"It's definitely appealing, but not anytime soon" - Family commitments mean no Q-School for Grand Slam of Darts' breakout star Stowe Buntz

Stowe Buntz is doing extremely well on his debut at the Grand Slam of Darts. The 44-year-old American has qualified for the last 16 as winner of the so-called 'Group of Death'.

Buntz was in a group with Peter Wright, Stephen Bunting and Dave Chisnall. "Two former World Champions, and everyone knows how good 'Chizzy' is, he's one of the best players in the world," Buntz said in conversation with Shot Darts. "So to make it out of that group, I'm over the moon."

Having also qualified for the World Darts Championship and the US Darts Masters, we can expect to see more Buntz over the coming year. "Did I think I was going to get there? Yes over the next couple of years but it's all happening so fast."

Having played darts for 20 years, only recently has Buntz properly dedicated himself to the sport, this being one of the reasons behind his rapid rise. "First and foremost, my family life is great. Kids are great, wife is great and work is actually going really well for me and once you have all the exteriors, you can step on the oche with all the freedom in the world. That's the backbone of it, then I've been putting extra hours in on the practice board. My son drags me out," he smiles.

With his colourful outfit, Buntz has drawned comparisons to Peter Wright. "I've always worn the bright colours," Buntz explains. "When Wright came along I said, "I want to keep the bright colours but I don't want to be exactly like Peter. It's definitely in my character. I'm outspoken, get that from my mom. I'm a loud character."

Buntz indicated before the start of the Grand Slam of Darts that he will not attend Q-School early next year. "One day, it's definitely appealing, but not anytime soon. I've got four kids I need to get out the house and get through college. Once that happens I might give it a whirl."