"I can’t remember the last time I’ve won on the big stage" - A 'relieved' Daryl Gurney capitalises on fortune to knock out van Gerwen in Amsterdam

Daryl Gurney was not supposed to be competing in the World Series of Darts Finals. Fast forward and he is in the second round after receiving more luck in the form of six missed match darts by Michael van Gerwen in Amsterdam en route to a 6-5 win.

Gurney only entered this tournament with some fortune after Louence Ilagan had visa troubles, forcing him to miss the event. He looked like a threat from the off as he played in his seventh World Series of Darts Finals, a first since 2024.

The 2017 semi-finalist sprinted out of the blocks, taking out the 170 checkout to silence the home support en route to a 3-0 advantage. Van Gerwen upped the ante and raced 5-3 ahead with five legs on the spin. The Northern Irishman forced a last-leg decider but was very much under the cosh, with van Gerwen looking like he was going to continue his title defence.

Nonetheless, six missed match darts later Gurney had a shot of his own. He took his chance, giving some back to the crowd as he confirmed his spot in Saturday's second round action.

"Very relieved," were the first words muttered by Gurney in his press conference following the victory. "It’s been a while since I’ve won a game on the stage, and the last draw I wanted whenever I got invited into the World Series was to play Michael in Amsterdam. I knew that all the crowd was going to be against me, which has been the case in Budapest, the Czech Republic and wherever else I’ve been.

"But it was very fortunate. I was good for three legs and then after that struggled a bit because, obviously, I lost the next five and then came back. But yeah, Michael missed six darts and I got back to 5-5. Glad I hit it, got back to 5-5, and then whenever I went 5-5 I thought, 'Please just hold through,' because I had the darts, and thankfully it worked out that way."

Despite all the pressure he was under on throw to see it out, he held firm and capitalised on van Gerwen's numerous missed opportunities. "It was there and thereabouts, although honestly, I think I did start with a 140 and I thought then, 'just all you have to do is just have one treble after this.' But then I think I go like 60-60 and then it’s only stupid to go, and then I had trebles again.

"But yeah, it just shows me that through all the bad times that have been going on in the last couple of months, the European Tour is really, really hard. I went up there on national TV on ITV4 and actually got over the finish line at 6-5 in Amsterdam against a home favourite. I’m very pleased with myself. Very lucky, but yeah, it’s a long time coming. I can’t remember the last time I’ve won on the big stage, honestly, and I’m not being sarcastic or whatever."

This could have been different if 'Superchin' did not let an emphatic 3-0 lead slip. "3-0 up, I just thought, 'Just keep doing what you’re doing. Put him under pressure in the fourth leg and if he buckles, he buckles, which he won’t. But just let him know that you’re there and thereabout. Don’t slacken off.'"

Then, the tide turned. "All of a sudden, I feel like I went missing for five legs," he stated. "Not really, but it just... I wasn’t the dominant scorer I was in the first three legs. And then obviously, a professional like Michael will jump all over that and he will punish you."

While admitting the score could have gone a different way, he felt like that luck was due. "But listen, I had a bit of luck there at the end. Michael should have won 6-4. Thankful I’m still going to be playing on Saturday, but yeah, sometimes you need a bit of luck, and I think the way I have been the last few months, I think I deserve a bit of luck."

Gurney was very happy to find out the news, but it was not broken to him by the PDC, but instead by his partner, who said yes on his behalf.

"Well, honestly, Josie, they rang Josie," he explained. "They don’t ring me. And Josie says yes, and then she let me know later on that I was playing in it, so yeah, very relieved."

He failed to qualify for the event after losing to Callan Rydz 6-2 in the final contest. His chance to get back on the big stage seemed over for now, but it was not. "I mean, that day I played really well until I played Callan, and Callan absolutely destroyed me. He smashed everything in the qualifying game. But to be here, very thankful, very thankful to the PDC for giving me the call-up."

The two-time major champion admitted there were more worthy players that could have featured over him, but that did not stop him from grasping at this opportunity with both hands. "I’m sure there’s a lot more players that are in form and in the spotlight more than me that could have had the place I played in, but no, very glad, very thankful. And I don’t think I’ll play tomorrow, so I’ll play Saturday again."

At the end of the day, Gurney is not seeing this as a wildcard opportunity. "No, I just think this term is freedom, because it’s not like we’re talking about ranking points or anything," he said, "If I do well here, I’m going to qualify for the Grand Prix. That’s all done, settled, dusted. It’s just go up there, play darts. It’s like a glorified exhibition on TV. And yeah, I mean, we all want to win. Every dart player in that back room wants to win. But at the end of the day, it only can be won."

He was frank about his current form compared to him in his pomp just under a decade ago. "Well, the Daryl Gurney of old was a massive, massive scorer, and the one you’re looking at right now isn’t. But it’s all to do with how my darts are sitting on the board."

He continued: "So they’re sitting flatter than I want them to, and I need them to kick up. I mean, I can give you the perfect example: Ross Smith. Whenever I see his dart on the dartboard, I’m thinking, “That’s how I want my darts to land.” But that’s how they used to land, but they’re not doing that now.

"So I’m really struggling power-scoring-wise. And I was using another set of darts, a bit heavier, different... They were weighted at the front, shorter barrel and everything else. I was throwing actually really well with them, but I just need to be throwing them harder because these ones I’ve got aren’t 29 or 25 grammes, and I’m throwing them really hard and they’re sitting beautiful. But whenever I went back to my old darts that were lying flatter, all of a sudden I’m throwing harder and now they’re sitting up."

This has left him in a very precarious position as he tries to figure out how to deal with this. "So it’s... I’m stuck between a rock and a hard place."

If he does get it right, it will be bad news for the rest of the PDC Tour. "I just need them sitting up. I just need them sitting up. If they sit up, that’s why at one stage I was really good at going treble 20, treble 20 and literally could do a blind 180. Without looking at it."

It just has not been going his way with some nasty deflections a frustrating turn of events. "Now I’m struggling. Now I’m like, literally, they’re lying a wee bit flatter. If I had the two darts, sometimes honestly in a lot of games I’ve had a 12, I’ve had an 18 because of the deflection, but they’ve been... I’ve thrown it perfect."

He is determined to get to the bottom of this cunundrum through any means possible. "So it’s a bit of a struggle that way, but I haven’t rolled over and went, 'Oh, I’m just going to take it.' But I am trying pieces, glasses, I’m trying different darts and hopefully, hopefully, if I can give a big score back again, I’ll be a force to be reckoned with. Because I feel like whenever I get a shot or a double, I’m one of the best finishers, but you’ve got to score big to get that opportunity."

Up next is as tough of a test as he could have got. Ross Smith has been playing some exceptional darts as of late, specifically on the European Tour stage. "For me, Ross is probably the most in-form player on stage right now," Gurney praised. "European Tours, 1-1, got beat in the final last week by James, so on a stage, he’s probably fancying it."

However, Gurney will not make it easy. "I’m not ready to roll over yet and take a good beating. I feel like there’s still a lot of life in me, and hopefully I can give Ross a good game on Saturday."