| Tournament name | 1998 World Matchplay |
|---|---|
| Dates | 27 July–1 August 1998 |
| Venue | Winter Gardens |
| Location | Blackpool |
| Organisation | PDC |
| Format | Legs |
| Prize fund | £58,000 |
| Winners share | £14,000 |
| High checkout | 167 Alan Warriner |
| Winner | Rod Harrington |
| Prev | 1997 |
| Next | 1999 |
The 1998 World Matchplay was a darts tournament held in the Empress Ballroom at the Winter Gardens, Blackpool. The tournament ran from 27 July–1 August 1998, and was won by Rod Harrington.
A classic final between Harrington and Ronnie Baxter was characterised with deadly finishing from Baxter, who led the final for most of the way, and Harrington's stubbornness in clinging on and keeping the match neck-and-neck. However, Harrington eventually trailed 14–17 and was only 1 leg from defeat. Baxter had a championship dart at double 20 in the 33rd leg but missed. At 17-17, a moment of significant darting history occurred when Harrington took out 125 via treble 15 and two consecutive double 20s. The standard check out route on 80 with two darts in hand had been, up to this point, almost invariably treble 20 and double ten. From then on, it would become more common to see players attempt the Harrington route. With Baxter (who had looked likely to regain the lead) demoralised, Harrington maintained a clear lead throughout the next leg, and sealed the title on double five.
Phil Taylor was the reigning champion going into the tournament, but lost 10-13 to Baxter in the quarter finals. Taylor had led 9-5 and 10-8.
Prize money
The prize fund was £58,000.[1]
| Position (no. of players) | Prize money (Total: £58,000) | |
|---|---|---|
| Winner | (1) | £14,000 |
| Runner-Up | (1) | £7,000 |
| Semi-finalists | (2) | £3,500 |
| Quarter-finalists | (4) | £2,000 |
| Second round | (8) | £1,250 |
| First round | (16) | £750 |
Seeds
There were eight seeds for the competition.[2]
Results
Players in bold denote match winners.[3][4][5]
References
- ^ "1998 World Matchplay Player Prize Money". Darts Database. Archived from the original on 14 May 2021. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
- ^ "World Matchplay 1998". Mastercaller. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
- ^ "1998 World Matchplay Results". Darts Database. Archived from the original on 14 September 2012. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
- ^ "Results of World Matchplay 1998". Mastercaller. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
- ^ "World Matchplay 1998 – Bracket". Mastercaller. Retrieved 5 February 2024.