“I got the bug for it and never really stopped,” said Cam ‘Shazam’ Crabtree when thinking back to his rapid rise from online lockdown leagues to two-time Professional Darts Corporation challenge tour winner.
Back in 2020, Covid 19 struck meaning the world was stuck inside. However, this created an opportunity for the rise of a darting star.
Crabtree, 20, discovered a passion and a love for darts, following in the footsteps of his father who played in an online darts league.
Crabtree took an interest and wanted to join the league like his father, however tough love saw the young man told “he wasn’t good enough,” igniting a fire in him that would see Crabtree practice for up to four hours a day for a few months, improving his average until he was “good enough” to play.
The arrival to Q school, a tournament in which players can qualify for a tour card, did not take long, with Crabtree entering after just a year a half playing the sport.
“There was no expectation, I didn’t expect to win any games,” Crabtree explained. While there were no expectations, an opportunity to go on the Challenge Tour arose with the chance to “gain some experience.”
I went from struggling to win a game to beating big players, and even hitting a nine-darter on the final weekend of the challenge tour.
Crabtree, who is from Milton Keynes, saw success, including wins against World Championship semi-finalists Scott Williams, who himself went on to win the tour that year.
“I went from struggling to win a game to beating big players, and even hitting a nine-darter on the final weekend of the challenge tour,” Crabtree recalled.
A successful year regarding development saw Crabtree attend Q school for a second time, with a little more hope and expectation that he could come close to gaining a tour card.
Despite reaching the second stage of Q school, there was unfortunately no tour card. However, Cameron was still determined to play on the pro tour.
“I told my dad and my sponsor that I would play on the pro tour at some point that year… and they just disregarded it. After the first three events of the Challenge Tour that weekend, I sat there thinking I really need to do something.”
It was a rough start for Crabtree who said: “I should have lost both of them, but people missed doubles and I took my chances.”
Following early struggles on the day, Crabtree faced his now best mate Owen Bates, beating him from 4-2 down. This first PDC title saw Crabtree qualify for every pro event that year. “It was unreal to be honest, it’s hard to explain the emotions I had I was just buzzing really. It’s not an easy thing to do, to be that one winner, it was quite special.”
Following on from the success of winning the challenge tour event and qualifying for and playing in every pro event, Crabtree attended Q school for a third time, this time entering the competition with hopes and expectations of gaining a tour card.
The event was a tough one to take with not gaining a tour card. “A little disappointing as I really want to get back there (Pro Tour). I had a bit of expectation this year and it didn’t help.”
I would like to be someone who is slowly improving, month by month and year by year.
The feeling of missing out on what you work for the whole year, provided “motivation” for the young man who in this upcoming year is hoping to “get back there to the pinnacle of the sport”.
When looking on the emotions and success of reaching the pro tour “I took it for granted, even though I didn’t have a tour card, I’m now desperate to get back there.”
Speaking on his aims for the year, it is clear that a tour card is what Crabtree desires, however it is smaller targets like “improving my average and being more consistent, averaging 96 and then going to 80, it’s no good”, that will inevitably lead to the progression and acquisition of a tour card. I would like to be someone who is slowly improving, month by month and year by year.”
When speaking on where he sees himself in five years, Crabtree said: “I’d like to think I’d be comfortable on the pro tour; I’d be disappointed if I wasn’t, but I think I also expect to be in the top 64 players, qualifying for the European Tour and hopefully some majors.”
With such success in only four years of playing, Crabtree is one of the success stories of lockdown and hopefully one that can provide inspiration for those up and coming within the sport.
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