"I literally didn’t want to be there, but I was never going to let the PDC down": Daryl Gurney considered withdrawing from Grand Slam of Darts

Daryl Gurney overcame a tricky encounter with Brendan Dolan to secure a 6-3 victory at the 2025 Players Championship Finals, reflecting on both the match and the challenges he faced at the recent Grand Slam of Darts.

Gurney has teamed with Dolan at the World Cup of Darts for many years with both being flag bearers for Northern Irish darts only usurped with the addition of Josh Rock to the fold. But on moving through at the Players Championship Finals, he praised Dolan but also reflected on being homesick.

“It was tough, like you said,” Gurney admitted after the match. “Brendan’s one of the nicest people—and one of the nicest star players—you can meet. It’s hard getting up, getting angry, getting your back against the wall against him. But I eventually got there and got over the finish line. I don’t really care if it was 6-0 or 6-5, as long as I got the win at the end.”

When asked about match preparation against a fellow professional, Gurney explained, “To be honest, I don’t know where Brendan was. I think he was practising on the main stage boards. I didn’t see him practise. I was out where there were three boards and an R3 for whenever he blew up. He wasn’t down there where I was, so I’m thinking he was maybe on the main stage boards. But yeah, I was just concentrating on my own game.”

The win was particularly significant for Gurney after a difficult showing at the Grand Slam. “I was very, very homesick,” he admitted. “It was the first time I’ve ever experienced that since I’ve been playing in the PDC. I just wanted to go home, see my son, and sleep in my own bed. I genuinely didn’t want to be at the Grand Slam. I had enough before I played there and needed a few days off, a week back home.”

Gurney said that time back home revitalized him. “I ended up getting six days back home, and I feel like a totally different player sitting here now than I did at the Grand Slam. I’m disappointed with how I played there. There were so many players probably more deserving than me, who didn’t get to be there. I went up and had a poor showing. But the best way to respond is to come here and win some games, which I did in my first game. I put myself under a lot of pressure to win—not just because it was a game, but because of how the Grand Slam went—and I’m glad I got through.”

On the prospect of withdrawing from the Grand Slam due to homesickness, Gurney admitted he briefly considered it. “Yes, there was, but that was only between me and Josie (his partner). I was never going to tell the PDC not because of who I was playing, but because of the manner he was playing. I literally didn’t want to be there, but I was never going to let the PDC down. I thought they deserved me to play that last game, regardless of how I played before. And I wanted to do it. I’d also like to say that Dave Allen gave me a lot of support at the Grand Slam, and I’d like to thank him because he was so supportive.”

Reflecting on why homesickness struck so suddenly, Gurney explained, “I think the difference now is my little boy’s seven, and he knows what’s happening. He knows that if I’m not home, he misses me. Before, if I went away and came back, it was just a normal day. But now, he sees me go away—even if it’s just for five days—and he misses me. I come home Monday, then I’ve got a couple of exhibitions in Scotland, so I only see him for a maximum of two days. After that, it might be a while before the Worlds start. He knows he misses his daddy, and I miss him too.”

Gurney’s win over Dolan secures him a place in the next round, a positive step after a challenging few weeks. “I eventually got there and got over the finish line,” he said. “That’s all that matters.”