Who is Brody Klinge? The story of the Australian Darts Masters and a winning force on the ADA circuit with an Ally Pally debut awaiting

Brody Klinge has been the Aussie to watch in Wollongong, beating PDC stars with impressive performances across the weekend against the adoring home crowd. A relatively unknown amongst the darts world and most definitely unknown in Europe, how could Klinge be on the verge of a PDC career?

The 34-year old is the Australian number one on the ADA circuit after establishing himself as the dominant force on the Australian circuit over the past five years. With eight ADA tour titles in 2026 competing against top Oceanic players such as World Championship second rounder Jonny Tata, WDF World Championship quarter-finalist Ben Robb and World Championship regular Raymond Smith, he is definitely a player on the rise. Winning 88% of his games in 2026, his domestic dominance is a foundation that is making these results possible. 101 games played with 89 wins whilst working full time in trades and logistics, the Aussie is ready for the stage. But what does top of the ADA circuit mean?

Through his domestic exploits, Klinge has almost guaranteed a PDC World Championship qualification and with his composure on stage so far, he could cause problems for whoever he faces at Alexandra Palace. Last year, he lost 1-6 to Stephen Bunting in his first stage experience in Wollongong, but averaged 95.10 and impressed with his technique. Before the Australian Darts Masters, Aussie darts experts put him up there with the favourites to make inroads, and it makes sense. Klinge has a smooth throw with a perfect 90 degrees action from bringing his dart up to release, following through whilst flicking the dart to land the dart upright at the top of the treble bed that has given him so much success this weekend. This flawless technique accompanied with his stone cold composure explains his wins this weekend.

Following his win against Ross Smith averaging 96 compared to the Englishman's 102.88 and 8 180s, the Aussie said “I'm over the moon with that. That was the adrenaline rush of my life. I felt a lot more comfortable playing this time around and it showed in my performance. Ross was throwing everything at me. I was lucky he missed at the end there, but I took my chance. I'm on a free rein now - there's no pressure on me”. There is no mistaking that Klinge will have Australia’s hopes on his back but still, he feels no pressure and this can be seen with his domestic success. No expectation means every leg, every 180 is a bonus and bonuses don’t come better than beating the World Number 2. What’s best, he improved from beating a top form Ross Smith.

The Giant averaged 93 and hit 3 180s, and this still wasn’t good enough. Klinge improved from his performance against Smith and averaged 97.90, matching Van Veen’s 180s and missing ten darts at double. Although this could be seen as a negative, he still won, which shows the quality of his scoring; getting to sixteen double attempts against the world number two is not something a player of average ability does.

Over the last 18 months, Klinge has increased his average by nearly 6 points, from averaging 85.65 in February 2025 to 91.31 in August 2026. He has improved from Challenge tour standard to Pro tour standard, currently averaging inside the top 64 on a ADA tour that doesn’t require top averages. Averaging higher than Michael Smith, Raymond Van Barneveld and Dimitri Van Den Bergh in the last 4 months, Klinge came into Wollongong in top form. A first nine of 104.30 explains his heavy scoring and with these stats going into Alexandra Palace, there’s every reason Klinge could be Australia’s next big star. The player currently without a nickname and working full time is averaging higher than World Champions and in the tour places meaning a trip to the European tour Q-School would put him in a prime position to win a tour card. Winning £10,000 with his semi-final run and possibly more, financially he could choose to go to Europe and win a tour card, similar to Adam Leek and Damon Heta.

This would make sense on paper: improving stats, stage confidence and beating the World Number two with an essential 11 dart break of throw, it looks almost too good. But let’s not forget that it is more comfortable to stay in Australia and the comfort of a stable career and domestic dominance may be enough for some players in his position. But after this weekend, Australia should push him for more.

A World Championship appearance at an expanded Alexandra Palace guarantees more stage experience and a guaranteed £15,000. Not just this, the Smith and Van Veen wins show he has the tools to trouble anyone he faces in the first round in London. Whitlock is the template for Klinge, a player who made the transition from domestic dominance to a PDC star, reaching World Championship finals in 2010 and becoming the best Australian player ever. Although the dream, a more realistic pattern in Heta, following his Australian darts win used the prize money to gain a tour card. With some guidance and continuous improvement, there’s no reason Klinge can’t make the jump to the PDC.