BACK IN THE DAY WITH: Robert Thornton - 2-time PDC major winner and now successful in the World Seniors

In this column, we regularly take a trip down memory lane with a notable figure from the world of darts. Today, we spotlight Scotland’s Robert Thornton. Born on July 17, 1967, in Irvine, Thornton first picked up a dart at the age of 16. He spent the early years of his career playing local events, before putting darts on hold to focus on raising his children.

It wasn’t until the early 2000s that Thornton returned to the sport with renewed ambition—and his efforts quickly bore fruit. He qualified for the 2005 BDO World Championship, marking his Lakeside debut with a dominant 3-0 win over Martin Atkins. He followed that up with another 3-0 victory against Tony West, but his run ended in the quarter-finals with a heavy 5-0 defeat to Darryl Fitton.

First Major Breakthrough

Thornton missed out on qualification for the 2006 and 2007 World Championships but found success elsewhere, capturing titles at the Central Scotland Open and the Scottish Masters in 2007. Later that year, he failed to qualify for the 2008 World Championship via the playoffs. However, his fortunes changed dramatically at the Winmau World Masters.

Against all odds, Thornton produced a sensational run, defeating top players including Co Stompé, Martin Adams, and Martin Atkins to reach the final. There, he got his revenge on Darryl Fitton with a 7-5 win, claiming the £25,000 top prize and securing a spot at the 2008 BDO World Championship.

Returning to Lakeside, Thornton once again reached the quarter-finals, defeating John Walton and Tony O’Shea before falling to reigning champion Martin Adams. The Scotsman was now a force to be reckoned with. He followed up that performance by winning the Dutch Open, propelling him to the top of the BDO world rankings.

Read also

BACK IN TIME WITH: Dawson Murschell - Promising top Canadian talent, but soon completely disappeared from the scene

Crossing the Divide: From BDO to PDC

That success proved to be Thornton’s swan song in the BDO. After qualifying for the UK Open via the pub qualifiers, he made the permanent switch to the PDC. His debut in the UK Open saw him reach the last 32 before falling 9-6 to Alan Tabern.

His breakout moment in the PDC came at the European Championship. Wins over John Part, Mensur Suljovic, and Ronnie Baxter took him to the semi-finals, where he averaged 102.12 but ran into an imperious Phil Taylor, who posted a phenomenal 113.33 average to win 11-7.

Thornton’s 2007 World Masters title also earned him a spot in the 2008 Grand Slam of Darts. He advanced from the group stage but lost a hard-fought 10-8 battle to Terry Jenkins in the last 16. Later that year, he claimed his first PDC Players Championship title with a win over Paul Nicholson in Australia.

In 2009, Thornton made his PDC World Championship debut, defeating Wayne Jones in the opening round before narrowly losing 4-3 to Wayne Mardle in the second. Despite being with the PDC for less than a year, he had already broken into the world’s top 32 and capped off the year with a runner-up finish at the Players Championship Finals, once again losing to Taylor.

Robert 'The Thorn' Thornton

UK Open Glory

The 2010 World Championship brought another early exit at the hands of Taylor. Health issues limited his appearances in 2010 and 2011, but Thornton made a thunderous comeback in 2012. He reached the semi-finals of the UK Open with wins over Mark Webster, Dennis Priestley, Gary Anderson, and Wes Newton.

In the semi-final, he beat rising star Dave Chisnall 10-4 to set up a final against the seemingly unbeatable Phil Taylor. This time, Thornton flipped the script, winning 11-5 and sealing the match with a spectacular 121 checkout to claim his first PDC major title.

Thornton entered the 2012 World Matchplay as one of the tournament favourites but suffered a shocking 10-0 whitewash at the hands of Adrian Lewis in the first round. He made another last 16 appearance at the World Championship in 2013 but again fell to Taylor. That year, he also represented Scotland with Anderson in the World Cup of Darts but was upset by Spain in the last 16.

Thornton competed in the Premier League in 2013, 2014, and 2016 but was unable to break into the top half of the table.

Emotional Night at the World Grand Prix

In 2014, Thornton returned to the UK Open to defend his title but was beaten 9-7 by Raymond van Barneveld in the last 16. His best major run that year came at the Grand Slam of Darts, where he reached the semi-finals before losing 16-9 to Scott Waites.

Thornton delivered one of the most emotional and memorable performances of his career at the 2014 World Grand Prix. After burying his mother earlier that day, he stepped on stage and played in a historic match where both he and James Wade hit nine-darters. Thornton narrowly lost, but his courage and brilliance left a lasting impact.

He looked poised for a deep run at the 2015 World Championship, not dropping a set until the quarter-finals, where he lost 5-3 to Michael van Gerwen. However, he rebounded by winning the European Darts Open, defeating Kim Huybrechts 6-2 to earn his only European Tour title.

Robert Thornton in action

A Second Major Crown

Later in 2015, Thornton claimed his second PDC major title at the World Grand Prix. He saw off Daryl Gurney, Justin Pipe, Ian White, and Mensur Suljovic en route to the final, where he again faced Van Gerwen. Despite MVG firing in 19 maximums, Thornton edged the Dutchman 5-4 to seal a famous win.

Unfortunately, the years that followed saw a steady decline in form. Thornton failed to progress beyond the last 16 in major tournaments, and in 2020, he lost his PDC Tour Card. Multiple attempts at Q-School have since proven unsuccessful.

Success on the Seniors Circuit

Now competing on the World Seniors Darts Tour, Thornton has found a new lease on life. He won the Seniors World Championship in both 2022 and 2023 and also captured the World Seniors Matchplay in 2022. He remains active in events like the MODUS Super Series and continues to show flashes of brilliance.

At 57, Thornton’s time at the top of the PDC may be over, but his legacy is far from forgotten. With his continued success on the seniors circuit, it’s clear that Robert 'The Thorn' Thornton still has plenty of darts left in him.

Subscribe to our Newsletter

Unlock your ultimate darts experience—subscribe today for exclusive access to top stories.

Subscribe