Ronnie Baxter | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Nickname | The Rocket | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Born |
Blackpool, Lancashire, England |
5 February 1961 ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Home town | Blackpool, Lancashire England |
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Darts information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playing darts since | 1980s | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Laterality | Right-handed | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Walk-on music | Don't Stop Me Now by Queen | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Organisation (see split in darts) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
BDO | 1988–2001 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
PDC | 2002– | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
BDO majors - best performances | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
World Ch'ship | Runner-up: 1999, 2000 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
World Masters | Runner-up: 1997 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
World Darts Trophy | Semi-finals: 2006 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Int. Darts League | Last 16 group: 2006 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Zuiderduin Masters | Semi-finals: 2001 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
PDC premier events - best performances | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
World Ch'ship | Quarter-finals: 2002, 2010 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
World Matchplay | Runner-up: 1998 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
World Grand Prix | Semi-finals: 2004 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Grand Slam | Last 16: 2010 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Premier League | 5th: 2006, 2010 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Ch'ship League | Winners group – 6th: 2012 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Desert Classic | Runner-up: 2002 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
European Ch'ship | Quarter-finals: 2008, 2010 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
UK Open | Semi-final: 2009 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
US Open/WSoD | Quarter-finals: 2007, 2008 Semi-final: 2006 |
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Players Ch'ship Finals | Semi-finals: 2009 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Other tournament wins | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Players Championships
UK Open Regionals/Qualifiers
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Players Championships
UK Open Regionals/Qualifiers
Ronnie Baxter (born 5 February 1961 in Blackpool, Lancashire) is a former World No. 1 English professional darts player. He uses the nickname The Rocket for his matches. Baxter is known for his fast robotic throwing action. He currently resides in his hometown Blackpool.
Baxter played on the North American circuit during the 1980s and when he participated in the British Darts Organisation he had a consistent record for reaching the final stages of their Open events. As well as winning the Welsh Open twice, German Open, Denmark, Swiss and Finnish Opens he also reached the final of the Opens in England, Wales, Finland, Denmark (twice) and the semi-finals of the Scottish Open four times, British Open three times, England Open twice and the British Classic in 2001.
He made his World Championship debut in 1991 - before the split in the game and lost in the second round to Jocky Wilson. A first round defeat in 1992 to Bob Anderson was followed by failure to qualify for the 1993 event. When the top players left the BDO to form the WDC after the 1993 World Championship, Baxter had risen in the rankings to be seeded number two for the 1994 World Championship, but he was beaten in the first round - this time by eventual champion John Part.
He missed out on the 1995 Championship, but then reached the quarter-finals for the first time in 1996 when he was beaten by Richie Burnett. Baxter was seeded seventh for the 1997 World Championship but lost in the second round to Mervyn King. However, later that year he reached his first major final at the 1997 Winmau World Masters, losing in the final to Graham Hunt. In 1998 he had again risen in the rankings to be seeded number two - but just as in 1994 he failed to live up his ranking and went out in the first round to Scotland's Peter Johnstone.
In 1999, he finally showed some of the form that saw him ranked second in the world by reaching the World Final for the first time. He beat Burnett, Kevin Painter, Roland Scholten and Andy Fordham before losing 5-6 in the final to Raymond van Barneveld. Still ranked second in the world, he went back to the final in 2000 but lost 0-6 to Ted Hankey in just 46 minutes - the quickest final in the tournament's history.