2003 PDC World Darts Championship

2003 Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship
Tournament information
Dates27 December 2002 –
5 January 2003
VenueCircus Tavern
LocationPurfleet
Country England
Organisation(s)PDC
FormatSets
Final – best of 13
Prize fund£237,000
Winner's share£50,000
High checkout
Champion(s)
 John Part
«2002 2004»

The 2003 Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship was the tenth World Championship organised by the Professional Darts Corporation since its split from the British Darts Organisation in 1993. The tournament took place between 27 December 2002 and 5 January 2003 at the Circus Tavern in Purfleet, England. Ladbrokes (who sponsored the 1996 event with their Vernon's brand) took over sponsorship of the event from Skol.

The field at the televised stages was expanded for the first time since 1999, adding an extra qualifying round that increased the total number of players from 32 to 40. John Part defeated the defending champion and number one seed, Phil Taylor, in the final. This ended Taylor's streak of eight successive World titles and 44 successive victories at the Circus Tavern.

This was Part's second world championship, having also won the 1994 BDO World Championship (the first tournament after the split). As Raymond van Barneveld won the rival BDO World Darts Championship the same year, this was the first time that both versions of the world title were held by a player from outside the British Isles.[1]

  1. ^ "Darts' future is orange". BBC Sport. 13 January 2003.