"There’s a little bit of me that was hoping it was going to go to sudden death": Connor Scutt craved late drama in Whitlock win

Connor Scutt admitted he secretly hoped his opening-round match at the 2026 PDC World Darts Championship would go the distance, after edging past Simon Whitlock in a dramatic and testing encounter that showcased both his composure and growing resilience on the big stage.

Fresh from seeing off the Australian legend at Ally Pally, Scutt reflected on a contest that swung back and forth after he had raced into an early 2–0 lead.

“Do you know what, there’s a little bit of me that was hoping it was going to go to sudden death, like two legs all, two sets all,” Scutt said. “It would have been nice to have been involved in one of those sorts of things, because I enjoy watching them. I’m very much a fan of darts at the end of the day, so I don’t mind being up there and playing in front of everyone.”

Despite Whitlock enjoying strong crowd support, Scutt insisted it never affected him mentally. “The chances for Simon didn’t get to me or anything,” he explained. “I was hoping it was going to be a longer game than what it was. I was surprised I went 2–0 up, to be fair, because Simon looked so up for it.”

Scutt was particularly struck by Whitlock’s sharpness before a dart had even been thrown. “For the nearest bull, on the nine practice darts, I think he went eight out of nine bull-wise. Luckily enough, I won the bull, but it’s one of those. I’m very happy to get through it.”

After missing match darts and allowing Whitlock back into the contest, Scutt acknowledged that the momentum shifted, even if he felt his own performance remained solid. “I think I was steady towards the end,” he said. “I wasn’t amazing, but I was very, very steady. Simon was a lot better than I was with his 180s and the big trebles he was hitting. He was better than I was towards the end, but I’m very happy to get through it.”

Importantly for Scutt, the win proved something to himself. “I showed a bit more of my fighting quality,” he said. “A lot of the games you see me win on TV are by a large margin. Other than the game I had against Gerwyn Price this year at the UK Open, most of the games I’ve won on TV have been by two, three or four legs. So it’s nice to know that I can battle it out on TV.”

The victory sets up a mouth-watering second-round clash with two-time world champion Gary Anderson, another figure Scutt knows well. “It’s really funny – I used Simon’s darts to get my tour card,” he revealed. “Me and Simon got on extremely well. We used to play each other locally and I’ve played him loads of times on the ProTour.

“Me and Gary also know each other very well and have played each other loads of times on the ProTour. It’s very similar, other than the fact that Gary’s won this twice. But I look forward to it. It’s nice playing someone that I know very well. It should be a great game.”

Scutt also addressed the nervy moments late on, including a flurry of missed match darts that nearly proved costly. “If I’m completely honest, I didn’t realise I’d missed so many match darts,” he admitted. “When you’re playing someone like Simon and the crowd are on his side a lot, you kind of zone out.

“You go one of two ways: you either think, ‘Oh no, the world’s against me,’ or you just zone out a little bit. I didn’t realise I’d missed so many match darts. I wasn’t aware. I would have very much liked the nine-darter in that last leg though – that would have been nice.”

Looking ahead to facing Anderson, Scutt believes his mindset is one of his biggest strengths. “I think I’m very lucky with my attitude towards the game,” he said. “I take every opponent the same. If they have a tour card and play professional darts, I treat everyone the same.

“There’s no reason why the number 128 tour card holder in the world won’t play as well as Simon did today. Everyone is capable of it in this system. I respect everybody and treat everyone like they’re at the top of the sport.”

The win also capped off a period of reflection for Scutt, who admitted he had been overly critical of his own season. “After the Grand Slam, I did a lot of reflecting,” he said. “The season wasn’t that bad. I didn’t qualify for the Players Championship Finals, but standard-wise there are a lot of players in that Finals who would have been happy to play how I played all year.

“I averaged around 93, nearly 94, for the year, which is a very good standard by anyone’s measurements. I feel like I’ve performed well – the results just haven’t gone my way. I’ve got to start trying to make the results go my way.”

Scutt was candid about being his own harshest judge. “Oh, 100%. I’m my own worst critic,” he said. “That’s why I practise so hard and for so long. A lot of people know I practise seven or eight hours a day. I’ve cut it down recently to make sure I’m fresh, especially if it goes long format.

“I know what I have in the locker and what I don’t. I know when I haven’t prepared properly. This season I tried my best and it just didn’t go my way in some games. You’ve got to accept that and move on.”

Asked about managing nerves and aggression on stage, Scutt suggested it is something he keeps in reserve. “If you look at the last leg I won, I think I was a lot more aggressive,” he said. “I hit back-to-back 180s with my first six darts, and that helped me get over the line.

“It was more about learning to deal with a crowd that was slightly against me. I haven’t had much experience playing in front of a few thousand people against someone as popular as Simon Whitlock. It stands me in good stead – it’s great experience for me.”

For now, that experience will be invaluable as he prepares to take on one of his heroes. “Gary is my hero,” Scutt said. “I used Gary Anderson darts years ago when I was coming through county youth darts. He’s the most famous number in my phone contacts.

“I get on with Gary extremely well and we have the utmost respect for each other. I just hope we both have a great game. It would be nice.”