On the other side Diamond White was collected to complete the team for the Pro Tour weekend to follow. A regime of sauna's rest and relaxation was quickly ready with 1 eye on being fit for the following week! Pro Tour - Sat and Sun Dublin. For the first time in his brief PDC career Mark was the recipient of bye's for both days of the Dublin events. These were a blessing in one way as mark was barely fit to play, on the other hand they resulted in minimum practice as 1st game defeats to Mike Smith and Jelle Klassen followed. Nothing is to be taken away from either opponent as they played superbly and gained deserved wins, Michael's first few legs were barn storming and Mile High was struggling to get into the game and make and impact and Jelle found a tremendous patch of form and to quote Mark he was beaten 2-6 in a bout 12 mins! However as the impassive observer I began to be very encouraged by the sight of some flow coming back into Mark's game and the scoring levels were beginning to return to normal. It looked as if Mark may have time and form enough to carry out the 2 year old plan for The Grand Prix after all. It should also be noted that Mark received some very nice words from `The Power' re his performance at The Match play, I am sure these helped, especially when Mark was a little low due to the illness! The Complete Package! 1) Mark Walsh - Winning Ugly! It is often said that great champions find away to win in adversity, well Marks win again Walshie was certainly an example of that, despite being in better nik health wise Mark was still short of being match sharp and slightly under the weather. To come from a set and 1-0 down after losing his darts, to claim 6 of the next 7 legs is a superb battlers performance. A gritty win again an opponent ranked 12 in the world and widely acknowledged as a very tough adversary. Although the game did not reach the heights it certainly gave Mark the missing match sharpness and confidence. In all his previous competitions Mark had always been the underdog and either won or lost playing very well. This was the first game in which many expected him to win and he himself new the possibilities if he could! 2) Simon Whitlock - Sticking to a Plan & Beating the Elite Although Mark has had many fine victories against great players, both on TV and on the floor, taking on those in the top 5/6 on stage in front of camera's etc. is slightly different. To take these guys on and beat them requires skill, courage and a deep understanding of yourself. So after brave defeats against The Power and Mark Webster in the Match play and Worlds could Mark make that step up against one the one premier league elite. YES. As soon as the draw had been announced this had appeared to be a strong opportunity for Mark, both players have a healthy respect for each other but Mark and I were sure that if he played to his strengths he would emerge the victor. The game itself unfolded as predicted Simon started strong but Marks form was beginning to come through and so the loss of the first set was dismissed with a shrug of the shoulders and a certainty that it was just the beginning. More relaxation and flow followed and the performance got better and better. Simon began to struggle a little and Mark rarely let him off the hook until the superb 92 finish to complete the match and another giant step in Hyltons progress! 3) Richie Burnett - Learning from Defeat taking the Positives from all things! The game against Richie was a game to give the opponent max credit and use it to complete an experience bank that I believe to be unique. A number of differing factors conspired against Mark here. Richie's combination of superb recent form and World Champions experience were the major factors. But Mark not having a rest day after such a tremendous performance against Simon, and the illness of the previous week left him a little short of gas. The result was a conflicting performance where a strong start seemed to run out quickly and then trying too hard to get it back meant Richie could use all his qualities to full effect whereas Mark's strengths were neutralized. After a pause for thought I believe Mark and those who support him will see this event as a true milestone. A Qtr final in a qualification tournament with a bracket draw must silence those critics who claim him to have had easy draws or luck in the past. It will also add the final ingredients to the complete package of PDC Professional `Mile High'. I am sure Mark will comment here shortly but in the meantime I would like to thank Diamond White & Rhino for their contributions over recent weeks which have been enormously valued and appreciated! Rhino was away from home for 9 days purely to support his friend and Ian's continued quality both on the practice board and normal life is immense. In addition I would like to thank & Congratulate John Henderson, Mark and John practiced together almost every day to assist the other in their efforts. The relaxed but quality effort from both saw each produce superb performances against some of the best players in the world. At one point the only real fear was what would happen if they both got to the final! Round Europe Darts 2011 gets under way: As if to emphasis that the WGP came a little to soon for Mark he showed himself almost back to his best after a bout of the flu. A creditable last 16 place in the Irish Masters proved a great warm up to the main event - Gold Dart Classic - Pro Tour on Sunday. For the remaining 9 player championships we had adopted a policy of Mark playing himself back to top form, certain in the knowledge that it was not far away. Thus the games on Saturday did just that and despite missing an opportunity to defeat Wayne Jones it was clear that the form and confidence was gaining momentum. Sundays Classic is an event which suits Mark, some of his best results have come in one day events. Australia and many major opens for example.  A decent draw saw Mark play two none seeded players early on in the event, however neither were taken lightly and 6-1 wins were recorded against both Steve McDonnell and Mark Hurley. Round 3 saw Mark take on Chris Aubrey in the board final, Chris has had a great year both in the seniors and youth tour formats and had defeated Mark the last time they played. However Mark really had found another gear and another 6-1 win saw a last 16 spot open up. This stage provided a very awkward moment, Mark was scheduled to play his regular practice partner, friend and some would call stable mate! Ian Diamond White. These games are never easy but at a vital time of the season with each knowing what is at stake for the other I can barely imagine it. For the second time this season at this stage Mark managed what appears from the score line to be a comfortable win. I doubt it was anything like! A 4th Quarter Final of 2011 was Mark's reward and a chance to reverse Saturdays defeat to Wayne Jones. Again Mark seemed to find a gear at the right time and produce a stirring performance to win 6-3. As mark moved toward his 3rd last 4 placing of the year Gary Anderson again loomed up in opposition. Believe it or not these games do not fill Mark with fear, the two players often have superb matches with huge scoring battles, many have been tight and depended on one break of throw or gone to a last leg! Again the case here with an amazing first 7 legs full of 180's and smart finishing however when Gary took out another 100+ finish with Mark sat on 52 this meant 5-3 and the 180 from Gary to start the last leg proved decisive. Still another great performance from Mark and yet more evidence that he is becoming the complete player, able to do what's needed on the floor and then raise his game and thrive on the big stage. Keep a close eye on Mile High, I am sure that the 13 months or so from now till December 2012 will prove truly inspirational to all who know or follow Mark and who have darting dreams of their own! Round Europe darts the Full Story! Those of you familiar with this section the exploits of Mile High, may just remember last years `Mile High in Round the World Darts' piece this was really the time that Mark took off!. Unfortunately due to the omission of Australia from the calendar a repeat was not possible. However we noticed a mini version was possible. So Round Europe Darts was born! This year Mile High and our colleague and friend Diamond White have taken on a 9 event 4 country odyssey! Kilarney in Eire, Gladbeck in Germany. Benidorm in Spain and Crawley in UK all within 22 days. During which time 7 players championships, one Irish classic and 1 Grand slam qualifier will be attempted. Leg 1 - Kilarney One of the favorite events of many this event saw the guys fly to Eire on Friday and returning Monday. 1) Irish Masters -  A fine warm up for the guys here with a last 16 place for Mark and a last 32 spot for Ian, both defeated in last leg deciders by Wayne Jones. Still money in the bank and some great warm up / fine tuning. 2) Golden Dart Pro Tour The previous days warm up proved perfect as the guys performed strongly, Mile High reached another Pro Tour semi only to be undone by Mr. Anderson again. Diamond also performed well with an unfortunate meeting between the two the only blot on the landscape. Leg 2 - Gladbeck Grateful thanks to Frank and family for putting up the guys and making this darting venture viable! Flying out on the Friday and staying away through the following week into Benidorm the guys have a great chance to relax and practice in peace in the build up to the eagerly awaited Benidorm weekend. First though the Gladbeck double header! 3) Pro Tour German Darts Championship Another great day for Mile High here, chipping away at all those goals set for the year with a superb set of wins, a 6-0 over Paul Nicholson being the highlight another £1000 points and another place on the Order of Merit. Twice being on a 9 darter may have proven a little distracting in the Qtr defeat to Artut the end result. Ian again suffered horribly in the draw but chipped away at his aims strongly. 4) German darts Classic ( Pro Tour) A tougher day this, fine wins to get started but the 6-5 win over the dangerous Per Laursen does not help your cause when waiting next is former world champ Steve Beaton. So a last 32 place for Mile High. Diamond again overcame a tough 1st round with victory of yesterdays semi finalist! Unfortunately a resurgent Roland Scholten took advantage of a few missed doubles to defeat Ian 6-4. Mark and Ian are enjoying a couple of days in the company of some old friends in Germany & Holland and will then go straight to Spain for leg three. A strong start from both so far with both picking up £'s every day and heading towards there aims for 2011. Keep it going lads and well done so far!  Stage 3 - Viva Espania - Benidorm After a very enjoyable day or two with some great friends in Holland the time came for the next journey to Spain. Arriving in Benidorm on Tues/Wednesday Mile High & Diamond had a couple of days to relax and enjoy the break before getting down to some serious practice in a couple of local venues in order to ensure they were sharp for the Spanish Trophy Pro Tour events. 5) Spanish Trophy (Day 1) Mile High started very strongly seeded 19th for the event and determined to make a strong showing. Mr. Lopez was a strong qualifier who has had some very good results, so a 6-1 victory was a good start. next up fellow Red Dragon player and old friend Dennis `Smiify' Smith, great respect is always shown between these 2 and to win 6-1 again showed Mark's strong floor form. However the heat in the venue was stifling and this may have affected many players. In what appeared to be a Red Dragon Board, next was Snakebite himself Peter Wright. For much of the last 2 years Peter and Mark have shadowed each other through the various ranking tables and events within the PDC. This time it was Mark's turn to run out 6-4 winner. The general rule applies though that when things go well for one they go well for the other ( see day two!). The last 16 arrived and with the heat building it was The Butcher - Nigel Heydon who dealt best with a number of issues and won 6-1 ( Mark's only leg was the first and featured a 167 finish). I know that Mark holds the highest respect for Nigel and as they joined the pro ranks at the same time we wish him nothing but the best. Diamond meanwhile was suffering the board of death! His 6-3 defeat of The Hit ensured another step toward his plan. However a board containing Ade Lewis, Gary Anderson, Kim Huybrechts and Jyhan Artut presented too strong an obstacle today! 6) Spanish Trophy (Day 2) Again Mile high started with the defeat 6-1 of a qualifier from the home nation, second round featured a local Derby with friend and sometime practice partner Kirk Shepherd, Kirk is playing well again and never likely to be an easy opponent, a tough 6-4 win ensured another encounter with Snakebite, as hinted at before it seem swings and roundabouts between these two, Peter edged a great encounter with a 6-5 win including 2 maximums in the last leg! So Mile High will have to be content with a last 16 and a last 32 place from his first Spanish Pro Darts adventure. Diamond again arrived on the board of death, he again fought through to round 2 strongly 6-1 over Barrie Bates before a titanic encounter with Gary Anderson. Ian was on the wrong end of a 5-6 defeat but again ensured that his positions did not slip and in fact improved slightly despite horror draws. In conclusion Mile High & Diamond have performed very well. The weekend was always the potential banana skin of the seasons end, much fun and frivolity was always likely here with many using the weekend as a holiday and possibly even a farewell to PDC level darts. Players being injured, withdrawing due to the heat and even being involved in many incidents and accidents. The arrival of relatives and friends making a weekend of it, and many other distractions, could have had a bad effect on the concentration and performance in this vital weekend. In the main it would appear that they have escaped unscathed and will now enjoy the rest and warm of Benidorm whilst undertaking their preparations for Crawley and 3 events of huge importance to all. Leg 3) - Carry on in Crawley! Following a return to the UK the guys will complete practice and preparations for the weekend triple of Grand slam Qualifier and 2 Pro Tour Events. They will be joined by 254 other darters from all over the UK and beyond trying to gain a TV wildcard for The Grand Slam of Darts, we would like to wish all those taking part in an event that gave us the first TV appearance of Mile High! After or few days with family and friends in Benidorm or in Ian's case being reunited on his return to the UK. It was time for the last and longest weekend of the Round Europe Darts venture. It had been a very long couple of few weeks and Mile High was not quite himself still he was to tough it out and finish the weekend with his usual do or die spirit. Diamond had been due a break or too and the timing could not have been better! 7) Grand Slam Qualifier After his success here last year all eyes were on Mile High early on and his draw was non too pleasant, two PDC professional in the first two rounds, Steve's Grubb and Farmer. Mr. Grubb played well early on and Mark did well to step up and claim a 4-2 victory playing solidly considering he was not at his best. Diamond was given an equally tough group but somewhat quieter start and proceeded quietly through the early stages. Mile High and The Train (Mr. Farmer) did not fire on all cylinders and Mark went through comfortably. Next up was Reece Robinson, the youngster has tremendous talent but did not show his true form in being defeated. A long day from the youth world championships may be behind that. Finally for Mile High Colin Lloyd had played superbly to win his board without dropping more than a leg! Despite a late rally from mark Jaws went some way to avenging his world champs defeat by inflicting a 4-2 last16 defeat upon Mile High. We had been aware since the draw that Mark and Ian would have to meet in order that at least one of them would go through and also that a play off for third could be vital with the injury to Simon Whitlock and other recent problems meaning it was likely to be an additional place!  Meanwhile Diamond was getting stronger and stronger, convincing wins over Jimmy Mann & James Richardson were signs of good things coming, then a tough 4-3 win over Colin Osborne and again over Peter Hudson, both of whom have been playing very well recently, led to a last 4 place ( the wildcard match) against The Undertaker, reader here with now that Nigel is a quality player and a good guy who has lacked a little luck during his 2 years or so on the PDCtour. The Undertaker played very strongly, especially in the middle section of the game to take a 6-3 win from 1-2 down. Diamond was obviously very disappointed to lose at the final stage. However in a superb show of professionalism and team spirit Mile High and other supporter helped to lift Ian for what we suspected was a vital game! The 3rd place play off turned into a strong sign of Ian grit with a fin 6-1 win over Keith Rooney who had shocked many in getting that far. (It was confirmed on Monday that Ian had been awarded the spot due to Simon's withdrawal.) Some night then, finishing after 12 midnight it was time to rest up for the final legs of the European Tour. 8 ) Pro Tour Crawley 1 Mixed day here, superb run from Diamond to capitalize on his superb recent form and a better than usual draw, only the world number 3 and Uk Open Champion in round 2 this week! Mile High was suffering and went down to our old friend Mick Todd, who then went ton to claim a useful £600. Diamond proceeded on through Chris Aubrey 6-4 and James wade 6-4 to then take on resurgent Richie Burnett, the second time in recent weeks. These games always have a little edge due to Richie's phenomenal intensity, this as the previous game went all the way with Ian claiming a 3 dart 74 to win 6-5! Last dart Whitey as Richie has christened him! The Diamond then appeared to run out of steam a little and Matt Clark toughed it out in the Qtr with a superb 12 dart last leg on throw to claim a semi place. Still £1000 appeared to help Ian cause no end! 9) Pro Tour Crawley 2 Another mixed day for the guys but the other way around. Diamond was running on empty, 9 comps in 3 weeks or so and little time at home and a extra long weekend was taking its toll. Mile High was in better shape than the Saturday but still not firing fully. So a highly entertaining game between Mark and Alex Roy was first up, Alex opened with 9, laughed it off and proceed to win the leg with three scores of over 120 including a max and then opened the next with 2 more of 140+. Mile High Rode out the storm and sealed a good win 6-3 in order to move on to game with former practice partner Slugger Brown. Diamond began his day with a game against Barrie Bates, Barrie played the best I have seen him for a long time with barely a score under 100 for the first 5 legs and ended 4-1 up. Diamond showed great courage and pulled back to 5 all. Suddenly all seemed to catch up with him and a horror last leg together with a timely max from Barrie ensured Ian would take no further part. Mark & Slugger then battles away, Slugger raced into an early lead but Mile High had more about him today and produced some great darts in the middle section to go 4-2 and then 5-3 up, Slugger did not cave though and fought back with a 132 finish 50 50 32! to claim leg 9 and then have 4 darts at tops to force a decider. Mark checked out to prevent what would I am sure have been a very tough last leg. Next Up Chizzy, well Dave is on fire at the moment and despite playing some pretty good stuff and two narrow misses on 164 check outs Mile High was not in shape to give of his best in that encounter. Congrats to Chizzy on 1st of many Pro Tour wins! So in Summary Round Europe darts proved a huge success in many ways for both players! Mile High - 7 Pro Tour 4800 pts for the pro tour and order of merit list, climbs 3 places in overall order of merit (35/6). 7 places in Players Championships Seeding Tables (21) & 5 places in the Players Championships Finals qualification table (20). In addition some time with old family friends and even a little sun is sure to do him good in the long run! 1 Irish Masters last 16 and another in the GS Qualifier. Ensured qualification for Players Championship Finals! It would appear that both in 2010 & 2012 The 'Mile High Round the Continents' voyages whether lone or accompanied work wonders for rankings, confidence, focus and definitely £'s and major qualifications.

August roundup for Mile High' Mark Hylton - 4 Titles, 2 Close Calls & 2 Quality Exhibitions  Well since the inevitable come down, from The World Match play, Mile High has been kept busy in a variety of ways, building nicely toward the next stop on the PDC Tour - London Ontario. A few days rest and domestic bliss (decorating I believe!) followed the narrow defeat to The Power. Following the finalising of the field for the Euro's, Mark was in the position to accept the generous invitation of old friend Frank and pop over to Dusseldorf for a special Exhibition/Competition. A superb weekend was enjoyed by all and the review can be seen in the darts chat thread. Certainly interesting to see that German fans have exactly the same impression of Mark as those here who have met him. August has seen a  structured return with practise sessions followed by: Thurs 4th :The Chase Social Open, a solid win with a 112 average in the final. Saturday was a trip to an old favourite The Cannock Open (Saturday 11th) with old travelling buddies John Brindly and Ryan Herrington amongst others. A runner up enough to get the juices flowing again and a trip to The St Helens Open on Sunday 12th resulted in a fine win with a great game in the last 8 over Gary Welding and a 5-0 win over Eddie Dookson in the final. As ever a nice day with great darting folk in that part of the country. Keep an eye out in Dublin as Mark will make his exhibition bow in your fine city during October on Friday September 30th! Thursday 11th: The White eagle Club in Stafford hosted The annual pre Stafford super league singles, this year open to all. Despite the unfortunate draw ( having to play Rhino in last 16) Mark earned a win in the event with a good win over Neil Poynton in the final. Saturday 13th : Stirchley WMC in Birmingham and Double16.com provided another good day on the Open Tour! A very heavy field including Nigel Heydon, Kirk Shepherd, James Richardson , Nick Fullwell & Mick Todd amongst many others. Apparently there was almost a 1 in 3 chance of drawing a PDC regular or major finalist (Kirk & Paul Cook) in round 1! Mark played very well all day and a narrow 6-5 win over Johnny Haines in the final was a just reward.   Saturday Evening : Mile High vs. The Black Dog (Southam, Warwick's) :This was a quality evening with a superb bunch of young enthusiastic darters from Warwickshire, Led by Howard Childs they put up a great show and even broke a world record or 2 in the process! A 9 darter in the 401 double start format was enjoyable from Mark. Leaving Southam at 11.30 with the thought of Bully's Boardroom The following morning after such a long day must have been interesting?   Sunday 14th: Bully’s Boardroom: This venue has one of the best actual throwing set ups around and, despite being a long day for all, a quality event staged for the 2nd year. Mile High was in a very tough section of the draw, Dennis Smith 1st game, Kevin Painter, Matt Padgett and Mick Todd one after another is no ones idea of an easy ride. Red Dragon Colleague Peter Wright then in the Semi was just a step too far for Mark after a crunching weekend of quality darts. Well in to Peter who continues to go from success to success and is always a pleasure to see. So the quiet time in the PDC Calendar has proved anything but with 4 Titles, 1 Runner up and a semi final spot in addition to a first international exhibition and a superb grass roots exhibition for youth players. Oh the easy life of a Red Dragon Pro Darter! Ontario Canada : Mark's journey and arrangement were much the same as last year so he new what to expect, although the heat in the venue was extreme this year due to some payers requesting the aircon be turned off! 2 Board finals followed and it is a measure of Mark incredible progress that briefly that was seen as a disappointment. Not so, if these competitions were straightforward then the player seeded 1 would win every week, it is just as important to consistently perform as well as to progress to the later stages when a favourable wind blows! Mile High has settled well into the routine of the Pro Tour and will be keen to get stuck into the Derby weekend in order to consolidate his high positions in all ranking tables and progress as his class and skill suggest he will. Congrats both to Bruce Davey & Bomber Brown who played very strongly indeed and Mark had no complaints in either game. Well onto September and Derby! 

Well without mentioning the elephant in the room July was a strange month for Mile High, 3 weeks to prepare to play the games greatest ever player, or is that to worry about it? Well, as ever, preparation was thorough and in many parts. Financially all was taken care of when Marks sponsors again came through for the TV stages, Wingate, Corbett's and Red Dragon were joined by MP Moran (Builders and Plumbers Merchants) and thus again Marks expenses were limited and he could concentrate on preparation.  Finally some credit & exposure from the darting press, several web interviews were completed by email, even the Stoke on Trent based Sentinel newspaper conducted an interview for use during the run up to the event. Darts Monthly became the first to publish a feature on Mile High after 18 months of us trying to get noticed. Leonne conducted a thorough and fun interview with Mark and produced a good article in The July/August edition. Some of these things are good for players careers but they can be harmful to concentration and preparation so need to be efficiently conducted. Usual preparations were followed and planning and practise was conducted over the 3 weeks with the help of old and new friend, Simon Jones, Ian White and Andy Hamilton each provided quality sessions of the right type over the right period of time. Open events were as usual a source of both practise and fun relaxation as well as a test of keeping up a level of form. A superb Victory at The Unwin Open and several Qtrs finals were solid preparation for Mark. Match Review - HERE A very strange time then followed with an attempt at getting back to normality mixed with avid viewing of other results, Mark could still qualify for the Europeans if results went his way, However this hope soon ended and reality was returned too. Some consolation s was found, Mark was asked to fly to dusseldorf and conduct a weekend exhibition in a nearby town over the last weekend of July. A fantastic time was had by all and I can imagine no better way to forget any disappointment would be to indulge some strong German beer whilst playing great darts in the company of Frank and all his friends and customers, our thanks again. All in all a truly amazing month for Mark as he embarks on his campaign to reach the top 32 and higher as soon as possible, looks like being one hell of a ride!

This was a vital month in the PDC and could be described as make or break for many.  First ,The UK Open, despite Mark’s delight at qualifying for this year’s event there was a little nervousness in the air. The return here after 4 years since his amateur efforts added a little spice, as did the newly scheduled best of 7 rounds early on. To draw a lakeside Semi finalist over best of 7 could be considered bad luck, however Mark is one of the best open players in the UK and many of these events start best of 7. This was a superb few days with everything going  to perfection or better up until the Qtrs, a slow start and some superb darts from Denis Ovens meant that despite a brave and spectacular rally in the middle section, Mile High bowed out in the last 8! (for full review see  HERE )   Despite the excitement of the Open all of Team Hylton new that the main event in June was the 4 Pro Tour qualifiers, 2 in Barnsley and 2 in Nuland ( Holland). These would see whether Mark could qualify for many of the premier events of the year. After a tough start and a board final defeat to Mark Walsh on day 1 in Barnsley things were looking tough. However this is where mark is now a different animal to 12 months ago! Sunday saw his best form so far in Pro Tour events his run to the semi final was superb, especially when set against the tiredness of the previous week. This Semi appearance meant that Matchplay qualification was almost certain and others were within reach! The final Pro Tour Weekend of the 1st half was in Nuland over 18th & 19th of June. Marks form continued on the first day and despite two excellent performances against him Mark played James Wade in the board final. 6-3 was the result and Mark advanced to take on the almost unstoppable Gary Anderson in the last 16. This time it proved a bridge two far. Day 2 saw an awkward win over close colleague Ian White before a 2nd encounter with The Machine, despite a narrow miss for a 9 dart leg Mile High found himself outdone by James and thus the final weekend until August 26th was over.   What an incredible month! Mile high has risen another 12 places in the Order of Merit, he is well placed to qualify for many other events and to cap it all was drawn the play The Power in round 1 at Blackpool on July 18th 2011! Keep going Mile High!   Our grateful thanks to Sportsbook, The folk of the Bowerham Hotel in Lancaster, especially James & Dave who helped out at an awkward moment! Corbettsport.com and Wingate Electrical who again supported Mark’s efforts, we are proud to be associated with them and hope they feel the same!

n recognition of his Phenomenal Open form and two 9 dart performances Mark was acknowledged as Darts World's: Star Player of the Month (May 2011 edition) With the UK Open Qualified for it was time to concentrate fully on The PDC Pro Tour , with this in mind Mark rested up for the 2nd weekend of May and prepared well for the Austrian Open ( PDC). A fantastic weekend followed, after landing in the Czech Republic and then driving to Vienna, Mark and Andy Hutchings prepared for what was a very long 2 days of competition in The Arena Nova (Weiner Naustadt). Mile High's Open form came through in these PDC events and the list of scalps for the 2 days included 2 world champions and a double win over Mark Walsh who was seeded 4 for the event! Many other strong and in form players were also defeated as Mark reached the qtrs on day 1 and Semi on day 2. Indeed he was only beaten by the finalist from day 1 and the winner of the event in day 2. The 2nd pro Tour Weekend of the month probably came a little soon for Mark and despite a solid effort the weekend did not reach the same heights with 1 board final and a close 5-6 loss to Newark ace Mick Todd. Again however massive progress has been made, Mark has more than trebled the number of wins achieved by this point last year and is in a very strong position in all the relevant orders of merit. All at Team Hylton are looking forward to June with a strong sense of anticipation. Good Luck Mile High!

Titles 10 & 11 for the Year in a Weekend Double! The title count has increased strongly this weekend with an old favourite and a trip to see and old friend! The Pint Pot Title was retained again (11th in its history) with a solid night’s work and victories over Adam Smith Neale and the burgeoning talent that is Mark Archer along the way. A trip to Retford for the Birches Open followed today and time to catch up with Bob`Sharky' Kent. Bob has been inspired by the LPKOD story and now runs event under Diamond Wire Promotions as well as sponsoring up and coming darters. It was fantastic to catch up with old friends and see some familiar faces including Newark Ace Mick Todd and former PDC player Darren Weaver. Although it was a long day it was a well run comp and the local field was strong in depth and talent. Mark won through and reached the final were the dark horse of the day - Darren `lazy' Laydon was waiting. Unfortunately Darren had had a tough semi and the final seemed a bridge too far early on, he rallied later but not in time to prevent a 5-2 mile high win! So Mile High phenomenal run in 2011 continues since Jan 3rd he has won 11 titles in various Open/League events and been runner up twice, add his 2 qtr final places and we calculate he has lost only 1 pre qtr game in 2011!

The weekend of the 10th featured the Jubilee Cup of 2011, an event sponsored by Mark’s long term sponsor. Particular pleasure was taken from some superb form and a relaxed entertaining day. A 5-1 win over Jabba Caven ensured a return to form and fluency and Mark was soon returning to his old self ready for the vital qualification weekend to follow. Friday 17th and another Open event was claimed, this time at The Unwin club with a final win over old friend Daz Gilbert. Together with victory in another local event this made a nice threesome of form to take into the PDC weekend at Nuuland Holland. Superb darts and some real grit and determination ensured that a last 32 place followed by a last 16 place, in the two Pro Tour events , were enough to gain mark qualification into the World Grand Prix and complete the big 5 tournament appearances in less than 20 months. On September 25th 2011 he assured his qualification for the World Grand Prix 2011. Between those dates he qualified for and has played in : The Grand Slam of Darts ( November 2010) The Ladbrokes World Professional Darts Championship (December 2010) The UK Open (May/June 2011) The World Match play (July 2011) This completes a magical quintet of the biggest, best events available to Mark. To qualify for these events at all, during a career, is a notable achievement. To do it within 20 months of joining the PDC/PDPA is truly remarkable. None have been achieved through the automatic placing or other routes Add that Mark had no professional background and little top class experience and it may be unprecedented! With the European Championships restricted to allow very few from outside the top 16 and the Championship League restricted to those in the top 32, this may represent the complete set reasonably available to a player such as Mark. So to October, with practice, and preparation very much, the order of the day. The Grand prix had been looked forward to for a long time and was finally available!

Grand Slam Qualifier

After his success here last year all eyes were on Mile High early on and his draw was non too pleasant, two PDC professional in the first two rounds, Steve's Grubb and Farmer. Mr Grubb played well early on and Mark did well to step up and claim a 4-2 victory playing solidly considering he was not at his best. Diamond was given an equally tough group but somewhat quieter start and proceeded quietly through the early stages. Mile High and The Train (Mr Farmer) did not fire on all cylinders and Mark went through comfortably. Next up was Reece Robinson, the youngster has tremendous talent but did not show his true form in being defeated. A long day from the youth world championships may be behind that. Finally for Mile High Colin Lloyd had played superbly to win his board without dropping more than a leg! Despite a late rally, from Mark, Jaws went some way to avenging his world champs defeat by inflicting a 4-2 last 16 defeat upon Mile High. More Open Titles fall to `Mile High’ Mile High continues his fantastic open form with another fine win, a 5-1 win over our very own Rhino! The lads performed brilliantly and overcame, The Muffin Man, Hero, Captain Padgett, Mr Smooth and others. Marks record in this competition is quite phenomenal, 17 events have been held of which Mark has attended 11 (only missing through PDC and previous work commitments). I can only find record of 1 loss (even this was to former world runner up Kirk Shepherd less than 24 hrs after returning from Vegas last year!). The field had never slacked in terms of quality and has had up to 53 entrants. Mark continued his amazing 2011 Open competition record with another win at The Hasbury Inn, this popular 2nd Friday of the Month Event had so far eluded him despite a final and a couple of semis, also a win at The Hasbury Day of darts 2010. Solid wins over : Callum Harris, Mark Gair, Andy Richardson and Nick Fulwell placed Mark in the final against Hasbury stalwart and excellent up and coming player Ali Hickinbotham. A 5-2 win with some very good darts shows Mark is still in top open form. UK Open Qualifiers 3&4 – Wigan – UK Another solid weekend in Wigan was capped by a strong second day from Mark. The form he has been showing on the Open circuit started to come through on Sunday. Event 1 - A patchy start, Mark did not seem to settle into a rhythm and found himself 2-4 down to the very in form Terry Temple. A great surge of form and some well timed heavy scoring saw Mark come through in fine style and close out a tense struggle 6-4. A class game with a great ending for Mile High. Round 2 saw Mark drawn against a member of the Swindon group with whom we are very familiar. Young Chris Aubrey is a great young player in superb form, he appears to do better in the main event than in the youth events. Chris played very well and strongly at all the right times, while Mark seemed to struggle to capture the consistency of the later stages of game 1. Chris stayed ahead almost throughout and managed to close out a 6-4 win by holding his verve very well in leg 10. So another £200 towards Bolton but Mark was very disappointed with his patchy day and determined to improve and solidify his position. Event 2 - A better day loomed as mark was drawn on a tough board but with strong hopes of progress, Norman Fletcher was unfortunate to be marks first opponent and a 6-0 win was just what was needed. Next up, Former World Champion and legend of darts, Dennis Priestly. Dennis is a great chap and seems to have played a large part in Marks PDC career to date, Dennis defeated mark in the Australian open final last year but was defeated in turn to earn Mark his grand slam place. So their first floor game was bound to be of interest. Mark edged out Dennis 6-4 and moved through to a board final with Wayne Jones. It may have escaped you notice but Mark had yet to record a win against Wayne in any competition performing well against him at the Grand Slam may have moved the odds slightly. Mark produced a superb display here with many observers claiming it was his best darts. Another multiple World Champion in John Part waited (a tough day indeed). John is on the comeback trail in a big way after a disappointing couple of years. Winning a Players Championship Event a couple of weeks ago has kick started his year and he was in great form again! A 2-6 defeat for Mark does not tell the full story. Mark hit 4+ maximums and scored strongly, however John played superb match darts and even when Mark had left a double of 12 John clocked a 160 finish to stay well clear. So another £800 weekend at the Open for Mile High, this solid performance interspersed with many highlights and great play bodes well for the next events, keep an eye out as Mile High is close to putting his A game out there! He will be placed in the Top 20 qualifiers for the UK Open so far and would hope to retain and improve on that position. Another Strong Open Weekend for `Mile High’ Trent Valley Doubles: Winner with James Thompson-Friday Eve. Mackadown Open: Runner/Up – Saturday. LPKOD Hasbury Pentathlon: 2nd Place – Sunday. 1 win and 2 Runner Up spots then for Mark this weekend, good quality workout at all events and a superb performance winning the 501 at the end of the Pentathlon, defeating Dennis Smith, Paul Cooke and Tony Randell in a high quality run, averaging over 115 to win the final 3-1 and dramatically snatch a runner up spot! Time to prepare well for Crawley and back to the Players Championship element of the Pro Tour! A 9th Title of 2011 Thursday Evening saw the Stafford Super League Singles take place @ The White Eagle in Stafford. After a very good 3 consecutive days of practice sessions, it was interesting to see how Mark would take his game back to competitions! The answer was emphatic, Mark claimed the Title with a 3-0 win over the highly talented Rob Hawker. Mark's victory was completed in 12, 15 and 11 darts. So far 2011 has been very rewarding for Mark, those of you who know him will know he values League and Open darts very highly as they have assisted him in his opportunity within the professional ranks! Players Championships 5&6 – Crawley – UK Well another trip to Crawley goes by! This seems to become a happier hunting ground with every visit. Event 1 - Mark dealt with a very awkward draw (it is never easy to play a friends and colleagues!) The Muffin Man is coming into some form and it was a tight 6-4 win to Mark with a 144 finish to close out the game! Round 2 saw another encounter with 3 time world champion and form horse John Part! A much tighter encounter this time with John squeezing home 6-4 after Mark had led early on. Oh well another £200 for the table and off to Sunday! Event 2 - Saw another good day, Bomber Brown had defeated Mile High a couple of times last year so time was due to turn the tables. A fine 6-3 win with some very good darts indeed thrown. The in form Gary Welding was next but mark was getting into his stride now! 6-2 and into the board final to meet The Warrior. A good game followed with Wes gaining an early break but Mark digging in and trying to restore parity, it was not to be however and Wes triumphed 6-4. So another £600 toward the orders of merit, Mark is consolidating his top 64 place strongly and beginning the climb toward the next level! Players Championship Order of Merit - 43rd UK Open Order of Merit - 19th Overall Order of Merit - 51/52nd

A Great Weekend of Darts from Mile High Following his return from Germany Mark took part in The Double16.com Stirchly WMC Open and The TD Events Winter Warmer in Witton. Saturday 5th The Double16.com Stirchley Open - Mark reached the last 8 here only to be defeated by a fine performance from Nick `Hero’ Fulwell. Nigel `The Undertaker’ Heydon won the event defeating Nick in the Final. Sunday 6th The Winter Warmer - Mark won the event with fine wins in the semi final and final against PDC form players Adam Smith Neale & Kirk Shepherd respectively. From a slightly reduced number of events (Mark has holidayed and rested up a little after his efforts of 2010) Mile High continues to shine on the Open Tour. So-far 5 events have been attempted resulting in 3 wins and 1 qtr final. An improvement even on last year! And Another With another week to go prior to the next PDC Pro Tour weekend the Open Tour offered excellent social and darting opportunities once more: Following a slow start at his sponsors event at the Hasbury Inn (qtr final) where Adam Edgar thoroughly deserved his 3-1 win, Mile High swung into action to protect his superb start to 2011. Saturday saw victory in the Invitational Event at The Red Lion Erdington, a tough work out playing a good 10 or so games against different players, a fine win over Kirk Shepherd in a close and exciting 5-4 final! Sunday saw a visit to new territory for Mark and Team Hylton............ Blackburn. A high quality KO in The VIP Lounge included tough wins over Dave Smith (Dave was unlucky and could have won quite easily) Dave Chisnal (A genuinely excellent game, Mark stepped up very well) and Later Michael Smith in the final. The venue was great and a fine job done by the organisers and the team. Look forward to another visit out on tour soon! Mile High – No. 1 Open Player? Anyone who follows darts in England will know of the informal Open Tour that exists. These events are held across the country in a huge variety of venues almost every weekend. They are not tied to any code or organisation and are usually the result of cooperation from a venue, organiser/promoter, local players and possibly a sponsor. They are hugely entertaining and worthwhile in there own right and a great source of quality practise for the improving or even professional darter. The Midlands scene is very strong in this area offering almost a constant calendar of events of differing types with a quality of players, local and travelling, that is at times television level! Mark has supported this movement strongly and travelled many hundreds of miles over the years and especially in the last 5 to improve as a player and gain great match play experience. He estimates that he has collected close to 100 titles or places in these events and has always shown the greatest respect for promoters , venues, sponsors and all those who put in a huge effort into creating successful days. A recent phenomenon is the collection of data from these competitions and the publication of the statistics alongside those from players PDC or BDO careers. One of the most respected of the now features Mark `Mile High` Hylton ranked No.1 Open Player in the UK. This is quite an achievement in such a competitive field and will inspire Mark to continue to support these events and hopefully his success within them! Many thanks to Double16.com, Diamond Wire Promotions, TD Events, KJK Events, Harlow Stadium, Board 1 Promotions, Lets Play Knockout Darts and the many other venues, promoters and groups who support darts in this fun and important way. PDC Players Championships 3 & 4 – Derby UK The 1st UK events of this season Pro Tour kicked off over the weekend of 19 & 20th. These events are the closest to Marks home and playing base so it is always less complicated with travel and accommodation issues minimised and many familiar faces present. Event 1 saw Mark in excellent form and with high hopes, a strong win over the evergreen Geoff `The Hit’ Whitworth (6-2) promised much for the day. However despite a strong comeback from 2-4 down Vincent Van Der Voort did just enough to oust Mark in round 2. Event 2 again started well with Mark giving the in form Steve Evans little chance to get into his stride (6-2), the 2nd round again proved tough with Welsh great Richie Burnett edging out Mark (6-5) in a thriller of a game in which every result seemed possible. So another solid Players Championships, Mile High will look for more! UK Open Qualifiers 1 & 2 – Barnsley – UK In a determined effort to put right a wrong from last year Mark started the UK Open qualifiers strongly this year! Marks glorious 2010, was a little slow to start and as a consequence he did not qualify for the UK Open at the Reebok stadium. He is determined to make a visit there as a qualified PDC player! It would indeed seem appropriate as his first stage appearance was as an amateur in the Open in 2007! This years campaign got off to a good start with a 6-3 win over Richie Corner, although Mark played strongly credit should go to Rich Corner who scored very heavily and did not get overawed in any way. He is a fine player and a good guy too! Next up an encounter with our old fried Mick Todd, who is just finding his feet and his A game in the PDC. Unfortunately Mick had a very bad case of the flu and seemed in a poor way. His valiant effort resulted in a 6-3 win for Mark, Mick came through strongly in the middle of the game and I have no qualms in predicting a good future for the Newark Ace! Matt Clark awaited in the 3rd round and despite some very good form this weekend from Matt, Mark moved through 6-3. Up to this point Mark had provided solid form although not quite that of recent weeks. A cold was getting to him slowly and despite seeming to get stronger early, a few tell tale signs emerged of an off colour `Mile High'. Waiting in the last 16 was Dave Chisnall, after meeting in an Open, only 2 weeks ago, each new what to expect. Chizzy was on fire as he has been since joining the PDC at q school. Despite opening with 180 and 177 Mark lost leg 1 as it was Dave’s darts and 12 were all he required! This did not stop till leg 6 when Mark got 1 leg on the sheet! Even this was some achievement as it required an 11 dart leg! Congrats to Chizzy he played fantastic darts all weekend and also comes across as a sincere and genuine guy. Event 2 saw another mixed event for Mark, A good win over Marko Kantele in Round 1 was followed with a disappointing loss to Chris Thompson 5-6 in round 2. Chris is a good guy and another world champ competitor from 2010/11 also like all Yorkshire men a true and gritty competitor. However the additional £200 towards qualification is a solid step and the total of £800 puts Mark in the top section at joint 18th again we are very happy to see this excellent consolidation of Marks position in the higher reaches of PDC darts. His performances in 2010 are supported with this solid and consistent start. TWO 9 Darters in six days! Well for those who have not yet heard our very own Mark Hylton has been signed as the latest addition to Team Red Dragon. The team includes many quality players and 2 former World Champions enjoying strong form. I have been in touch with RD for the full time Mark has been professional and am very pleased to see what I believe to be a great partnership come to fruition. Mark has been signed for 2/3 years and has agreed a superb package to assist him as he climbs the ranking and gains more top flight experience. The last week has proved somewhat surreal, We visited Cardiff last Friday to discuss details and begin to design Marks darts, after a long journey and long day it was back to the Hasbury Inn for an open event which Mark won. We had agreed with Simon to await Mark's darts marketing etc. before announcing Mark joining Team RD. For a long time now Mark has been very grateful to Neil and Double16 for the help and support they give him. He therefore headed for the Double16.com double header at Droitwich / Newark. On Sunday Mark texted me to note that the boards were both supplied and sponsored by Red Dragon! 2 hours later he had won the event and thrown his 1st 9 darter in competition! After a quiet week of rest and recovery and some quality practise with Ian White Mark headed for The LPKOD 3rd Friday Open and unbelievably threw another 9 darter and won the event! UK Open qualifying in Barnsley was not what we had all hoped for despite the brilliant lead up to it. perhaps it was a bridge too far! Still a solid performance on the Sunday shows Mark digging in during tough times for the 2 wins that may make all the difference.

Mile High wins PDC Award at Dorchester Ceremony Mark joined a select group of his peers for the traditional end of season PDC Awards Dinner at The Dorchester Hotel. Although he had an inkling that he was in the running for an award nothing was taken for granted. Even his acceptance speech was mainly Ad Hoc (although allegedly 9 mins long!). However Mark was gracious as ever and eager to thanks all those who had helped his progress over the years. In winning his award Mark joined a very select group of previous winners and if he ever needs confirmation of his talent then this should serve as a great reminder. PDC NEW PLAYERS OF THE YEAR 2007 - Raymond van Barneveld 2008 - Mervin King 2009 - Robert Thornton 2010 - Simon Whitlock 2011 - Mark Hylton! Picking up where he left off Even prior to his Dorchester success Mark showed he is not resting on his laurels or forgetting the formula for his success, The Let’s Play Knockout Darts annual Day of Darts Event was held in Erdington, Birmingham on January 3rd. Maintaining his excellent form Mark won the first of the days events defeating Adam Smith Neale in the Final of the 301 event. This was especially rewarding for Mark as the event is hosted in cooperation with his long term sponsor. Less than a week later Mark demonstrated that his commitment to Open circuit darts has not dimmed. Victory over an exceptional field, including PDC form horse Ian `Diamond’ White 6-1 in the final, ensured Mile High was in sharp condition. A hard earned holiday was the next stop for Mark and his partner. A week away in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el Sheik, to recharge the energy levels, seemed and ideal opportunity. Sports book Join Team Hylton! We are proud to announce that Marks 1st new sponsorship deal for 2011 is now confirmed. Sports book have long followed Marks career in darts and are delighted to continue that support in the professional arena. PDC Players Championships 1 & 2 – Halle Germany After a month gap in the PDC pro tour calendar the 2011 season started in earnest with 2 players championships prior to the end of January. In event 1 Mark produced a fine display and defeated fellow world championship contestant Chris Thompson 6-2, a tough draw followed with Merv King awaiting in round 2. The game was switched to the stage to allow the large German crowd to get a view of Mark’s now famous walk on! Despite a game of a remarkable level Mark was disappointed to suffer a 5-6 defeat, each player averaged over 100 in the later stages and the performance seemed to inspire The King who went on to win the event! Event 2 followed a similar pattern with Mark overturning a 4-2 deficit and gaining victory over Wayne Mardle in round 1 only to find his old nemesis Dennis Ovens awaiting in round 2. The 6-3 defeat showed The Heat’s form as he later went on to defeat Phil Taylor in reaching the Semi Finals. Jan 2011 has shown the full range of the life of a PDC darts professional, winning awards, playing quality open darts and then finally making a solid if unspectacular start to the Pro Tour. Mark is currently ahead of last years performance at this stage and hopes to keep improving that position over 2011.