For younger generations of darts fans, the name Magnus Caris may not ring a bell, but the Swede carved out a remarkable career at the highest level of the sport for over thirty years. Caris competed in both the BDO and later the PDC, appearing at World Championships, World Masters tournaments, the UK Open, the Grand Slam of Darts, Players Championships and multiple World Cups of Darts.
Caris made seven appearances at the BDO World Championship, debuting in 1988 with a first-round loss to American Rick Ney. Two years later he reached the quarter-finals by defeating Antero Rantala and Brian Cairns, before falling to Eric Bristow in the last eight. But it was 1994 that produced his greatest BDO achievement. On his way to the semi-finals, he defeated Wayne Weening, Leo Laurens and Martin Adams, earning a meeting with Bobby George, one of the sport's most popular players. George was suffering from severe back problems ahead of the semi-final but made a strong start, and Caris fell 2-0 behind in sets. The Swede fought back impressively, winning four sets in a row to lead 2-0 in legs in the seventh set, with the final within reach. In the third leg, Caris even had one dart at double 18 for a spectacular 141 finish to decide the match. He missed, and George won nine consecutive legs to turn the match around, eventually winning 5-4 in sets. It was a painful defeat, but it established Caris as a player capable of competing with the very best on the biggest stage.
The BDO World Championship was not the only major tournament where Caris made his mark. He played at the Winmau World Masters five times, with his best result coming in 1992 when he reached the semi-finals. To get there, he defeated John Lowe, Eric Bristow and Martin Adams in succession, before Mike Gregory ended his run in the semi-finals. Caris remained involved in televised darts even after his time at the very top, returning to the World Masters stage in 2009, where he lost in the last 16 to defending champion Martin Adams.
At the end of the 2000s, Caris made the switch to the PDC. His first PDC World Championship came at the end of 2009 for the 2010 edition, where he whitewashed Francisco Ruiz 4-0 in the preliminary round before losing to Colin Lloyd in the first round. A year later he overcame Dietmar Burger 4-3 in the preliminary round, surviving several match darts from the Austrian, before losing to Mervyn King in the first round. At the beginning of 2011, Caris secured a Tour Card at Q-School by reaching the semi-finals on the second day, earning him a place on the PDC circuit. One of his most notable performances that year came at the UK Open, where he defeated Kevin McDine in the first round before facing Peter Hudson. Caris raced into a 3-0 lead, but Hudson fought back to force a deciding leg and struck with a ten-darter. It was a particularly painful elimination, as Caris had missed no fewer than eight match darts, including an opportunity to finish with a 164 checkout via the bullseye. Later that year, he qualified for the Grand Slam of Darts by reaching the final of the qualifying tournament, winning one match in the group stage but finishing third in his group after two defeats.
Caris remained active on the international circuit in 2012. At the World Championship, he faced Steve Beaton in the first round and appeared to be heading for victory after taking a 2-0 lead, with three darts to close out the match in straight sets. He failed to do so, and Beaton fought back to win 3-2, with Caris struggling to adapt to the conditions and the noisy atmosphere. Later that year, he represented Sweden at the World Cup of Darts alongside Dennis Nilsson, defeating Japan before being eliminated in the second round after a 3-1 defeat to Belgium. He also qualified for European Tour events in Berlin and Düsseldorf, losing in the first round to Terry Jenkins and James Wade respectively, and competed at the European Championship, losing 6-3 to Phil Taylor despite producing an average of 90. The year ultimately produced an important achievement as he finished sixth on the European Order of Merit to secure qualification for the 2013 World Championship, where he lost 3-0 in sets to Robert Thornton, winning just one leg, and was ranked 44th in the world afterwards. Nevertheless, 2013 brought good results, including a quarter-final run at a UK Open Qualifier where he defeated Simon Whitlock and Andy Smith before Jamie Caven ended his run, and two tournament wins on the Scandinavian Pro Tour, finishing third on the Order of Merit.
One of the best PDC results of Caris' career came in March 2014 at the fourth Players Championship event, where he reached the semi-finals. His route to the last four was impressive, defeating Nigel Heydon, Peter Hudson, Justin Pipe, Adam Hunt and Stephen Bunting, before Ian White stopped him 6-4. It meant Caris had reached the semi-finals of a Players Championship for only the second time in his PDC career. At the 2014 World Cup of Darts, he formed the Swedish team alongside Peter Sajwani, but in the second round both players lost their singles matches to Peter Wright and Robert Thornton respectively, resulting in Sweden's elimination. At the beginning of 2015, Caris once again secured a PDC Tour Card through Q-School, reaching the required round on the fourth day for another two-year opportunity on the professional circuit. The year began promisingly with a quarter-final at the first Players Championship event, where he narrowly lost 6-5 to James Wade. He also reached two finals on the Scandinavian Pro Tour and won a Russian event, defeating Per Laursen 6-3 in the final. He qualified for the European Championship through SDC qualifying, losing 6-2 to Simon Whitlock in the first round.
Caris remained active on the Scandinavian Tour in 2016, reaching two finals at the beginning of the year but unable to win either. However, he reached the third round of the UK Open for the first time that year, losing 9-4 to John Henderson. Later in the year, he won a title on the Scandinavian Tour, defeating Cor Dekker 6-4. At the 2017 World Championship, Adrian Lewis was his opponent; Caris had an opportunity to level the match but missed one dart for the set, and Lewis took advantage to win 3-0. A few months later, Caris produced another of the finest results of his later career at the 2017 Gibraltar Darts Trophy, reaching the quarter-finals of a European Tour event by defeating Dyson Parody, Jelle Klaasen and Benito van de Pas in succession, before losing 6-3 to Mensur Suljovic. After several more years on the professional circuit, Caris decided to bring his career to an end in 2019, announcing that the 2019 World Cup of Darts would be his final tournament. On 8 June 2019, he played his final match as a professional darts player, representing Sweden against Gary Anderson. Caris lost his singles match 4-0, and his Swedish team-mate then also lost, meaning Scotland, represented by Peter Wright and Anderson, won 2-0. That officially brought an end to a career spanning more than three decades.
From his first appearance at the BDO World Championship in 1988 to his final match for Sweden in 2019, Caris enjoyed a long and varied career. He experienced the transition from the BDO to the PDC, played against legends such as Eric Bristow, John Lowe, Phil Taylor, James Wade, Peter Wright and Gary Anderson, and appeared several times on the biggest stages in darts. His 1994 semi-final against Bobby George undoubtedly remains one of the most remarkable chapters, as Caris was on the verge of reaching the BDO final only to see a huge opportunity for a historic victory slip away. Although Caris never won a world title, he produced surprises at various points throughout his career. His BDO World Championship semi-final, World Masters run, Players Championship semi-final, European Tour quarter-final and numerous appearances for Sweden combine to form an impressive record. Magnus Caris ultimately left professional darts without a world title, but with a career that holds a special place in the history of Swedish darts.
