JOHN PART defeated Darin Young 6-4 to win the North American Darts Championship as the New Tropicana World Series of Darts Festival came to a close in Las Vegas on Wednesday.
Part has endured a tough year after slipping to the edge of the PDC's top 32, but emerged victorious from the 79-strong field of American and Canadian stars to pick up the £5,000 title at Las Vegas' Tropicana Hotel.
The three-time World Champion drew on all his experience during the event, but particularly during his semi-final and final wins over Gary Mawson and young respectively.
Part dropped just three legs in defeating Alvin Martin and Greg Lewis in his opening two games, before seeing off Shawn Brenneman and Chris White 6-4 to reach the semis.
However, he stared defeat in the face against Mawson, who hit back from 5-4 down to level a tight match but then missed seven match darts in the decider, before Part took out double top for the win.
Part also had to dig deep to see off American number one Young in the final, although he took the early lead with a two-dart 68 finish to punish a pair of missed doubles from the American in the opening leg.
A 111 checkout doubled Part's lead, and although Young hit a 137 checkout to get on the scoreboard, an 84 finish gave the former World Champion a 3-1 cushion.
Young took out a fine 104, with Part waiting on double top, to win the fifth leg before levelling on double eight.
Part, though, took out 124 to break throw again with a 12-darter in the seventh before double ten put him a leg away from the win, after Young missed two darts at double top.
The Canadian missed double 16 for a 108 finish which would have give him the win in the next, as Young landed double five to stay in the game at 5-4, before Part landed a 180 to give himself breathing space in the next, with double four securing the triumph.
"It's hard to put into words what this means," said an emotional Part afterwards. "In a couple of weeks I might realise the significance of this but I'm going to enjoy this moment.
"Normally I am playing with all the top pros, but this was exclusively a north American event doesn't happen very often. It does mean a lot and I love to compete and love to win.
"I played a lot of friends who I've known for a long time and played many times, like Shawn Brenneman, Chris White, Gary Mawson and Darin Young. It was an emotional day and not easy to play.
"I was very lucky to win the semi-final against Gary Mawson, which was always going to be a hard match because we've been friends for so long. He had me dead and buried and I got away with it, and maybe there was a touch of luck that I won - and I haven't felt lucky all week until now!"
Young had also had to produce some superb darts to reach the final, coming from 3-0 down against Larry Butler in the semi-finals to level at four-all before winning a deciding 11th leg with a 110 checkout, as his opponent waited on a finish.
Young justified his second seeding with wins over Eddie Lawrence, Dan Lauby, Donny Joe and Nico Depaynos to reach the last four, and took home £2,500 as runner-up.
Butler, the 1994 World Matchplay winner, rolled back the years in his run to the semis, defeating another veteran star, Paul Lim, 6-5 in the quarter-finals after his opponent had missed one dart for victory.
Butler also overcame Dave Switzer, Scott Kirchner, John Kuczynski and Bill Davis on a tough route to the latter stages.
Reigning NADC champion Scott Burnett was defeated 6-4 by Mawson in the quarter-finals, with Mawson also seeing off top Canadian Gerry Convery in his run to the last four.
North American Darts Championship
Preliminary Round
Shawn Brenneman 6-1 Mark Blazevich
Al Moskwyn 6-4 Joseph Swick
Dan Zimmerman 6-0 Steve Barlock
Sean Downs 6-0 Bobby Peters
Jason Roker 6-2 Edwin Martin
Don Campos 6-0 Paul DiCecca
Stephen Panuncialman 6-3 Ron Colvard
Dan Lauby 6-1 Joey Narvades
Ross Snook 6-3 Jeff Noble
Ray Carver 6-1 Andrew Penney
Nico Depaynos 6-0 Robert Race
Jim Widmayer 6-2 Wayne Smith
Paul Lim 6-1 Sean Smyth
Brian Jackson 6-3 Martin Hulme
Larry Butler 6-1 Dave Switzer
First Round
John Part (1) 6-1 Alvin Martin
Greg Lewis 6-3 Clint Clarkson
David Flowers 6-2 Peter Schaumann
Shawn Brenneman 6-2 Bob Sinnaeve
Chris White (8) 6-1 Richard Hammond Jnr
Al Moskwyn 6-0 Andrew Bennett
Roger Carter 6-1 Tom Jackowski
Stuart Brown 6-1 Dan Zimmerman
Scott Burnett (5) 6-1 David Kendall
Sean Downs 6-1 Josh Daynes
Gregory Coburn 6-0 Doug Meade
Connley Litton 6-4 Jason Roker
Gary Mawson (4) 6-3 Gerry Convery
Don Campos 6-4 Ryan vander Wiet
Jayson Barlow 6-4 Rick Davis
Stephen Panuncialman 6-1 Drazen Severin
Darin Young (2) 6-2 Eddie Lawrence
Dan Lauby 6-3 Jim Newman
Dieter Schutsch 6-1 Dan Lauby II
Donny Joe 6-4 Ross Snook
David Fatum (7) 6-1 Nick Holmes
Ray Carver 6-3 Dan Olson
Stacy Bromberg 6-1 George Timpone
Nico Depaynos 6-1 Danny Wood
Ken MacNeil (6) 6-5 Howard Meyers
Jim Widmayer 6-4 Frank Hernandez
Mark Nielsen 6-2 Robert Heckman
Paul Lim 6-1 Damien McKenna
Bill Davis (3) 6-1 Scott Henning
Nick Rivera 6-2 Brian Jackson
John Kuczynski 6-4 Isen Veljic
Larry Butler 6-5 Scott Kirchner
Losers £100
Second Round
John Part 6-2 Greg Lewis
Shawn Brenneman 6-3 David Flowers
Chris White 6-5 Al Moskwyn
Roger Carter 6-1 Stuart Brown
Scott Burnett 6-1 Sean Downs
Connley Litton 6-2 Gregory Coburn
Gary Mawson 6-0 Don Campos
Stephen Panuncialman 6-5 Jayson Barlow
Darin Young 6-3 Dan Lauby
Donny Joe 6-5 Dieter Schutsch
David Fatum 6-5 Ray Carver
Nico Depaynos 6-3 Stacy Bromberg
Ken MacNeil 6-3 Jim Widmayer
Paul Lim 6-0 Mark Nielsen
Bill Davis 6-4 Nick Rivera
Larry Butler 6-3 John Kuczynski
Losers £200
Third Round
John Part 6-4 Shawn Brenneman
Chris White 6-3 Roger Carter
Scott Burnett 6-0 Connley Litton
Gary Mawson 6-4 Stephen Panuncialman
Darin Young 6-1 Donny Joe
Nico Depaynos 6-2 David Fatum
Paul Lim 6-1 Ken MacNeil
Larry Butler 6-1 Bill Davis
Losers £300
Quarter-Finals
John Part 6-4 Chris White
Gary Mawson 6-4 Scott Burnett
Darin Young 6-3 Nico Depaynos
Larry Butler 6-5 Paul Lim
Losers £700
Semi-Finals
John Part 6-5 Gary Mawson
Darin Young 6-5 Larry Butler
Losers £1,250
Final
John Part 6-4 Darin Young
Winner £5,000
Runner-Up £2,500
Final - Leg by Leg
1-0 - Part breaks throw with a two-dart 68 finish, after Young misses double top and double ten
2-0 - The Canadian doubles his lead with an effortless 111 finish
2-1 - Young gets off the mark with a fine 137 checkout
3-1 - Young hits a 180 but Part finishes 84 on double 12 for a third leg
3-2 - The American lands a 104 finish to take a second leg, with Part waiting on 40
3-3 - Young levels the game on double eight
4-3 - Part takes out 124 on double 11 to break throw again, with a 12-darter
5-3 - Young misses two darts at double top and Part clinically hits double ten at the first time of asking
5-4 - Part misses one dart for victory at double 16 for a 108 finish and Young hits double five to stay in the game
6-4 - Double four seals victory for Part
Prize Fund
Winner £5,000
Runner-Up £2,500
Semi-Finalists £1,250
Quarter-Finalists £700
Last 16 £300
Last 32 £200
Last 64 £100
Total £22,000