‘Wizard of Oz’ is not one to cave in
Simon Whitlock is often referred to as ‘The Wizard of Oz’ but in 2020 he has become the ‘The Wizard of Online’.
How else to describe someone who’s won more darts tournaments than ever before in his distinguished career while standing in glorious isolation in a ‘‘man cave’’ at his home in the southern English market town of Waterlooville?
Now that’s wizardry!
There’s been no opponent physically in the room during the match and the nearest thing to a crowd has been Whitlock’s menagerie of beloved pets – a dog, a frog, a chicken, eight guinea pigs, three tanks full of tropical fish and, er, a gecko.
It’s been just Whitlock – famous beard, scraggly ponytail and all – his dartboard, a camera and a computer screen showing his adversary chucking arrows in some faraway kitchen.
In this strangest of all years, welcome to home ‘online darts’ – a reinvention of the game that’s rejuvenated Australia’s long-standing No 1 marksman at the tender age of 51.
‘‘Not much money in it but it’s been really good for just keeping my game at a high level,’’ the engaging Whitlock said.
‘‘You call out your own scores.
‘‘You can watch your opponent throw on the computer screen but I prefer not to. I just listen to them call their scores and hope they’re telling the truth.’’
Now, back to real head-to-head darts and
‘‘I do better without crowds because usually they’re all against me.’’
Australian Simon Whitlock on competing in England
ready for his 18th crack at winning a world championship, Whitlock reckoned it’s all helped him throw as well as he did when reaching two world finals in three years a decade ago.
This one’s going to feel alien. After yesterday’s opening night of the PDC Championships, Alexandra Palace, the boozy darts cathedral known as ‘‘Ally Pally‘‘, will ban fans because of tightened Covid-19 restrictions in London.
Normally, it’s like throwing in a deafening bearpit of fun; now it’s going to be like bunging in a library.
Or a man cave? ‘‘Could suit me. I do better without crowds because usually they’re all against me,’’ Whitlock said.
‘‘Not because they’re anti-me, they’ll just support their Englishman before an Aussie. ‘‘It all stems back to the cricket.’’
One thing never changes.
Is he ever going to get rid of his hirsute trademarks?
‘‘Oh, I really don’t know,’’ he said. ‘‘The beard’s all right, it’s just this mop behind my head which is annoying, horrible, uncomfortable to sleep on . . . but it’s my image, you know.’’