Chris Mason has said that winning the inaugural MODUS Super Series title this week would be “absolutely massive”, but even if he is victorious, he won’t be looking to make a full-time playing return to professional darts.
Mason was the final player to book his place in this week’s MODUS Super Series Champions Week line-up following his match week 12 victory on Saturday, putting down the commentary microphone and picking up his darts to play in his first TV event in 12 years.
The 52-year-old told the MODUS Super Series: "It was an interesting one, I took a bit of persuading to play in the tournament initially.
"It started to dawn on me in the build-up, I thought ‘oh my goodness’, but it was exciting at the same time. When you’ve not played under the lights for 12 years you forget how difficult it is. But ultimately it’s been a fabulous experience. It’s a beautiful venue and a great group of people to work with and play against.
"It'll be absolutely massive to win. To be the first name on the trophy of a tournament that will end up - it’s already very big, but it’s only going to get bigger - would be massive, absolutely massive for me. But the group of players I’m up against are absolutely top drawer so I’m going to have to find another couple of levels to what I played last week to qualify.
"It’s going to be tough going. Whoever wins a week to qualify and then goes on to win Champions Week has certainly earned their money.”
But while Mason has picked up his darts to play in the MODUS Super Series, he says he has no plans for a full-time comeback, although he will be playing in next year’s World Seniors Darts Championships.
He said: "Winning won’t mean I’ll start playing more regularly, I’ve got my commentating commitments. I was always very keen that if they introduced a seniors tour that that would suit me as it wouldn’t have that full-on every weekend type of pressure. The rigours of that, when you reach a certain age, it’s not something you can do full time.
“I was always really passionate that if a senior tour did develop then I would be interested in that and so I’m delighted that the World Seniors Darts Championships was introduced. And irrelevant to what happens this week, I’m over the moon to be playing in the next World Seniors Darts Championships in February. But in terms of ever going back to playing regularly, absolutely not.”
Mason, who will be hoping to win the £20,000 champion’s cheque in Saturday’s final, believes the MODUS Super Series is providing players with a unique platform.
"The MODUS Super Series has revolutionised the amateur game," he said. "The rebranding, the relaunch, the new venue, there’s nothing to rival in it terms of sitting just behind what the PDC do. It’s giving the players that are coming through an opportunity but also the players that maybe don’t have the finances to try and become a full-time PDC player. And it also gives a chance to players a little like myself who might need to sort of regroup, reset, get their game back on track. This is the perfect environment. It’s played under the lights, in front of cameras – you can’t replicate that without actually doing it.
"For many players the PDC can sometimes be a bridge too far, whether that’s ability-wise or due to the financial implications. But here, you win a week, you win Champions Week, that will be career-changing for some players, either on the way up or players that have hit a brick wall. It will give them financial security for a season. If you win something like this it comes with a lot of respect, so there’s the opportunity that you’ll get exhibitions, sponsorship opportunities… It’s massive. For the players it’s absolutely enormous and for whoever wins it this week, including myself, it’ll be a career high pay day.”
- The MODUS Super Series sees more than 30 hours of matches broadcast LIVE Monday to Saturday every week, currently available on YouTube and Sporty Stuff TV (SKY 437, Freesat 250, Freeview 264 and online at sportystuff.tv), with players competing for a share of over £1m on offer per year. It's open to non-PDC (Professional Darts Corporation) Tour Card holders over the age of 18 and legends from the sport, with Lisa Ashton, Jarred Cole, Neil Duff, Kevin Painter, Mikuru Suzuki and Thibault Tricole among the other well-known names. Each week, 12 players compete in a series of group matches on Monday to Friday, with six qualifiers facing off in front of a live audience at Finals Night on each Saturday evening. After 13 weeks, the 12 previous weekly winners compete in Champions Week to be crowned the MODUS Super Series champion and receive a £20,000 champion’s cheque.
Here is more about the 12 finalists:
GROUP A
- Chas Barstow: Chas, who was born in Winchester, competed in this year’s PDC World Darts Championship, where he was knocked out by Michael van Gerwen in the second round. He also reached the third round of the UK Open in 2021.
- Graham Hall: Graham hails from Stratford Upon Avon and is nicknamed ‘G-Man’.
- Graham Usher: Graham hails from Scarborough and previously won the BDO/WDF-ranked Lincolnshire Open in 2019.
- Lee Evans: Lee was born in Swindon and started playing darts aged 16. Lee has made five UK Open appearances and won a PDC Challenge Tour title in 2017.
- Robert Owen: Robert goes by the nickname ‘Stack Attack’ and was born in Ogmore Valley, Wales. Robert won a PDC Challenge Tour event this year, while he also reached the semi-finals of the UK Open in 2018.
- Conan Whitehead: A bricklayer by trade, Conan was born in Dartford, Kent but now lives in Gillingham. ‘The Barbarian’ has been playing since 2007, with his best career performance seeing him reach the last 64 of the UK Open in 2013.
GROUP B
- Chris Mason: Born in Bristol, Chris enjoyed a successful darts career in the 1990s and 2000s, winning the English and Scottish Opens as well as the Irish Masters, while also reaching the semi-finals of the World Matchplay and quarter-finals of the PDC World Darts Championship, World Grand Prix and UK Open. In more recent years, Chris had swapped his darts to focus on commentating duties.
- Darryl Pilgrim: Nicknamed ‘Glad All Over’, Darryl featured in the UK Open in both 2017 and 2018.
- Ciaran Teehan: Nicknamed ‘The High Tower’, Ciaran is an Irish darts player from Cork. Ciaran qualified for the 2021 PDC World Darts Championship, losing out in the last 64, while also participating in the 2021 UK Open.
- Numbers 2/3 of Group A
GROUP C
- Josh Payne: Based in Gravesend, ‘The Maximum’ is a former PDC Tour card holder after claiming a top-two finish on the PDC Youth Tour in 2015. Josh has reached the last 64 of the PDC World Darts Championship on three occasions, while making the quarter-finals of the UK Open in 2019.
- Gavin Carlin: From Derry, Northern Ireland, Gavin has competed in various PDC events. Nicknamed ‘The Cannon’, Gavin won his PDC Tour card at Q-School in 2019, before losing it earlier this year.
- Peter Jacques: Hailing from Huddersfield, Peter is a postman for the Royal Mail when not playing darts. ‘The Terrier’ has previously reached the last 16 of the UK Open and Players Championship Finals, while winning two PDC Challenge Tour titles.
- Numbers 4/5/6 of Group A
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