"People probably fear you a bit more, fear the name": Shane McGuirk used WDF World Championship win to advantage in Q-School triumph

Shane McGuirk described winning his PDC Tour Card at Q-School as one of the best days of his life, capping off a long and challenging journey with a moment of drama, belief and relief.

The decisive match even included an unusual equipment issue, with McGuirk snapping a dart point early on. Holding his nerve, the Irishman calmly switched sets and carried on unfazed.

“It snapped the stem,” McGuirk explained. “It happens very rarely, but the stem just came out and it snapped. I tried to fix it, but I couldn’t get it out at all.

“Luckily enough, I had a spare set, so there was no big problem. I used my spare set and it kind of relaxed me, I suppose. It was more of a case of, I have another set of darts, let’s get on with the game. I just got on with the game and here we are.”

That composure summed up McGuirk’s Q-School campaign, which finally delivered success after years of near misses. Arriving this time without the crushing weight of expectation, the reigning WDF World Champion felt something was different from the outset. “Last year I came in as a world champion and I think I put too much pressure on myself,” he admitted. “I kept getting through the first stage and the first day, but this year has been incredible.

“We were sitting outside in the practice room, me and Greg, and we were saying, this is our day. I had bad luck, but I played well in the first two days, and then today I was like, this is it.”

Support from home also played a crucial role, with McGuirk drawing strength from a phone call on the morning of the final day. “I was talking to Amy this morning and she told me, this is your chance, this is your moment, this is our moment. I’m delighted to do it for me and her and everyone back home.

“I’m absolutely buzzing. This has been a long road over the last couple of years. I think winning the WDF was a big help to me — people probably fear you a bit more, fear the name — and I used that to my advantage today and got over the line.”

McGuirk acknowledged that fortune also played its part, particularly in a tight second-round clash. “I’ve been lucky to get through my board. I played Ted Evetts in my second game today and he missed a couple of darts to beat me. Any other day he probably hits them. I don’t know who’s looking over me today, but whoever it is, I thank them. I also thank everyone at home for believing in me. This is one of the best days of my life.”

The success added to a strong showing for Irish darts at Q-School, with Niall Culleton also securing a Tour Card winning his place the day before.

“This was always the goal,” McGuirk said. “You always want to believe you’re good enough to be on the PDC circuit. Now you’re going up against the Lukes, Van Gerwen, Anderson — all of them on a regular basis for two years.”

And McGuirk made it clear he will be embracing that challenge head-on. “To be fair, they’re going up against me — that’s the way I look at it. Every day is going to be different.

“This is a completely new chapter for myself and Niall. I watched him win yesterday and texted him straight after saying, you can’t have all the fun, someone else has to come in there. I’m really looking forward to coming in and playing the top lads in the world. We’ve got a good team around us and I think we’re going to do well.”