English · Watford, England · Born 2 February 1965English darts player nicknamed 'Special Brew', a former world number six known for his fluent scoring who reached the 2005 UK Open final.
Born in Watford on 2 February 1965, Mark Walsh competed in Professional Darts Corporation events for over two decades. He reached his first major televised final at the 2005 UK Open in Bolton, where he was beaten by Phil Taylor, and climbed to a career-high ranking of world number six. Walsh's career included six non-televised PDC titles, among them the 2007 Gleneagle Irish Masters and two UK Open Regional victories, plus a 2009 Coventry Players Championship win over Phil Taylor. He was also involved in one of the sport's stranger controversies at the 2012 World Championship, when opponent Justin Pipe complained about the shafts on Walsh's darts mid-match, a moment that became known as 'shaftgate'. A reliable top-20 performer through the mid-2000s, Walsh reached the quarter-finals of several Pro Tour events and competed regularly at the World Matchplay, World Grand Prix and Grand Slam of Darts. His level gradually declined after 2013 as he fell outside the world's top 32. Walsh's PDC career wound down by the mid-2010s, with occasional appearances in qualifying events thereafter. He remains a recognisable name from the PDC's competitive middle years of the 2000s.
Reaching the 2005 UK Open final and a career-high ranking of world number six
How They Played
Fluent, high-volume scoring with a smooth throwing action
Lasting Impact
A reliable top-20 professional throughout the PDC's competitive 2000s era