Darts star Danny Baggish struggled to hold back the tears after delivering a heartfelt tribute to his late son following his debut victory on the Modus Super Series (MSS). The 42-year-old American lost his son to cancer in late 2025 when the child was just 19 months old.
This week, Baggish made his comeback to the sport after a three-year absence. It is fair to say the Guam-born arrowsmith has returned in spectacular fashion, topping Group A at MSS in Portsmouth.
A 4-1 victory over Canada’s Jeff Smith saw him record 11 wins and four defeats from his 15 group matches, amassing 22 points in the process. He shares the same points tally as second-placed Dawson Murschell, but boasts a superior leg difference and therefore claims top spot in his group.
After hitting the winning double against Smith, Baggish celebrated by holding up a photograph of his late son to the camera, visibly struggling to contain his emotions.
Speaking post-match in the studio, Baggish was asked about the poignant moment, but found himself at a loss for words as he dedicated the triumph to his beloved son.
Wiping away the tears as he opened up on the significance of his win to him, Baggish said: “So much. I’m sorry.”
Having composed himself, Baggish confessed he has been battling his own emotions to step back up to the oche since his last UK appearance in December 2022. He said: “It meant a lot, but I felt it when I got to three legs. I felt the emotions take over a little bit so I had to take a deep breath back there. I think last night was the first night I started thinking about back home and stuff. So for a good hour, I was a wreck last night.
“You have to keep it in, you have a job to do. You’ve got to do what you came here to do and you hold it in until there’s a time to release that. I have always been an emotional player, but this is different. The moment I hit that double tops, it was a lot of relief and thoughts, appreciation and love came out.”
The Modus Super Series comprises 12 non-PDC Tour Card players, and Baggish ranks amongst the most seasoned competitors in the competition, having graced the World Championship on three previous occasions. His most recent outing at Alexandra Palace came in December 2022, where he suffered a second-round defeat to Mervyn King.
Baggish will now compete in this weekend’s Modus Super Series final.