“It was a blast. I can’t describe it. Until this very day, I still get goosebumps thinking about it,” said Lim, who represented the United States at that tournament.
He remembers his achievement vividly to this day.
The money he earned, which far exceeded the amount awarded to the tournament winner, also came in handy for Lim, who used it to start his own darts business.
Over the years, he has continued to compete in major tournaments while working as a consultant for an electronic darts company.
But Lakeside Country Club has always had a special place in his heart.
“I was excited to be back there again after so many years,” he said, this time wearing the Singapore flag.
Going into this year’s WDF World Darts Championship, Lim’s goal was to take it one game at a time – and he saw off challenge after challenge.
“What’s going to happen, you never know. But I go with the intent that I want to do well,” he said.
Lim first beat the Netherlands’ Moreno Blom 2-0, then Hong Kong’s Leung Kai Fan 3-2.
The match against Leung, a close friend of Lim’s, was particularly tough, he said. Prior to the tournament draw, Leung had invited Lim to stay at his home and prepare for the event.
“He’s the guy I spent time with and he’s the guy who looked after me … It’s always difficult,” added Lim.
Lim’s fairytale run continued, as he beat Scotland’s Gary Stone 3-2, Dutchman Jarno Bottenberg 4-3 and American Jason Brandon 5-0.
“I always think one step at a time. If I win one step at a time, I’ll be in the final,” said Lim.Â
But he fell short in his bid to become the oldest darts world champion on Dec 8. McGuirk took home the winner’s cheque of £50,000 (US$63,500), while Lim collected £16,000.Â
“I did prove a point that age is not really a vital thing,” he said.