McKinstry on future ambitions after UK Open brilliance: "The next dream now is the Alexandra Palace and a tour card"

McKinstry started his career in the BDO where he competed three times in the World Championship at the legendary Lakeside. He reached the Quarter-Finals in 2019 losing out 5-2 to Glen Durrant and he recalls facing the now Premier League leader.

“Coming up against Glen in the quarter-final on a Friday night at a packed Lakeside - the hair was standing on the back of my neck was standing up,” he said to the Belfast News Letter.

“I played well, I could have went off 2-1 up at the break in sets but went off 2-1 and then Glen kicked on.

“Growing up, the Lakeside was the one you’d gear up to watch ever year, I’d have always sat with my dad watching it and I always said to him I’ll be there one day.

“It was my dad that started me off playing darts in the house; he would have went to a few competitions with me, then I would throw myself into the deep end and go to all the big ones put the practice in and it has paid off.”

In terms of the PDC he made the decision to switch after the 2019 BDO World Championship and spoke of the difficulty of getting into Q-School.

“It didn’t matter what happened, whether I won it or went out in the first round I was going to the PDC; after the Lakeside I was home two days then I went to Q School.

“It was a big step up and it took me two or three days to adjust; because I had a good Lakeside I felt I had a target on my back. In the second round I played Jim Williams, averaged 97 and got beat 5-2 - it’s all in the luck of the draw.

“Last year I missed the first week of the challenge tour and the top two automatically get a tour card and a place at the Ally Pally (World Championship) and if I hadn’t missed the first weekend I’d have got it; I finished seventh and that got me into the UK Open.”

Speaking of facing Sherrock at the UK Open, he eased past 'The Queen of the Palace' and admitted nerves though beforehand despite not showing them on the stage.

“From (when) I saw the draw I was really nervous with the way she’d played at the Worlds and the way the crowd reacted. Where they going to give me hassle?

“Even backstage before the match I was practising with Fallon and she was missing nothing, so I knew I’d have to be on top of my game.

“Luckily I got on the stage and my finishing got me through it, I had six out of seven (6-1 victory) on the doubles and it is an experience I’ll not forget."

For the Northern Irishman after previously playing at Lakeside only one main dream remains for him at least in the near future.

“I had one dream to get to the Lakeside and I conquered it and the next dream now is the Ally Pally and a tour card.”