Phil Taylor
Encyclopedia
PhilipThe PowerTaylor,(born 13 August 1960) is an English professional darts
player. He is recognised as one of the most successful individual sporting champions of all time and regarded as the best darts player ever to have played the game, having won more than 150 professional tournaments and a record 15 World Championships
.
He won PDC Player of the year four times (2006, 2008, 2009 and 2010) and has been twice nominated for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year
award (2006 and 2010). He was the first person to hit two nine darters in one match, in the 2010 Premier League Darts
final against James Wade
. As of 26 September 2010, he has hit nine televised nine dart finish
es, and is ranked World No. 1 in the PDC Order of Merit
.
Taylor played in the British Darts Organisation
(BDO) from 1988 to 1993 before he, and several other players, broke away to form the World Darts Council, now known as the Professional Darts Corporation
(PDC).
, Stoke-on-Trent
. He left school at the age of 16
and after holding a few jobs including as a sheet metal worker, he would spend most of his early working days making ceramic toilet roll handles, for which he earned £52 a week. Although he liked to play darts as a child, he never took up the game seriously until 1986 when he moved into a terraced house in Burslem, living near to Eric Bristow
's pub the Crafty Cockney. A few months later, his wife Yvonne bought him a set of darts for his birthday and he started playing weekly, occasionally at Bristow's pub. By 1988 he was selected for the county team and playing at Super League level. Bristow started sponsoring him by loaning him £10,000 later that year to help him get started as a professional darts player and on the condition that he gave up his job as a ceramic engineer.
in 1989 he had qualified for the World Championships for the first time in 1990. Although he had achieved some success in Open events, he went into the 1990 World Championship as a 125–1 unseeded outsider. He beat number six seed Russell Stewart
3–1 in the first round, Dennis Hickling 3–0 in the second round, Ronnie Sharp
4–2 in the quarter finals and Cliff Lazarenko
5–0 to reach the final, where he met his mentor, Bristow. Bristow had been suffering with dartitis
since 1986 but had recovered his world number one ranking to be the top seed in the event. After sharing the first two sets, Taylor beat Bristow 6–1 in sets
to claim his first world title. For the rest of 1990, Taylor dominated the Open events taking the titles in Isle of Man, Finland, North America, Denmark plus the British Pentathlon, British Masters, Europe Cup and the game's second major tournament at the time, the Winmau World Masters
.
Taylor's defence of the world championship in 1991 ended at the quarter-final stage with a loss to Dennis Priestley
, who went on to win his first world title. He picked up fewer titles in 1991 losing both his Danish Open and World Masters titles in finals to Rod Harrington
. Taylor regained the world championship the following year, beating Mike Gregory 6–5 in the final. He called the win as the favourite of his career.
, and formed their own organisation, the World Darts Council (WDC), later renamed the Professional Darts Corporation
(PDC).
In the 1993 World Championship
, the last unified World Championship to be held, Taylor lost in the second round to Kevin Spiolek
. The BDO refused to allow the new organisation to set up and run their own tournaments, so the WDC players decided that they would no longer compete in the BDO World Championship. They founded the WDC World Darts Championship as an alternative. In the first WDC World Championship in 1994, Taylor lost to Priestley, but Taylor dominated the event for the next decade and beyond.
in the final of the first PDC World Championship in 1994, Taylor began to dominate the event during the next few years. Rod Harrington
reached his first World Final in 1995 and although he had won his previous three finals against Taylor in 1991 and 1992, Taylor took the title 6–2 and it would turn out to be Harrington's only appearance in a World Final.
The finals of 1996, 1997 and 1998 would feature Taylor v Priestley in a repeat of the inaugural final. Priestley achieved the first 100 average in a final in 1996 but still ended up runner-up and the next two finals would be more one-sided in favour of Taylor who took the title 6–3 in 1997 and 6–0 in 1998 with an average in the final of 103.98. By 1998, he had passed his mentor Eric Bristow
's haul of five world championships.
Taylor's record at Blackpool in the WDC's second major event, the World Matchplay was not as strong in the early days, losing to Bob Anderson
in 1994, Peter Evison
in 1996 and Ronnie Baxter
in 1998 – but he still won the event twice in the first five years, beating Priestley 16–11 in 1995 and Alan Warriner-Little
16–11 in 1997.
in 1999 and 2002, Priestley for a fourth time in 2000 and John Part
in 2001. Part would finally end the run by beating Taylor 7–6 (sets
) in the 2003 World Championship
.
He would improve his record at Blackpool during this spell. After he lost in the 1999 semi-final of the World Matchplay to Peter Manley, he would go on to win the title for the next five years (2000–2004) beating five different opponents in the final, Alan Warriner-Little
(2000), Richie Burnett
(2001), John Part
(2002), Wayne Mardle
(2003) and Mark Dudbridge
(2004). By the end of 2004, he had won 11 World Championships and seven World Matchplays.
Taylor has faced the incumbent BDO World Champion in challenge matches on two occasions. In 1999, he beat Raymond van Barneveld
by 21 legs to 10 in a one-hour challenge dubbed "The Match of the Century" at the Wembley Conference Centre. The second challenge match came in 2004 against Andy Fordham
. Taylor was leading 5–2 in sets when Fordham, feeling unwell, abandoned the match.
title in January 2006, he lost four matches in televised tournaments during the first half of the year. He lost to Jelle Klaasen
and Simon Whitlock
in the International Darts League
tournament, and twice in a row to Raymond van Barneveld
—in the UK Open
and the Las Vegas Desert Classic
. He came back to win the World Matchplay
, the World Darts Trophy
(a BDO affiliated event), and the World Grand Prix in the second half of the year.
The 2007 World Final
was between Taylor and Raymond van Barneveld
. The game was tied at 6–6 in sets and van Barneveld had a 2–1 lead in legs. van Barneveld missed four darts and Taylor tied the set at 2–2. The set went to 5–5, and van Barneveld won the sudden death leg for his fifth World Championship (four with BDO and one with PDC). Taylor had many opportunities to win the match, as he led 3–0, 4–2 and 5–3. Taylor said, "Of all the finals I've played in, I would probably put this one as the best".
2007 proved to be Taylor's most barren year for major title successes. He was defeated at the International Darts League
and the World Darts Trophy
in the Netherlands. At the UK Open
in Bolton, he suffered a 4–11 loss to van Barneveld. He lost to Mark Dudbridge
at the Las Vegas Desert Classic
, and lost at the World Matchplay
in Blackpool. At the World Grand Prix
in Dublin, he lost to Adrian Gray
. Taylor feared his career was in decline or over but later vowed that he would continue.
Taylor's 100% appearance record in the Final of the PDC World Darts Championship came to an end in 2008
after 14 years when Taylor was beaten in the quarter finals. This was the first time that he had not reached the final stage of the PDC World Darts Championship. He was taken to the final set in each of his first three rounds before losing to Wayne Mardle
5 sets
to 4; At one point he was up 3–0 in sets.
Before the start of the Premier League
tournament, Taylor unveiled some new black 26g darts. Despite a poor start to his Premier League Darts campaign, with three defeats in his first four matches, Taylor finished at the top of the Premier League standings. He beat Adrian Lewis
11–1 with a 112.68 average in the semi-final, and went on to take his fourth consecutive title with a 16–8 victory over Wade (average 108.36). He won his second US Open
title in May 2008, defeating Colin Lloyd
in the final. At the UK Open
, Taylor broke the world record for highest average in a televised game by averaging 118.66 against Kevin Painter
in round four. He won the match 9–0, but was defeated 10–9 in the quarter-finals by Raymond van Barneveld
.
As he went to Las Vegas for the 2008 Las Vegas Desert Classic
in July, he was in an unusual position for him of not holding any of the major televised ranking events, but corrected that by taking his fourth Vegas title. He then regained the World Matchplay
, World Grand Prix
, the first European Darts Championship. and the Grand Slam of Darts
.
title (his 14th title) for the first time in three years by beating Raymond van Barneveld
7–1 in the 2009 world final
. His 110.94 three-dart average was the highest ever recorded in a PDC final. His average during the course of the tournament was 104.08. Taylor beat Colin Osborne
11–6 in the final to win his third UK Open
title in June, his first win at this tournament since 2005. His tournament average was 107.38.
Success continued throughout the rest of 2009 winning the last Las Vegas Desert Classic
(his fifth time), the World Matchplay
, the World Grand Prix
, European Darts Championship
and the Grand Slam of Darts
for the third successive time in November.
Taylor kicked off 2010 by winning his fifteenth World Championship
title, beating Simon Whitlock
seven sets to three with an average of more than 104 and winning the match with a 131 checkout. Taylor lost in the semi-finals of the Players Championship
at the Circus Tavern in Purfleet
. Whilst attempting to defend his title earned in the inaugural event of 2009, Taylor lost to eventual champion Paul Nicholson
. Taylor admitted, following his defeat, that he had had little time to practice after his World Championship win. He made history again in the Premier League
final against defending champion James Wade in the final by hitting two nine dart finish
es, the first time this has been done in professional darts.
By the summer of 2010, he was the holder of the World Championship, World Matchplay, Premier League, UK Open, World Grand Prix and Grand Slam of Darts – with only the Players Championship Finals
missing from a complete set of major televised titles. These performances, in addition to his longevity contributed to his nomination for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year
award in 2010, where he was voted runner-up to A.P. McCoy
. However, defeats in the World Grand Prix, the Grand Slam and a loss to Mark Webster
in the quarter finals of the 2011 World Championship
meant he started 2011 as holder of three major titles – the World Matchplay, Premier League and UK Open.
However he won his first major tournament in seven months by winning the 2011 Players Championship beating Gary Anderson 13 – 12 in a thrilling final.
Phil won the World Matchplay for a record 12th time in 18 years, beating Mark Hylton
10–8 in the 1st round, Wayne Jones
13–7 in the 2nd round, Wes Newton
16–5 in the Quarter finals, Andy Hamilton
17–9 in the Semi finals and James Wade
18–8 in the final, with a tournament average of over 106.
One week later,Taylor flew over to Düsseldorf
, Germany to play in the 2011 European Championship to win his 4th consecutive European title. He did this by beating John Michael
6–3, Mervyn King 10–3, Paul Nicholson
10–7, Simon Whitlock
11–4 and Adrian Lewis
11–8. He had a tournament average of 105.15.
On 27th September, Taylor competed in Group 1 of the Championship League, where he won all 7 of his qualifying games, 6-3 vs Adrian Lewis, 6-2 vs Terry Jenkins, 6-3 vs Wes Newton, 6-2 vs James Wade, 6-3 vs Simon Whitlock, 6-2 vs Gary Anderson and 6-1 vs Mark Webster, he finished the Group stage with a maximum 14 points, 42 legs won, 16 lost, for a leg difference of + 28, and won £2,100 during qualifying. He lost the semi final 6-5 in a superb match vs Wes Newton, he won a further £500 in that match, taking his total winnings for the day to £2,600. Due to not winning the Group he returned the next day to play in Group 2.
In Group 2 he won 6 out of his 7 games, losing his 4th match 6-4 to Simon Whitlock. He beat James Wade 6-1, Mervyn King 6-4, Paul Nicholson 6-0, Mark Webster 6-3, Wes Newton 6-4 and Andy Hamilton 6-1, to finish top of the Group with 12 points, 40 legs won, 19 lost, so a leg difference of + 21, he won £2,000 in qualifying. In the semi final he beat Paul Nicholson 6-3 and Simon Whitlock 6-5 to win Group 2 and progress to the Winner's Group.
In the Winner's Group he won all 7 of his qualifying games, he beat Gary Anderson 6-5, Steve Beaton 6-3, Mervyn King 6-3, he also hit a 9 dart leg in this match, his 10th in competition. He also beat Mark Walsh 6-3, Simon Whitlock 6-5, Paul Nicholson 6-1 and Dennis Priestley 6-2 to qualify top of the Group. In the Semi Finals he beat Steve Beaton 6-1 and in the Final he beat Paul Nicholson 6-1 to win his second Championship League title, winning £6,600 in the Group stages, and a further £10,000 for winning the title.
and Phil Taylor have played each other in five World Finals, with Taylor on top in these head-to-heads 4–1. During the early years of the WDC, Priestley and Taylor had an agreement where they would share prize money won at events. Following the split in darts
, the players had already gone through large expenses to fight court cases that would last until 1997 when they were finally able to overturn a ban by the British Darts Organisation
. Their arrangement lasted between 1994 and 2000 and made sound financial sense given that one or the other generally delivered success in the immediate years after the split. The agreement eventually ended when the prize money grew to a level where the players could individually sustain a better living and this ironically coincided with Priestley's sharp dip in form.
Taylor and Priestley first met in major competition in the 1990 World Masters. Taylor won that semi-final encounter en route to the title. Priestley then assumed the upper hand in their rivalry, however, with victories over Taylor in the 1991 World Championship and British Matchplay final later that year. Their early meetings in the WDC were also won by Priestley, who defeated Taylor in the finals of the 1993 UK Matchplay and 1994 World Championship.
However, since Taylor's defeat in the 1994 World Final, he has only lost twice in all competitions and hasn't been beaten on television by Priestley since 1995. Taylor and Priestley remain great friends, and Taylor has claimed Priestley is the toughest opponent he has ever faced. At the 2009 Las Vegas championship Taylor was emotional when he beat Dennis Priestley 8–0 in the second round. He later said it was tough to beat such a great friend that way.
, who won the BDO World Championship
in 1994 and moved to the PDC in 1997. Their first meeting in the PDC came at the 2001 PDC World Championship final
. The match was one-sided as Taylor averaged 107 and won 7–0. Taylor won their first five encounters including a 6–0 quarter final win at the 2002 PDC World Championships, a much closer match at the 2002 World Matchplay
final, 18–16 and the 2002 World Grand Prix
final, where Taylor again ended Part's attempt at a title by winning 7–3.
A turning point came in the 2003 World Championship
, where Part and Taylor met in the final. Part took a 4–1 lead but Taylor hit back to take the lead, 5–4. At 6–6 Part held his nerve and beat Taylor 7–6 to end Taylor's eight tournament unbeaten run in the championship. Taylor's other losses to Part came in the 2003 Las Vegas Desert Classic
(10–13 in the semi-final), the 2004 UK Open
(6–8 in the quarter final) and at the 2005 World Matchplay
(11–16 in the quarter final).
Part won the 2008 PDC World Championship
and therefore is the only man other than Taylor to have won the tournament more than once, but Taylor has an overall winning record greater than 85% against Part and has continued to improve the win percentage in recent years by winning all of his games against Part since the 2005 World Matchplay defeat.
was amassing four in the BDO. Darts was denied a great rivalry as the two best players were unable to compete against each other regularly due to the split in the game
. van Barneveld switched to the PDC in 2006. Their first clash came in the 2006 Premier League Darts
tournament and ended in a 7–7 draw. The return match went in Taylor's favour. Barneveld's first PDC win over Taylor came at the 2006 UK Open
with an 11–10 quarter final success, which he followed up with success in the semi-finals of the Las Vegas Desert Classic
, winning by 4 sets to 3. Taylor later defeated van Barneveld by 3 sets to 1 in the World Grand Prix.
They then met in the final of the 2007 PDC World Championship
at the Circus Tavern
. The match has been described as the greatest game of darts ever played. Despite being three sets to none up at one point, Taylor was defeated by van Barneveld seven sets to six in a sudden-death leg in the thirteenth set. Taylor responded to his loss by defeating van Barneveld on two occasions in the 2007 Premier League Darts
and beating him in the final of the inaugural US Open
. van Barneveld later defeated Taylor in the quarter-finals of the UK Open
by 11 legs to 4. Taylor lost his top spot in the PDC World Rankings
to van Barneveld in January 2008, but regained it in June.
In major PDC tournaments in 2008, Taylor defeated van Barneveld twice in the Premier League
, lost by 10 legs to 9 in the quarter-finals of the UK Open
, but won the World Grand Prix
against his rival by 6 sets to 2. The rivalry continued into 2009 with the two meeting in the World Championship
final for a second time, with Taylor winning 7–1 with a 110.94 three-dart average. The two then met in the 2010 World Matchplay
final; Taylor won 18–12, averaging more than 105, which was higher than van Barneveld's 100.11 average. After the game Barneveld acknowledged "I'm the number two at the moment, and players like James Wade, Simon Whitlock and Gary Anderson are all trying but he's just too good for everyone".
They have now met more than 45 times, with Taylor having 35 victories.
who he met in three World Finals (1999, 2002 and 2006) and has only lost twice on television (1999 World Matchplay semi-final and in a 2008 Premier League group game). At the 2007 World Championships
Taylor defeated Chris Mason
in the 3rd Round then claimed afterwards that Mason had sworn at him and the fans. He was "seriously considering his future in the game" because of Mason's behaviour but decided to continue. Mason apologised to Taylor for his behaviour a week later.
He also has current rivalries with Mervyn King since he switched to the PDC in 2007 but has only suffered one televised defeat to-date (2009 Premier League semi-final). James Wade
has won six PDC titles since he burst onto the scene in 2006, although he has yet to knock Taylor out of a tournament on his way to a televised title, although he beat him in the final of Championship League Darts 2010. Wade handed Taylor his first defeat in a Premier League
match, but Taylor has won every televised knockout match against him, including two World Matchplay finals and two Premier League finals.
In 2011 Phil beat Gary 'the flying Scotsman' Anderson to win the Grandslam of Darts 2011 for a fourth time.
. The first time he achieved this was at the Winter Gardens
in Blackpool
, against Chris Mason
in the televised World Matchplay
Championship in 2002. He has achieved the feat nine times on television, including four times in the UK Open at the Reebok Stadium
, Bolton (2004, 2005, 2007, and 2008).
On 24 May 2010, in the final of the 2010 PDC Whyte & Mackay Premier League
, Taylor became the first player in professional darts to hit two nine dart finishes in a single match.
. He was also inducted into the Stoke-on-Trent Hall of Fame when it was opened in January 2011.. Taylor discussed whether or not he thought Darts was a sport in a recent interview with 6 Towns Radio. [3] Taylor was convicted of sexual assault in 1999 and fined £2000
Despite PDC darts not being broadcast on the BBC
, he has appeared on several BBC television shows over the years. On 2 February 2009, he made a guest appearance in the long-running popular soap opera Coronation Street
, playing the part of 'Disco Dave', the captain of a rival darts team to the Rovers Return. Taylor was seen only briefly on screen and had no dialogue.
On 22 January 2011 he appeared to present the award for Best Comedy Panel Show at the British Comedy Awards hosted by Jonathan Ross.
After winning the 2011 Players Championship he announced he would be taping an appearance for an upcoming edition of A Question Of Sport.
Taylor holds records for high scoring in darts. His three-dart average per match records are the highest in the history of the game. No player has a winning head-to-head record against him. Taylor has a 79% win rate against Raymond van Barneveld, the player with the most wins against him. Taylor is the first darts player to win more than £1 million in prize money.
On 9 January 2007 Taylor won the 2006 PDC Player of the Year award at the inaugural PDC Awards Dinner held at the Dorchester Hotel
in London's Park Lane
. He was one of ten nominees for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year
award in 2006; the award went to Zara Phillips
. Taylor was voted the 2007 Fans' Player of the Year following a vote conducted on the website Planet Darts. He received the award at the annual PDC Awards Dinner in January 2008. He won four gongs at the PDC Player Of The Year Awards in 2009. After his fifteenth world championship victory, Taylor was made an inaugural inductee to the Stoke-on-Trent Sporting Hall of Fame on 7 January 2010.
Awards excluding Hall Of Fame are handed out the following January so add a year for the year received.
, in which he averaged 118.66 in a 9–0 win over Kevin Painter
.
[3] http://www.6towns.co.uk/news/2011/10/dan-discussesis-darts-sport-and-should-it-be-olympics Phil Taylor interview on 6 Towns radio 22 October 2011
Darts
Darts is a form of throwing game where darts are thrown at a circular target fixed to a wall. Though various boards and games have been used in the past, the term "darts" usually now refers to a standardised game involving a specific board design and set of rules...
player. He is recognised as one of the most successful individual sporting champions of all time and regarded as the best darts player ever to have played the game, having won more than 150 professional tournaments and a record 15 World Championships
World Professional Darts Championship
The World Professional Darts Championship is one of the most important tournaments in the darts calendar. Originally held as an annual event between 1978 and 1993, players then broke off into two separate organisations after a controversial split in the game...
.
He won PDC Player of the year four times (2006, 2008, 2009 and 2010) and has been twice nominated for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year
BBC Sports Personality of the Year
The BBC Sports Personality of the Year is an awards ceremony that takes place annually in December. Devised by Paul Fox in 1954, it originally consisted of one titular award. Several new awards have been introduced, and , eight awards are presented. The oldest of these are the Team of the Year and...
award (2006 and 2010). He was the first person to hit two nine darters in one match, in the 2010 Premier League Darts
2010 Premier League Darts
The 2010 Whyte & Mackay Premier League was a darts tournament organised by the Professional Darts Corporation; the sixth such running of the tournament.The tournament began at The O2 Arena in London on 11 February, and finished at the Wembley Arena on 24 May....
final against James Wade
James Wade
James Wade is an English professional darts player, currently playing in the Professional Darts Corporation . He became the youngest player ever to win a major PDC title at the World Matchplay in July 2007...
. As of 26 September 2010, he has hit nine televised nine dart finish
Nine dart finish
A nine-dart finish is the ultimate checkout in the game of darts, constituting a perfect game. It is notoriously difficult to achieve, even by the game's top professionals...
es, and is ranked World No. 1 in the PDC Order of Merit
PDC order of merit
The PDC Order of Merit is a world ranking system used by one of the darts organisations, the Professional Darts Corporation . Following the 2007 PDC World Darts Championship it superseded a world ranking system based on points being awarded for performances in ranking tournaments.-Previous world...
.
Taylor played in the British Darts Organisation
British Darts Organisation
The British Darts Organisation, or the BDO for short, is a darts organisation founded on 7 January 1973 by Olly Croft, OBE. The BDO is a founder member of the World Darts Federation which was formed in 1976....
(BDO) from 1988 to 1993 before he, and several other players, broke away to form the World Darts Council, now known as the Professional Darts Corporation
Professional Darts Corporation
The Professional Darts Corporation is a professional darts organization, established in the United Kingdom during 1992, when a group of leading professional players split from the British Darts Organisation to form what was initially called the World Darts Council...
(PDC).
Early life
Taylor was born Phil "The Power" Taylor to Douglas "The Wizard" and Elizabeth "The Dame" Taylor on 13 August 1960 in BurslemBurslem
The town of Burslem, known as the Mother Town, is one of the six towns that amalgamated to form the current city of Stoke-on-Trent, in the ceremonial county of Staffordshire, in the Midlands of England.-Topography:...
, Stoke-on-Trent
Stoke-on-Trent
Stoke-on-Trent , also called The Potteries is a city in Staffordshire, England, which forms a linear conurbation almost 12 miles long, with an area of . Together with the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme Stoke forms The Potteries Urban Area...
. He left school at the age of 16
and after holding a few jobs including as a sheet metal worker, he would spend most of his early working days making ceramic toilet roll handles, for which he earned £52 a week. Although he liked to play darts as a child, he never took up the game seriously until 1986 when he moved into a terraced house in Burslem, living near to Eric Bristow
Eric Bristow
Eric Bristow MBE is a British darts player, whose skill at the game in the 1980s helped turn it into a worldwide spectator sport.- Early career :...
's pub the Crafty Cockney. A few months later, his wife Yvonne bought him a set of darts for his birthday and he started playing weekly, occasionally at Bristow's pub. By 1988 he was selected for the county team and playing at Super League level. Bristow started sponsoring him by loaning him £10,000 later that year to help him get started as a professional darts player and on the condition that he gave up his job as a ceramic engineer.
Early career
Taylor's first title came in the Canadian Open in 1988 and after reaching the quarter finals of the British Open and the semi finals of the Winmau World MastersWinmau World Masters
The Winmau World Masters is one of the longest running and most prestigious professional darts tournaments, which began in 1974 - even before the current World Professional Championship...
in 1989 he had qualified for the World Championships for the first time in 1990. Although he had achieved some success in Open events, he went into the 1990 World Championship as a 125–1 unseeded outsider. He beat number six seed Russell Stewart
Russell Stewart
Russell Stewart is an Australian darts player. He uses the nickname Rusty for his matches.-Playing career:...
3–1 in the first round, Dennis Hickling 3–0 in the second round, Ronnie Sharp
Ronnie Sharp
Ronnie Sharp is a Scottish darts player who competed in the British Darts Organisation and is the former captain of Scotland. Sharp was nicknamed Pancho due to his moustache which resembled that of Francisco "Pancho" Villa....
4–2 in the quarter finals and Cliff Lazarenko
Cliff Lazarenko
Cliff Lazarenko is an English professional darts player who competed for the British Darts Organisation and the Professional Darts Corporation...
5–0 to reach the final, where he met his mentor, Bristow. Bristow had been suffering with dartitis
Dartitis
Dartitis is a condition which can affect dart players, and severely damage their performance and results. It can be compared to the 'yips', an expression used to describe apparent loss of fine motor skills without any explanation...
since 1986 but had recovered his world number one ranking to be the top seed in the event. After sharing the first two sets, Taylor beat Bristow 6–1 in sets
Set (darts)
A set in darts consists of a sequence of legs played, ending when the count of legs won meets certain criteria. Throwing first is considered an advantage in a leg, so players alternate who throws first in each leg during the set....
to claim his first world title. For the rest of 1990, Taylor dominated the Open events taking the titles in Isle of Man, Finland, North America, Denmark plus the British Pentathlon, British Masters, Europe Cup and the game's second major tournament at the time, the Winmau World Masters
Winmau World Masters
The Winmau World Masters is one of the longest running and most prestigious professional darts tournaments, which began in 1974 - even before the current World Professional Championship...
.
Taylor's defence of the world championship in 1991 ended at the quarter-final stage with a loss to Dennis Priestley
Dennis Priestley
Dennis Priestley is an English professional darts player. He has won two world championships, and was the first player to win both the BDO and WDC world championships, in 1991 and 1994 respectively...
, who went on to win his first world title. He picked up fewer titles in 1991 losing both his Danish Open and World Masters titles in finals to Rod Harrington
Rod Harrington
Rod Harrington is a former English darts player. He used the nickname The Prince of Style for his matches, often wearing a suit and waistcoast for his games...
. Taylor regained the world championship the following year, beating Mike Gregory 6–5 in the final. He called the win as the favourite of his career.
Split in darts
From a peak during the 1980s, the game of darts had lost many sponsors and almost all television coverage. Players felt that the BDO was no longer serving the interests of the game at the top level. In 1993, some players broke away from the game's ruling body, the British Darts OrganisationBritish Darts Organisation
The British Darts Organisation, or the BDO for short, is a darts organisation founded on 7 January 1973 by Olly Croft, OBE. The BDO is a founder member of the World Darts Federation which was formed in 1976....
, and formed their own organisation, the World Darts Council (WDC), later renamed the Professional Darts Corporation
Professional Darts Corporation
The Professional Darts Corporation is a professional darts organization, established in the United Kingdom during 1992, when a group of leading professional players split from the British Darts Organisation to form what was initially called the World Darts Council...
(PDC).
In the 1993 World Championship
1993 BDO World Darts Championship
-References:...
, the last unified World Championship to be held, Taylor lost in the second round to Kevin Spiolek
Kevin Spiolek
Kevin Spiolek is an English darts player who played during the 1980s and 1990s. He made a brief return to form in 2006 when qualifying to play in the PDC World Darts Championship....
. The BDO refused to allow the new organisation to set up and run their own tournaments, so the WDC players decided that they would no longer compete in the BDO World Championship. They founded the WDC World Darts Championship as an alternative. In the first WDC World Championship in 1994, Taylor lost to Priestley, but Taylor dominated the event for the next decade and beyond.
1994 to 1998
After losing to PriestleyDennis Priestley
Dennis Priestley is an English professional darts player. He has won two world championships, and was the first player to win both the BDO and WDC world championships, in 1991 and 1994 respectively...
in the final of the first PDC World Championship in 1994, Taylor began to dominate the event during the next few years. Rod Harrington
Rod Harrington
Rod Harrington is a former English darts player. He used the nickname The Prince of Style for his matches, often wearing a suit and waistcoast for his games...
reached his first World Final in 1995 and although he had won his previous three finals against Taylor in 1991 and 1992, Taylor took the title 6–2 and it would turn out to be Harrington's only appearance in a World Final.
The finals of 1996, 1997 and 1998 would feature Taylor v Priestley in a repeat of the inaugural final. Priestley achieved the first 100 average in a final in 1996 but still ended up runner-up and the next two finals would be more one-sided in favour of Taylor who took the title 6–3 in 1997 and 6–0 in 1998 with an average in the final of 103.98. By 1998, he had passed his mentor Eric Bristow
Eric Bristow
Eric Bristow MBE is a British darts player, whose skill at the game in the 1980s helped turn it into a worldwide spectator sport.- Early career :...
's haul of five world championships.
Taylor's record at Blackpool in the WDC's second major event, the World Matchplay was not as strong in the early days, losing to Bob Anderson
Bob Anderson (darts player)
Robert Charles "Bob" Anderson is a former world darts champion. He was ranked as world number one for over three years in the late 1980s. Nicknamed The Limestone Cowboy, he lives in Clevedon in Somerset.-Before Darts:Anderson threw his first darts maximum at the age of just five...
in 1994, Peter Evison
Peter Evison
Peter Evison is a darts player who has enjoyed a long career in the game. His greatest achievements were to win the 1989 Winmau World Masters and the 1996 World Matchplay. He has also come close to winning the World Championship on a number of occasions.Before appearing in a major tournament...
in 1996 and Ronnie Baxter
Ronnie Baxter
Ronnie Baxter is an English darts player. He uses the nickname The Rocket for his matches. Baxter is known for his fast, robotic throwing action...
in 1998 – but he still won the event twice in the first five years, beating Priestley 16–11 in 1995 and Alan Warriner-Little
Alan Warriner-Little
Alan Warriner-Little is an English professional darts player. He currently lives in Crosby, Cumbria and plays with the nickname The Iceman...
16–11 in 1997.
1999 to 2004
Taylor stretched his World Championship unbeaten run to eight years in the PDC World Championship beating Peter ManleyPeter Manley
Peter David Manley is an English professional darts player who plays in the Professional Darts Corporation. He is nicknamed One Dart as he is known for hitting doubles with his first dart...
in 1999 and 2002, Priestley for a fourth time in 2000 and John Part
John Part
John Part is a Canadian professional darts player, who is nicknamed Darth Maple.Part is one of only five players in darts history to be a three time World Champion...
in 2001. Part would finally end the run by beating Taylor 7–6 (sets
Set (darts)
A set in darts consists of a sequence of legs played, ending when the count of legs won meets certain criteria. Throwing first is considered an advantage in a leg, so players alternate who throws first in each leg during the set....
) in the 2003 World Championship
2003 PDC World Darts Championship
The 2003 Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship was the tenth World Championship organised by the Professional Darts Corporation since it split from the British Darts Organisation in 1993. Ladbrokes took over sponsorship of the event from Skol.The field at the televised stages expanded for the...
.
He would improve his record at Blackpool during this spell. After he lost in the 1999 semi-final of the World Matchplay to Peter Manley, he would go on to win the title for the next five years (2000–2004) beating five different opponents in the final, Alan Warriner-Little
Alan Warriner-Little
Alan Warriner-Little is an English professional darts player. He currently lives in Crosby, Cumbria and plays with the nickname The Iceman...
(2000), Richie Burnett
Richie Burnett
Richie Burnett is a Welsh darts player who was the 1995 Embassy World Darts Champion and currently plays in Professional Darts Corporation events. His nickname is The Prince of Wales.-BDO career:...
(2001), John Part
John Part
John Part is a Canadian professional darts player, who is nicknamed Darth Maple.Part is one of only five players in darts history to be a three time World Champion...
(2002), Wayne Mardle
Wayne Mardle
Wayne Mardle is a darts player for the Professional Darts Corporation, and former player in the BDO. He now lives in Romford...
(2003) and Mark Dudbridge
Mark Dudbridge
Mark Daniel Dudbridge is an English professional darts player.-Darts career:He started playing in his very early teens, citing Dennis Priestley as one of his heroes...
(2004). By the end of 2004, he had won 11 World Championships and seven World Matchplays.
Taylor has faced the incumbent BDO World Champion in challenge matches on two occasions. In 1999, he beat Raymond van Barneveld
Raymond van Barneveld
Raymond van Barneveld , nickname Barney is a professional darts player. He is a five time World Darts Champion, and two time UK Open Champion. From January to June 2008, he was the PDC world number one ranked player...
by 21 legs to 10 in a one-hour challenge dubbed "The Match of the Century" at the Wembley Conference Centre. The second challenge match came in 2004 against Andy Fordham
Andy Fordham
Andy "The Viking" Fordham is an English darts player. He won the 2004 BDO World Darts Championship, beating Mervyn King in the final...
. Taylor was leading 5–2 in sets when Fordham, feeling unwell, abandoned the match.
2004 to 2008
Taylor continued his dominance during 2004 and 2005, but after winning his 13th World Championship2006 PDC World Darts Championship
The 2006 Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship was held from 19 December 2005 to 2 January 2006 at the Circus Tavern. It was the 13th staging of the Professional Darts Corporation's version of the World Championship....
title in January 2006, he lost four matches in televised tournaments during the first half of the year. He lost to Jelle Klaasen
Jelle Klaasen
Jelle Klaasen is a Dutch professional darts player who plays in the Professional Darts Corporation and is the youngest darts player to win the World Darts Championship. His nickname is The Matador. He lives in Breda, North Brabant, Netherlands...
and Simon Whitlock
Simon Whitlock
Simon Whitlock is an Australian professional darts player who plays in Professional Darts Corporation tournaments, although he did have a spell playing in the rival organisation, the British Darts Organisation. He uses the nickname The Wizard for his matches...
in the International Darts League
2006 International Darts League
The 2006 Topic International Darts League was a darts tournament held in Den Haag, Netherlands. The tournament is sponsored by Topic - a Dutch-based electronics software and hardware manufacturer....
tournament, and twice in a row to Raymond van Barneveld
Raymond van Barneveld
Raymond van Barneveld , nickname Barney is a professional darts player. He is a five time World Darts Champion, and two time UK Open Champion. From January to June 2008, he was the PDC world number one ranked player...
—in the UK Open
2006 UK Open Darts
-Format:Qualifying events are held at Greene King pubs across the UK - winners from each pub event progress to one of four Regional Finals, to be staged in their relevant area. Players who reach the final eight in the Regional Finals will qualify for the televised stages of the UK Open in Bolton.In...
and the Las Vegas Desert Classic
2006 Las Vegas Desert Classic
-2006 Prize Money:*Champion £15,000*Runner-up £7,500*Semi Finalists £5,000*Quarter Finalists £3,500*Second Round Losers £2,000*First Round Losers £1,350-First Round:Wednesday 28 June 2006First to six legs-Second Round:Thursday 29 June 2006...
. He came back to win the World Matchplay
2006 World Matchplay Darts
The 2006 Stan James World Matchplay was the 13th staging of the major darts tournament by the Professional Darts Corporation. It was held at the Winter Gardens, Blackpool between July 23 and July 29, 2006.-Prize money:...
, the World Darts Trophy
World Darts Trophy
The World Darts Trophy was a darts tournament held each September at De Vechtsebanen in Utrecht, Netherlands between 2002 and 2007. The tournament has a playing format comparable with the two World Championships, the BDO World Darts Championship and the PDC World Darts Championship...
(a BDO affiliated event), and the World Grand Prix in the second half of the year.
The 2007 World Final
2007 PDC World Darts Championship
The 2007 Ladbrokes.com PDC World Darts Championship was the 14th World Championship organised by the Professional Darts Corporation since it separated from the British Darts Organisation. The tournament began on Monday 18 December 2006 and the final was played on Monday 1 January 2007...
was between Taylor and Raymond van Barneveld
Raymond van Barneveld
Raymond van Barneveld , nickname Barney is a professional darts player. He is a five time World Darts Champion, and two time UK Open Champion. From January to June 2008, he was the PDC world number one ranked player...
. The game was tied at 6–6 in sets and van Barneveld had a 2–1 lead in legs. van Barneveld missed four darts and Taylor tied the set at 2–2. The set went to 5–5, and van Barneveld won the sudden death leg for his fifth World Championship (four with BDO and one with PDC). Taylor had many opportunities to win the match, as he led 3–0, 4–2 and 5–3. Taylor said, "Of all the finals I've played in, I would probably put this one as the best".
2007 proved to be Taylor's most barren year for major title successes. He was defeated at the International Darts League
2007 International Darts League
The 2007 Tropicana International Darts League is a darts tournament held at the Triavium in Nijmegen, Netherlands. The tournament is sponsored by Tropicana - a Dutch-based soft drink manufacturer. Raymond van Barneveld entered the tournament as three-times and defending champion.Darts history was...
and the World Darts Trophy
World Darts Trophy
The World Darts Trophy was a darts tournament held each September at De Vechtsebanen in Utrecht, Netherlands between 2002 and 2007. The tournament has a playing format comparable with the two World Championships, the BDO World Darts Championship and the PDC World Darts Championship...
in the Netherlands. At the UK Open
2007 UK Open Darts
The 2007 Blue Square UK Open was the fifth year of the PDC darts tournament where, following numerous regional qualifying heats throughout Britain, players competed in a single elimination tournament to be crowned champion...
in Bolton, he suffered a 4–11 loss to van Barneveld. He lost to Mark Dudbridge
Mark Dudbridge
Mark Daniel Dudbridge is an English professional darts player.-Darts career:He started playing in his very early teens, citing Dennis Priestley as one of his heroes...
at the Las Vegas Desert Classic
2007 Las Vegas Desert Classic
The 2007 Las Vegas Desert Classic was the sixth time that the Professional Darts Corporation stage the prestigious darts tournament...
, and lost at the World Matchplay
2007 World Matchplay Darts
The 2007 Stan James World Matchplay was the 14th annual staging of a professional darts tournament by the Professional Darts Corporation. It was held at its traditional home, the Winter Gardens, Blackpool between July 22 and July 29...
in Blackpool. At the World Grand Prix
2007 World Grand Prix Darts
The 2007 SkyBet World Grand Prix was the tenth staging of a PDC darts tournament which took place between October 8 and October 14. It was the seventh year that the event was being staged at the Citywest Hotel, Saggart, Dublin...
in Dublin, he lost to Adrian Gray
Adrian Gray
Adrian Gray is an English darts player. Previously using the nickname '3 Styler', he is now known as 'The Conqueror'. Adrian made his televised debut at the 2003 UK Open...
. Taylor feared his career was in decline or over but later vowed that he would continue.
Taylor's 100% appearance record in the Final of the PDC World Darts Championship came to an end in 2008
2008 PDC World Darts Championship
The 2008 Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship, sponsored by Ladbrokes, was the 15th World Championship organised by the Professional Darts Corporation since it separated from the British Darts Organisation...
after 14 years when Taylor was beaten in the quarter finals. This was the first time that he had not reached the final stage of the PDC World Darts Championship. He was taken to the final set in each of his first three rounds before losing to Wayne Mardle
Wayne Mardle
Wayne Mardle is a darts player for the Professional Darts Corporation, and former player in the BDO. He now lives in Romford...
5 sets
Set (darts)
A set in darts consists of a sequence of legs played, ending when the count of legs won meets certain criteria. Throwing first is considered an advantage in a leg, so players alternate who throws first in each leg during the set....
to 4; At one point he was up 3–0 in sets.
Before the start of the Premier League
2008 Premier League Darts
The 2008 Whyte & Mackay Premier League was a darts tournament organised by the Professional Darts Corporation . The prize money was increased by £75,000 compared to 2007...
tournament, Taylor unveiled some new black 26g darts. Despite a poor start to his Premier League Darts campaign, with three defeats in his first four matches, Taylor finished at the top of the Premier League standings. He beat Adrian Lewis
Adrian Lewis
Adrian Lewis is an English professional darts player for the Professional Darts Corporation who is the reigning PDC World Darts Champion...
11–1 with a 112.68 average in the semi-final, and went on to take his fourth consecutive title with a 16–8 victory over Wade (average 108.36). He won his second US Open
2008 US Open Darts
The 2008 US Open is the second year of a darts tournament, organized by the Professional Darts Corporation . It was played at the Mohegan Sun Casino Resort, Connecticut, USA between May 16 and May 18, 2008.Phil Taylor successfully defended his title....
title in May 2008, defeating Colin Lloyd
Colin Lloyd
Colin Lloyd , nicknamed Jaws, is an English professional darts player on the Professional Darts Corporation circuit. He is a former world number one ranked player and he has won two major television titles in the PDC - the 2004 World Grand Prix and 2005 World Matchplay...
in the final. At the UK Open
2008 UK Open Darts
The 2008 Blue Square UK Open was the sixth year of the PDC darts tournament where, following numerous regional qualifying heats throughout Britain, players competed in a single elimination tournament to be crowned champion...
, Taylor broke the world record for highest average in a televised game by averaging 118.66 against Kevin Painter
Kevin Painter
Kevin Painter is an English professional darts player who plays in Professional Darts Corporation tournaments, where he is known as "The Artist"...
in round four. He won the match 9–0, but was defeated 10–9 in the quarter-finals by Raymond van Barneveld
Raymond van Barneveld
Raymond van Barneveld , nickname Barney is a professional darts player. He is a five time World Darts Champion, and two time UK Open Champion. From January to June 2008, he was the PDC world number one ranked player...
.
As he went to Las Vegas for the 2008 Las Vegas Desert Classic
2008 Las Vegas Desert Classic
The 2008 Las Vegas Desert Classic was the seventh installment of the Las Vegas Desert Classic, a darts tournament organised by the Professional Darts Corporation. It was held in the evenings between June 30 and July 6....
in July, he was in an unusual position for him of not holding any of the major televised ranking events, but corrected that by taking his fourth Vegas title. He then regained the World Matchplay
2008 World Matchplay Darts
The 2008 Stan James World Matchplay was the 15th annual staging of the tournament by the Professional Darts Corporation. The tournament took place from Sunday July 20 to Saturday July 26. It was staged at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool...
, World Grand Prix
2008 World Grand Prix Darts
The 2008 Sky Poker World Grand Prix was the eleventh instance of the darts tournament held by the Professional Darts Corporation, the World Grand Prix. It was held from October 6 to October 12. As usual it was staged at the Citywest Hotel in Saggart, Dublin...
, the first European Darts Championship. and the Grand Slam of Darts
2008 Grand Slam of Darts
The 2008 Grand Slam of Darts was the second staging of the darts tournament, the Grand Slam of Darts organised by the Professional Darts Corporation. The event took place from 15–23 November 2008 at the Wolverhampton Civic Hall...
.
2009 to 2011
Taylor won the World Championship2009 PDC World Darts Championship
The 2009 Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship was the 16th World Championship organised by the Professional Darts Corporation since it separated from the British Darts Organisation....
title (his 14th title) for the first time in three years by beating Raymond van Barneveld
Raymond van Barneveld
Raymond van Barneveld , nickname Barney is a professional darts player. He is a five time World Darts Champion, and two time UK Open Champion. From January to June 2008, he was the PDC world number one ranked player...
7–1 in the 2009 world final
2009 PDC World Darts Championship
The 2009 Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship was the 16th World Championship organised by the Professional Darts Corporation since it separated from the British Darts Organisation....
. His 110.94 three-dart average was the highest ever recorded in a PDC final. His average during the course of the tournament was 104.08. Taylor beat Colin Osborne
Colin Osborne
Colin Osborne is an English darts player currently playing in Professional Darts Corporation events.-Darts career:Osborne has won two PDC Pro Tour events and he also managed to hit two perfect nine dart finishes in 2005...
11–6 in the final to win his third UK Open
2009 UK Open Darts
The 2009 Blue Square UK Open was the seventh year of the PDC darts tournament where, following numerous regional qualifying heats throughout Britain, players competed in a single elimination tournament to be crowned champion...
title in June, his first win at this tournament since 2005. His tournament average was 107.38.
Success continued throughout the rest of 2009 winning the last Las Vegas Desert Classic
2009 Las Vegas Desert Classic
The 2009 Las Vegas Desert Classic was the eighth and final installment of the Las Vegas Desert Classic, a darts tournament organised by the Professional Darts Corporation...
(his fifth time), the World Matchplay
2009 World Matchplay Darts
The 2009 Stan James World Matchplay was the 16th annual staging of the tournament by the Professional Darts Corporation. The tournament took place from Sunday 19 July to Sunday 26 July...
, the World Grand Prix
2009 World Grand Prix Darts
The 2009 Skybet World Grand Prix was the twelfth instance of the darts tournament held by the Professional Darts Corporation, the World Grand Prix. It was held from October 5 to October 11. It was staged at the Citywest International Event & Convention Centre in Dublin...
, European Darts Championship
2009 European Championship Darts
The 2009 European Championship was the second edition of the PDC tournament, the European Championship, which allows the top European players to compete against the highest ranked players from the PDC Order of Merit. The tournament took place from October 29 to November 1, featuring a field of 32...
and the Grand Slam of Darts
2009 Grand Slam of Darts
The 2009 Grand Slam of Darts was the third staging of the darts tournament, the Grand Slam of Darts organised by the Professional Darts Corporation. The event took place from 14–22 November 2009 at the Wolverhampton Civic Hall. Television coverage of the tournament was covered by ITV Sport, with...
for the third successive time in November.
Taylor kicked off 2010 by winning his fifteenth World Championship
2010 PDC World Darts Championship
The 2010 Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship was the 17th World Championship organised by the Professional Darts Corporation since it separated from the British Darts Organisation....
title, beating Simon Whitlock
Simon Whitlock
Simon Whitlock is an Australian professional darts player who plays in Professional Darts Corporation tournaments, although he did have a spell playing in the rival organisation, the British Darts Organisation. He uses the nickname The Wizard for his matches...
seven sets to three with an average of more than 104 and winning the match with a 131 checkout. Taylor lost in the semi-finals of the Players Championship
2010 Players Championship Finals
The 2010 Players Championship Finals was the second edition of the PDC tournament, the Players Championship Finals, which sees the top 32 players from the 2009 PDC Players Championship Order of Merit taking part...
at the Circus Tavern in Purfleet
Purfleet
Purfleet is a place in the Thurrock unitary authority in Essex, England. It is situated south of the A13 road on the River Thames and within the easterly bounds of the M25 motorway but just outside the Greater London boundary. It was within the traditional Church of England parish of West Thurrock...
. Whilst attempting to defend his title earned in the inaugural event of 2009, Taylor lost to eventual champion Paul Nicholson
Paul Nicholson (darts player)
Paul Nicholson is a British born darts player, who holds Australian nationality. He aims to project the image of the 'bad boy of darts'- 2008-2009 :...
. Taylor admitted, following his defeat, that he had had little time to practice after his World Championship win. He made history again in the Premier League
2010 Premier League Darts
The 2010 Whyte & Mackay Premier League was a darts tournament organised by the Professional Darts Corporation; the sixth such running of the tournament.The tournament began at The O2 Arena in London on 11 February, and finished at the Wembley Arena on 24 May....
final against defending champion James Wade in the final by hitting two nine dart finish
Nine dart finish
A nine-dart finish is the ultimate checkout in the game of darts, constituting a perfect game. It is notoriously difficult to achieve, even by the game's top professionals...
es, the first time this has been done in professional darts.
By the summer of 2010, he was the holder of the World Championship, World Matchplay, Premier League, UK Open, World Grand Prix and Grand Slam of Darts – with only the Players Championship Finals
Players Championship Finals
The Players Championship Finals is a darts tournament organised by the Professional Darts Corporation...
missing from a complete set of major televised titles. These performances, in addition to his longevity contributed to his nomination for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year
BBC Sports Personality of the Year
The BBC Sports Personality of the Year is an awards ceremony that takes place annually in December. Devised by Paul Fox in 1954, it originally consisted of one titular award. Several new awards have been introduced, and , eight awards are presented. The oldest of these are the Team of the Year and...
award in 2010, where he was voted runner-up to A.P. McCoy
Tony McCoy
Anthony Peter McCoy OBE , commonly known as A. P. McCoy or Tony McCoy, is a Northern Irish horse racing jockey....
. However, defeats in the World Grand Prix, the Grand Slam and a loss to Mark Webster
Mark Webster (darts player)
Mark Webster is a left-handed Welsh darts player who lives in Denbigh. Known as Webby, he plays in Professional Darts Corporation events, having previously won the 2008 BDO World Championship. Mark became a full time professional in 2009, having previously been a fully qualified Gas registered...
in the quarter finals of the 2011 World Championship
2011 PDC World Darts Championship
The 2011 Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship was the 18th World Championship organised by the Professional Darts Corporation since it separated from the British Darts Organisation.Phil Taylor was the defending champion, having won the 2010 tournament...
meant he started 2011 as holder of three major titles – the World Matchplay, Premier League and UK Open.
However he won his first major tournament in seven months by winning the 2011 Players Championship beating Gary Anderson 13 – 12 in a thrilling final.
Phil won the World Matchplay for a record 12th time in 18 years, beating Mark Hylton
Mark Hylton
Mark David Hylton is a former British 400 metres sprinter. Hylton won a silver medal in the relay at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta....
10–8 in the 1st round, Wayne Jones
Wayne Jones (darts player)
Wayne Alan Jones is an English darts player who plays in Professional Darts Corporation tournaments. He uses the nickname The Wanderer for his matches....
13–7 in the 2nd round, Wes Newton
Wes Newton
Wesley "Wes" Newton is an English darts player who plays in Professional Darts Corporation tournaments.-Darts career:...
16–5 in the Quarter finals, Andy Hamilton
Andy Hamilton
Andrew Neil Hamilton is a British comedian, game show panellist, television director, comedy screenwriter and radio dramatist.-Early life:...
17–9 in the Semi finals and James Wade
James Wade
James Wade is an English professional darts player, currently playing in the Professional Darts Corporation . He became the youngest player ever to win a major PDC title at the World Matchplay in July 2007...
18–8 in the final, with a tournament average of over 106.
One week later,Taylor flew over to Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf is the capital city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and centre of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region.Düsseldorf is an important international business and financial centre and renowned for its fashion and trade fairs. Located centrally within the European Megalopolis, the...
, Germany to play in the 2011 European Championship to win his 4th consecutive European title. He did this by beating John Michael
John Michael (darts player)
John Michael is a Cypriot-born Greek darts player currently playing in Professional Darts Corporation events....
6–3, Mervyn King 10–3, Paul Nicholson
Paul Nicholson (darts player)
Paul Nicholson is a British born darts player, who holds Australian nationality. He aims to project the image of the 'bad boy of darts'- 2008-2009 :...
10–7, Simon Whitlock
Simon Whitlock
Simon Whitlock is an Australian professional darts player who plays in Professional Darts Corporation tournaments, although he did have a spell playing in the rival organisation, the British Darts Organisation. He uses the nickname The Wizard for his matches...
11–4 and Adrian Lewis
Adrian Lewis
Adrian Lewis is an English professional darts player for the Professional Darts Corporation who is the reigning PDC World Darts Champion...
11–8. He had a tournament average of 105.15.
On 27th September, Taylor competed in Group 1 of the Championship League, where he won all 7 of his qualifying games, 6-3 vs Adrian Lewis, 6-2 vs Terry Jenkins, 6-3 vs Wes Newton, 6-2 vs James Wade, 6-3 vs Simon Whitlock, 6-2 vs Gary Anderson and 6-1 vs Mark Webster, he finished the Group stage with a maximum 14 points, 42 legs won, 16 lost, for a leg difference of + 28, and won £2,100 during qualifying. He lost the semi final 6-5 in a superb match vs Wes Newton, he won a further £500 in that match, taking his total winnings for the day to £2,600. Due to not winning the Group he returned the next day to play in Group 2.
In Group 2 he won 6 out of his 7 games, losing his 4th match 6-4 to Simon Whitlock. He beat James Wade 6-1, Mervyn King 6-4, Paul Nicholson 6-0, Mark Webster 6-3, Wes Newton 6-4 and Andy Hamilton 6-1, to finish top of the Group with 12 points, 40 legs won, 19 lost, so a leg difference of + 21, he won £2,000 in qualifying. In the semi final he beat Paul Nicholson 6-3 and Simon Whitlock 6-5 to win Group 2 and progress to the Winner's Group.
In the Winner's Group he won all 7 of his qualifying games, he beat Gary Anderson 6-5, Steve Beaton 6-3, Mervyn King 6-3, he also hit a 9 dart leg in this match, his 10th in competition. He also beat Mark Walsh 6-3, Simon Whitlock 6-5, Paul Nicholson 6-1 and Dennis Priestley 6-2 to qualify top of the Group. In the Semi Finals he beat Steve Beaton 6-1 and in the Final he beat Paul Nicholson 6-1 to win his second Championship League title, winning £6,600 in the Group stages, and a further £10,000 for winning the title.
Priestley
Dennis PriestleyDennis Priestley
Dennis Priestley is an English professional darts player. He has won two world championships, and was the first player to win both the BDO and WDC world championships, in 1991 and 1994 respectively...
and Phil Taylor have played each other in five World Finals, with Taylor on top in these head-to-heads 4–1. During the early years of the WDC, Priestley and Taylor had an agreement where they would share prize money won at events. Following the split in darts
Split in darts
The split in darts refers to an acrimonious dispute between top professional darts players and the game's governing body which began in 1992 and resulted in the formation of a new organisation to arrange tournaments - including a second version of the World Professional Darts Championship...
, the players had already gone through large expenses to fight court cases that would last until 1997 when they were finally able to overturn a ban by the British Darts Organisation
British Darts Organisation
The British Darts Organisation, or the BDO for short, is a darts organisation founded on 7 January 1973 by Olly Croft, OBE. The BDO is a founder member of the World Darts Federation which was formed in 1976....
. Their arrangement lasted between 1994 and 2000 and made sound financial sense given that one or the other generally delivered success in the immediate years after the split. The agreement eventually ended when the prize money grew to a level where the players could individually sustain a better living and this ironically coincided with Priestley's sharp dip in form.
Taylor and Priestley first met in major competition in the 1990 World Masters. Taylor won that semi-final encounter en route to the title. Priestley then assumed the upper hand in their rivalry, however, with victories over Taylor in the 1991 World Championship and British Matchplay final later that year. Their early meetings in the WDC were also won by Priestley, who defeated Taylor in the finals of the 1993 UK Matchplay and 1994 World Championship.
However, since Taylor's defeat in the 1994 World Final, he has only lost twice in all competitions and hasn't been beaten on television by Priestley since 1995. Taylor and Priestley remain great friends, and Taylor has claimed Priestley is the toughest opponent he has ever faced. At the 2009 Las Vegas championship Taylor was emotional when he beat Dennis Priestley 8–0 in the second round. He later said it was tough to beat such a great friend that way.
Part
Taylor's next rivalry was with Canadian John PartJohn Part
John Part is a Canadian professional darts player, who is nicknamed Darth Maple.Part is one of only five players in darts history to be a three time World Champion...
, who won the BDO World Championship
1994 BDO World Darts Championship
-References:...
in 1994 and moved to the PDC in 1997. Their first meeting in the PDC came at the 2001 PDC World Championship final
2001 PDC World Darts Championship
The 2001 Skol World Darts Championship was held between December 28, 2000–January 3, 2001 at the Circus Tavern, Purfleet.The tournament saw a notable first as Gayl King of Canada became the first woman to appear in the men's World Championship, having been given a wild card by organisers the...
. The match was one-sided as Taylor averaged 107 and won 7–0. Taylor won their first five encounters including a 6–0 quarter final win at the 2002 PDC World Championships, a much closer match at the 2002 World Matchplay
2002 World Matchplay Darts
The 2002 World Matchplay was a darts tournament held in the Empress Ballroom at the Winter Gardens, Blackpool. Sponsored by UK bookmaker Stan James, the tournament ran from 28 July through 3 August 2002, and was won by Phil Taylor.-1st Round:...
final, 18–16 and the 2002 World Grand Prix
2002 World Grand Prix Darts
-Results:...
final, where Taylor again ended Part's attempt at a title by winning 7–3.
A turning point came in the 2003 World Championship
2003 PDC World Darts Championship
The 2003 Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship was the tenth World Championship organised by the Professional Darts Corporation since it split from the British Darts Organisation in 1993. Ladbrokes took over sponsorship of the event from Skol.The field at the televised stages expanded for the...
, where Part and Taylor met in the final. Part took a 4–1 lead but Taylor hit back to take the lead, 5–4. At 6–6 Part held his nerve and beat Taylor 7–6 to end Taylor's eight tournament unbeaten run in the championship. Taylor's other losses to Part came in the 2003 Las Vegas Desert Classic
2003 Las Vegas Desert Classic
-Group Stages:Group A *Terry Jenkins - Alex Roy 8 - 4*Alex Roy - Phil Taylor 3 - 8*Terry Jenkins - Phil Taylor 3 - 8 Group B *Bob Anderson - Dave Smith 8 - 3*Dave Smith - John Part 7 - 8*Bob Anderson - John Part 4 - 8Group C...
(10–13 in the semi-final), the 2004 UK Open
2004 UK Open Darts
The 2004 Budweiser UK Open was the second time the Professional Darts Corporation held the tournament which had quickly earned the nickname the "FA Cup of Darts". It was held at Bolton Wanderer's Reebok Stadium between 4 and 6 June 2004. Budweiser became the tournament's first title sponsor...
(6–8 in the quarter final) and at the 2005 World Matchplay
2005 World Matchplay Darts
The 2005 Stan James World Matchplay was the 12th staging of the major darts tournament by the Professional Darts Corporation. It was held at the Winter Gardens, Blackpool between July 24 and July 30, 2005....
(11–16 in the quarter final).
Part won the 2008 PDC World Championship
2008 PDC World Darts Championship
The 2008 Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship, sponsored by Ladbrokes, was the 15th World Championship organised by the Professional Darts Corporation since it separated from the British Darts Organisation...
and therefore is the only man other than Taylor to have won the tournament more than once, but Taylor has an overall winning record greater than 85% against Part and has continued to improve the win percentage in recent years by winning all of his games against Part since the 2005 World Matchplay defeat.
van Barneveld
Whilst Taylor was clocking up World titles in the PDC, Raymond van BarneveldRaymond van Barneveld
Raymond van Barneveld , nickname Barney is a professional darts player. He is a five time World Darts Champion, and two time UK Open Champion. From January to June 2008, he was the PDC world number one ranked player...
was amassing four in the BDO. Darts was denied a great rivalry as the two best players were unable to compete against each other regularly due to the split in the game
Split in darts
The split in darts refers to an acrimonious dispute between top professional darts players and the game's governing body which began in 1992 and resulted in the formation of a new organisation to arrange tournaments - including a second version of the World Professional Darts Championship...
. van Barneveld switched to the PDC in 2006. Their first clash came in the 2006 Premier League Darts
2006 Premier League Darts
The 2006 Holsten Premier League the second year of the Professional Darts Corporation's popular darts league. The 2006 league was launched with the top six players in the PDC world rankings and the addition of a wildcard player, Raymond van Barneveld who decided to switch from the British Darts...
tournament and ended in a 7–7 draw. The return match went in Taylor's favour. Barneveld's first PDC win over Taylor came at the 2006 UK Open
2006 UK Open Darts
-Format:Qualifying events are held at Greene King pubs across the UK - winners from each pub event progress to one of four Regional Finals, to be staged in their relevant area. Players who reach the final eight in the Regional Finals will qualify for the televised stages of the UK Open in Bolton.In...
with an 11–10 quarter final success, which he followed up with success in the semi-finals of the Las Vegas Desert Classic
2006 Las Vegas Desert Classic
-2006 Prize Money:*Champion £15,000*Runner-up £7,500*Semi Finalists £5,000*Quarter Finalists £3,500*Second Round Losers £2,000*First Round Losers £1,350-First Round:Wednesday 28 June 2006First to six legs-Second Round:Thursday 29 June 2006...
, winning by 4 sets to 3. Taylor later defeated van Barneveld by 3 sets to 1 in the World Grand Prix.
They then met in the final of the 2007 PDC World Championship
2007 PDC World Darts Championship
The 2007 Ladbrokes.com PDC World Darts Championship was the 14th World Championship organised by the Professional Darts Corporation since it separated from the British Darts Organisation. The tournament began on Monday 18 December 2006 and the final was played on Monday 1 January 2007...
at the Circus Tavern
Circus Tavern
The Circus Tavern is an entertainment venue in Purfleet, Essex, England which hosts functions, cabaret acts and is also a nightclub venue. However, it is most famous as having been a long-time venue of the PDC World Darts Championship....
. The match has been described as the greatest game of darts ever played. Despite being three sets to none up at one point, Taylor was defeated by van Barneveld seven sets to six in a sudden-death leg in the thirteenth set. Taylor responded to his loss by defeating van Barneveld on two occasions in the 2007 Premier League Darts
2007 Premier League Darts
The 2007 Holsten Premier League was a major darts tournament organised by the Professional Darts Corporation . The prize money for the 2007 event increased by almost £100,000 compared to 2006. The overall fund was £265,000 with the eventual winner taking home £75,000...
and beating him in the final of the inaugural US Open
2007 US Open Darts
The 2007 US Open was a darts tournament, organised by the Professional Darts Corporation . It was the inaugural event and played in Connecticut between May 18 and May 20....
. van Barneveld later defeated Taylor in the quarter-finals of the UK Open
2007 UK Open Darts
The 2007 Blue Square UK Open was the fifth year of the PDC darts tournament where, following numerous regional qualifying heats throughout Britain, players competed in a single elimination tournament to be crowned champion...
by 11 legs to 4. Taylor lost his top spot in the PDC World Rankings
Darts world rankings
Darts world rankings are a system which should determine a list of the best dart players in the world based on their performances in tournaments...
to van Barneveld in January 2008, but regained it in June.
In major PDC tournaments in 2008, Taylor defeated van Barneveld twice in the Premier League
2008 Premier League Darts
The 2008 Whyte & Mackay Premier League was a darts tournament organised by the Professional Darts Corporation . The prize money was increased by £75,000 compared to 2007...
, lost by 10 legs to 9 in the quarter-finals of the UK Open
2008 UK Open Darts
The 2008 Blue Square UK Open was the sixth year of the PDC darts tournament where, following numerous regional qualifying heats throughout Britain, players competed in a single elimination tournament to be crowned champion...
, but won the World Grand Prix
2008 World Grand Prix Darts
The 2008 Sky Poker World Grand Prix was the eleventh instance of the darts tournament held by the Professional Darts Corporation, the World Grand Prix. It was held from October 6 to October 12. As usual it was staged at the Citywest Hotel in Saggart, Dublin...
against his rival by 6 sets to 2. The rivalry continued into 2009 with the two meeting in the World Championship
2009 PDC World Darts Championship
The 2009 Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship was the 16th World Championship organised by the Professional Darts Corporation since it separated from the British Darts Organisation....
final for a second time, with Taylor winning 7–1 with a 110.94 three-dart average. The two then met in the 2010 World Matchplay
2010 World Matchplay Darts
The 2010 Stan James World Matchplay was the 17th annual staging of the World Matchplay, organised by the Professional Darts Corporation. The tournament took place from 17–25 July....
final; Taylor won 18–12, averaging more than 105, which was higher than van Barneveld's 100.11 average. After the game Barneveld acknowledged "I'm the number two at the moment, and players like James Wade, Simon Whitlock and Gary Anderson are all trying but he's just too good for everyone".
They have now met more than 45 times, with Taylor having 35 victories.
Manley, Mason, King and Wade
Taylor has overcome rivals such as Peter ManleyPeter Manley
Peter David Manley is an English professional darts player who plays in the Professional Darts Corporation. He is nicknamed One Dart as he is known for hitting doubles with his first dart...
who he met in three World Finals (1999, 2002 and 2006) and has only lost twice on television (1999 World Matchplay semi-final and in a 2008 Premier League group game). At the 2007 World Championships
2007 PDC World Darts Championship
The 2007 Ladbrokes.com PDC World Darts Championship was the 14th World Championship organised by the Professional Darts Corporation since it separated from the British Darts Organisation. The tournament began on Monday 18 December 2006 and the final was played on Monday 1 January 2007...
Taylor defeated Chris Mason
Chris Mason (darts player)
Christopher John Mason is an English darts player who plays in the Professional Darts Corporation. He uses the nickname Mace the Ace for his matches.- BDO and first PDC spell :...
in the 3rd Round then claimed afterwards that Mason had sworn at him and the fans. He was "seriously considering his future in the game" because of Mason's behaviour but decided to continue. Mason apologised to Taylor for his behaviour a week later.
He also has current rivalries with Mervyn King since he switched to the PDC in 2007 but has only suffered one televised defeat to-date (2009 Premier League semi-final). James Wade
James Wade
James Wade is an English professional darts player, currently playing in the Professional Darts Corporation . He became the youngest player ever to win a major PDC title at the World Matchplay in July 2007...
has won six PDC titles since he burst onto the scene in 2006, although he has yet to knock Taylor out of a tournament on his way to a televised title, although he beat him in the final of Championship League Darts 2010. Wade handed Taylor his first defeat in a Premier League
2008 Premier League Darts
The 2008 Whyte & Mackay Premier League was a darts tournament organised by the Professional Darts Corporation . The prize money was increased by £75,000 compared to 2007...
match, but Taylor has won every televised knockout match against him, including two World Matchplay finals and two Premier League finals.
In 2011 Phil beat Gary 'the flying Scotsman' Anderson to win the Grandslam of Darts 2011 for a fourth time.
Nine-dart finishes
Taylor has often talked in interviews and his autobiography about his quests to achieve the perfect leg of darts – a nine dart finishNine dart finish
A nine-dart finish is the ultimate checkout in the game of darts, constituting a perfect game. It is notoriously difficult to achieve, even by the game's top professionals...
. The first time he achieved this was at the Winter Gardens
Winter Gardens, Blackpool
The Winter Gardens is a large entertainment complex in the town centre of Blackpool, Lancashire, England. It has twelve different venues, including a theatre, ballroom and conference facilities. Opened in 1878, it is a Grade II* listed building, incorporating various elements built between 1875 and...
in Blackpool
Blackpool
Blackpool is a borough, seaside town, and unitary authority area of Lancashire, in North West England. It is situated along England's west coast by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre estuaries, northwest of Preston, north of Liverpool, and northwest of Manchester...
, against Chris Mason
Chris Mason (darts player)
Christopher John Mason is an English darts player who plays in the Professional Darts Corporation. He uses the nickname Mace the Ace for his matches.- BDO and first PDC spell :...
in the televised World Matchplay
2002 World Matchplay Darts
The 2002 World Matchplay was a darts tournament held in the Empress Ballroom at the Winter Gardens, Blackpool. Sponsored by UK bookmaker Stan James, the tournament ran from 28 July through 3 August 2002, and was won by Phil Taylor.-1st Round:...
Championship in 2002. He has achieved the feat nine times on television, including four times in the UK Open at the Reebok Stadium
Reebok Stadium
The Reebok Stadium is the home stadium of English Premier League football club Bolton Wanderers, and is located on the Middlebrook Retail Park in Horwich, in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. It is commonly known as 'The Reebok'...
, Bolton (2004, 2005, 2007, and 2008).
On 24 May 2010, in the final of the 2010 PDC Whyte & Mackay Premier League
2010 Premier League Darts
The 2010 Whyte & Mackay Premier League was a darts tournament organised by the Professional Darts Corporation; the sixth such running of the tournament.The tournament began at The O2 Arena in London on 11 February, and finished at the Wembley Arena on 24 May....
, Taylor became the first player in professional darts to hit two nine dart finishes in a single match.
| Date | Opponent | Tournament | Method | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 August 2002 | Chris Mason Chris Mason (darts player) Christopher John Mason is an English darts player who plays in the Professional Darts Corporation. He uses the nickname Mace the Ace for his matches.- BDO and first PDC spell :... |
World Matchplay | 3 x T20; 3 x T20; T20, T19, D12 | £100,000 |
| 5 June 2004 | Matt Chapman | UK Open | 3 x T20; 3 x T20; T20, T19, D12 | 501 bottles of Budweiser Budweiser (Anheuser-Busch) Budweiser is a 5.0% abv American-style lager introduced in 1876 by Adolphus Busch and one of the highest selling beers in the United States. It is made with up to 30% rice in addition to hops and barley malt. Budweiser is produced in various breweries located around the world... |
| 12 June 2005 | Roland Scholten Roland Scholten Roland Scholten is a Dutch professional darts player who plays for the Professional Darts Corporation and formerly for the British Darts Organisation. He is nicknamed Tripod or The Flying Dutchman and uses Hey Ya by Outkast as his walk-on. He is currently ranked 45th in the PDC... |
UK Open | 3 x T20; 3 x T20; T20, T19, D12 | 501 bottles of Budweiser |
| 8 May 2007 | Raymond van Barneveld Raymond van Barneveld Raymond van Barneveld , nickname Barney is a professional darts player. He is a five time World Darts Champion, and two time UK Open Champion. From January to June 2008, he was the PDC world number one ranked player... |
International Darts League International Darts League The Topic International Darts League was a darts tournament held at the Triavium in Nijmegen, Netherlands. Raymond van Barneveld dominated the tournament, held in his home country, winning it on three of the five occasions it was held... |
3 x T20; 3 x T20; T20, T19, D12 | Opel Tigra Twin Top |
| 9 June 2007 | Wes Newton Wes Newton Wesley "Wes" Newton is an English darts player who plays in Professional Darts Corporation tournaments.-Darts career:... |
UK Open | 3 x T20; 3 x T20; T20, T19, D12 | £20,000 |
| 7 June 2008 | Jamie Harvey Jamie Harvey Jamie Harvey is a Scottish darts player who plays in the British Darts Organization . He currently resides in Barrhead. Harvey uses the nickname Bravedart for his matches - a play on the lead character from the film Braveheart... |
UK Open | 3 x T20; 2 x T20, T19; 2 x T20, D12 | £25,000 |
| 15 September 2009 | John Part John Part John Part is a Canadian professional darts player, who is nicknamed Darth Maple.Part is one of only five players in darts history to be a three time World Champion... |
Championship League Darts 2009 Championship League Darts The 2009 Championship League Darts is the second edition of a darts competition—the Championship League Darts. The competition is organized and held by the Professional Darts Corporation and has a maximum prize fund of £189,000.... (internet streamed) |
3 x T20; 3 x T20; T20, T19, D12 | £50 |
| 24 May 2010 | James Wade James Wade James Wade is an English professional darts player, currently playing in the Professional Darts Corporation . He became the youngest player ever to win a major PDC title at the World Matchplay in July 2007... |
Premier League Darts Premier League Darts The 888.com Premier League Darts is a darts tournament which launched on January 20, 2005 on Sky Sports, and is currently the world's largest indoor sports event. The league is now played weekly from February to May, having originally started as a fortnightly fixture... |
T20, 2 x T19; 3 x T20; T20, T17, D18 | |
| 24 May 2010 | James Wade James Wade James Wade is an English professional darts player, currently playing in the Professional Darts Corporation . He became the youngest player ever to win a major PDC title at the World Matchplay in July 2007... |
Premier League Darts | 3 x T20; 3 x T20; T20, T19, D12 | |
| 20 October 2011 | Mervyn King | Championship League Darts 2011 Championship League Darts The 2011 Championship League Darts was the fourth edition of a darts competition — the Championship League Darts. The competition was organized and held by the Professional Darts Corporation, with the 2011 edition having a maximum prize fund of £189,000.... (internet streamed) |
3 x T20; 3 x T20; T20, T19, D12 |
Outside darts
Taylor and his former wife Yvonne have four children: Lisa, Chris, Kelly and Natalie. He has written an autobiography with Sky TV darts commentator Sid Waddell. He supports his home town football club, Port ValePort Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...
. He was also inducted into the Stoke-on-Trent Hall of Fame when it was opened in January 2011.. Taylor discussed whether or not he thought Darts was a sport in a recent interview with 6 Towns Radio. [3] Taylor was convicted of sexual assault in 1999 and fined £2000
Television appearances
Taylor's achievements in darts have led to guest appearances on television.Despite PDC darts not being broadcast on the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, he has appeared on several BBC television shows over the years. On 2 February 2009, he made a guest appearance in the long-running popular soap opera Coronation Street
Coronation Street
Coronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
, playing the part of 'Disco Dave', the captain of a rival darts team to the Rovers Return. Taylor was seen only briefly on screen and had no dialogue.
On 22 January 2011 he appeared to present the award for Best Comedy Panel Show at the British Comedy Awards hosted by Jonathan Ross.
After winning the 2011 Players Championship he announced he would be taping an appearance for an upcoming edition of A Question Of Sport.
Awards and records
Taylor was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2001 New Year honours, but it was retracted and annulled in May 2002 following a conviction for indecent assault. The incident happened after a 1999 exhibition match in Scotland when two women, aged 23 and 25, accompanied Taylor back to his van after the event. They later accused him of sexual assault. Taylor denied the charges but he was found guilty in 2001 and fined £2,000.Taylor holds records for high scoring in darts. His three-dart average per match records are the highest in the history of the game. No player has a winning head-to-head record against him. Taylor has a 79% win rate against Raymond van Barneveld, the player with the most wins against him. Taylor is the first darts player to win more than £1 million in prize money.
On 9 January 2007 Taylor won the 2006 PDC Player of the Year award at the inaugural PDC Awards Dinner held at the Dorchester Hotel
Dorchester Hotel
The Dorchester is a luxury hotel in London, opened on 18 April 1931. It is situated on Park Lane in Mayfair, overlooking Hyde Park.The Dorchester was created by the famous builder Sir Robert McAlpine and the managing director of Gordon Hotels Ltd, Sir Frances Towle, who shared a vision of creating...
in London's Park Lane
Park Lane (road)
Park Lane is a major road in the City of Westminster, in Central London.-History:Originally a country lane running north-south along what is now the eastern boundary of Hyde Park, it became a fashionable residential address from the eighteenth century onwards, offering both views across Hyde Park...
. He was one of ten nominees for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year
BBC Sports Personality of the Year
The BBC Sports Personality of the Year is an awards ceremony that takes place annually in December. Devised by Paul Fox in 1954, it originally consisted of one titular award. Several new awards have been introduced, and , eight awards are presented. The oldest of these are the Team of the Year and...
award in 2006; the award went to Zara Phillips
Zara Phillips
Zara Anne Elizabeth Phillips, MBE is the second child and only daughter of Princess Anne and her first husband Captain Mark Phillips and is 13th in the line of succession to the throne...
. Taylor was voted the 2007 Fans' Player of the Year following a vote conducted on the website Planet Darts. He received the award at the annual PDC Awards Dinner in January 2008. He won four gongs at the PDC Player Of The Year Awards in 2009. After his fifteenth world championship victory, Taylor was made an inaugural inductee to the Stoke-on-Trent Sporting Hall of Fame on 7 January 2010.
Awards excluding Hall Of Fame are handed out the following January so add a year for the year received.
- PDC Player of the Year: 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010
- PDC Fans' Player of the Year: 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010,
- Best PDC Pro Tour Player/Floor Player: 2008, 2009
- PDPA Players' Player of the Year: 2007, 2008, 2009,
- PDC Nine Dart Club: *2007 *2008,*2009,*2010 *Gold Pin Badge/Televised
- BBC Sports Personality Of The Year ( Runner Up ) 2010
- PDC Hall Of Fame 2011
BDO major finals: 6 (4 titles, 2 runner-ups)
| Legend |
| World Championship (2–0) |
| Winmau World Masters (1–1) |
| World Darts Trophy (1–1) |
| Outcome | No. | Year | Championship | Opponent in the final | Score(l) = score in legs, (s) = score in sets. |
| Winner | 1. | 1990 1990 BDO World Darts Championship The 1990 Embassy World Darts Championship was held at the Lakeside Country Club in Frimley Green, Surrey from 5–13 January 1990. It saw Phil Taylor win the first of fifteen world titles, beating his mentor Eric Bristow 6-1 in sets. Taylor beat Russell Stewart, Dennis Hickling, Ronnie Sharp... |
World Darts Championship BDO World Darts Championship The BDO World Darts Championship is a world championship competition in darts, organised by the British Darts Organisation . It began in 1978, and was the only world championship tournament until 1994... |
 England |
6–1 (s) |
| Winner | 2. | 1990 | Winmau World Masters Winmau World Masters The Winmau World Masters is one of the longest running and most prestigious professional darts tournaments, which began in 1974 - even before the current World Professional Championship... |
 Scotland |
No record of the final score. |
| Runner-up | 1. | 1991 | Winmau World Masters Winmau World Masters The Winmau World Masters is one of the longest running and most prestigious professional darts tournaments, which began in 1974 - even before the current World Professional Championship... |
England |
|
| Winner | 3. | 1992 | World Darts Championship BDO World Darts Championship The BDO World Darts Championship is a world championship competition in darts, organised by the British Darts Organisation . It began in 1978, and was the only world championship tournament until 1994... (2) |
England |
6–5 (s) |
| Winner | 4. | 2006 | World Darts Trophy World Darts Trophy The World Darts Trophy was a darts tournament held each September at De Vechtsebanen in Utrecht, Netherlands between 2002 and 2007. The tournament has a playing format comparable with the two World Championships, the BDO World Darts Championship and the PDC World Darts Championship... |
England |
7–2 (s) |
| Runner-up | 2. | 2007 | World Darts Trophy World Darts Trophy The World Darts Trophy was a darts tournament held each September at De Vechtsebanen in Utrecht, Netherlands between 2002 and 2007. The tournament has a playing format comparable with the two World Championships, the BDO World Darts Championship and the PDC World Darts Championship... |
Scotland |
3–7 (s) |
PDC premier event finals: 70 (65 titles, 5 runner-ups)
| Legend |
| World Championship (13–3) |
| World Matchplay (12–0) |
| World Grand Prix (10–0) |
| Grand Slam (4–0) |
| Premier League (5–0) |
| Other (21–2) |
| Outcome | No. | Year | Championship | Opponent in the final | Score |
| Runner-up | 1. | 1994 1994 PDC World Darts Championship The 1994 Skol World Darts Championships was held following 18 months of controversy within the sport of darts. After the 1993 Embassy World Championships, several players decided it was time to part company with the British Darts Organisation and form their own organisation. The new organisation... |
World Darts Championship PDC World Darts Championship The PDC World Darts Championship is a world championship competition for the sport of darts, organised by the Professional Darts Corporation . It was introduced following a dispute in 1994 with the British Darts Organisation, which has run its own world championship since 1978... |
England |
1–6 (s) |
| Winner | 1. | 1995 | World Darts Championship PDC World Darts Championship The PDC World Darts Championship is a world championship competition for the sport of darts, organised by the Professional Darts Corporation . It was introduced following a dispute in 1994 with the British Darts Organisation, which has run its own world championship since 1978... |
England |
6–2 (s) |
| Winner | 2. | 1995 1995 World Matchplay Darts The 1995 Websters World Matchplay was the second annual World Matchplay darts tournament organised by the World Darts Council . The Winter Gardens, Blackpool played host to the event for the second year running.Seven former world champions were in the field... |
World Matchplay | England Dennis Priestley |
16–11 (l) |
| Winner | 3. | 1996 | World Darts Championship PDC World Darts Championship The PDC World Darts Championship is a world championship competition for the sport of darts, organised by the Professional Darts Corporation . It was introduced following a dispute in 1994 with the British Darts Organisation, which has run its own world championship since 1978... (2) |
England Dennis Priestley |
6–4 (s) |
| Winner | 4. | 1997 1997 PDC World Darts Championship -Third Place Match:Peter Evison beat Eric Bristow 4 - 2... |
World Darts Championship PDC World Darts Championship The PDC World Darts Championship is a world championship competition for the sport of darts, organised by the Professional Darts Corporation . It was introduced following a dispute in 1994 with the British Darts Organisation, which has run its own world championship since 1978... (3) |
England Dennis Priestley |
6–3 (s) |
| Winner | 5. | 1997 1997 World Matchplay Darts The 1997 World Matchplay was a darts tournament held in the Empress Ballroom at the Winter Gardens, Blackpool. The tournament was won by Phil Taylor.-1st Round:*Dean Allsopp v Bob Anderson 5 - 8... |
World Matchplay (2) | England |
16–11 (l) |
| Winner | 6. | 1998 1998 PDC World Darts Championship -Third Place Match: Rod Harrington beat Keith Deller 4-1... |
World Darts Championship PDC World Darts Championship The PDC World Darts Championship is a world championship competition for the sport of darts, organised by the Professional Darts Corporation . It was introduced following a dispute in 1994 with the British Darts Organisation, which has run its own world championship since 1978... (4) |
England Dennis Priestley |
6–0 (s) |
| Winner | 7. | 1998 | World Grand Prix | England Rod Harrington |
13–8 (l) |
| Winner | 8. | 1999 | World Darts Championship PDC World Darts Championship The PDC World Darts Championship is a world championship competition for the sport of darts, organised by the Professional Darts Corporation . It was introduced following a dispute in 1994 with the British Darts Organisation, which has run its own world championship since 1978... (5) |
England |
6–2 (s) |
| Winner | 9. | 1999 | World Grand Prix (2) | England |
6–1 (s) |
| Winner | 10. | 2000 | World Darts Championship PDC World Darts Championship The PDC World Darts Championship is a world championship competition for the sport of darts, organised by the Professional Darts Corporation . It was introduced following a dispute in 1994 with the British Darts Organisation, which has run its own world championship since 1978... (6) |
England Dennis Priestley |
7–3 (s) |
| Winner | 11. | 2000 2000 World Matchplay Darts The 2000 World Matchplay was a darts tournament held in the Empress Ballroom at the Winter Gardens, Blackpool. This was the first World Matchplay tournament to be sponsored by UK bookmaker Stan James... |
World Matchplay (3) | England Alan Warriner-Little |
18–12 (l) |
| Winner | 12. | 2000 | World Grand Prix (3) | England Shayne Burgess |
6–1 (s) |
| Winner | 13. | 2001 2001 PDC World Darts Championship The 2001 Skol World Darts Championship was held between December 28, 2000–January 3, 2001 at the Circus Tavern, Purfleet.The tournament saw a notable first as Gayl King of Canada became the first woman to appear in the men's World Championship, having been given a wild card by organisers the... |
World Darts Championship PDC World Darts Championship The PDC World Darts Championship is a world championship competition for the sport of darts, organised by the Professional Darts Corporation . It was introduced following a dispute in 1994 with the British Darts Organisation, which has run its own world championship since 1978... (7) |
 Canada |
7–0 (s) |
| Winner | 14. | 2001 2001 World Matchplay Darts The 2001 World Matchplay was a darts tournament held in the Empress Ballroom at the Winter Gardens, Blackpool. This was the second World Matchplay tournament to be sponsored by UK bookmaker Stan James... |
World Matchplay (4) |  Wales |
18–10 (l) |
| Winner | 15. | 2002 | World Darts Championship PDC World Darts Championship The PDC World Darts Championship is a world championship competition for the sport of darts, organised by the Professional Darts Corporation . It was introduced following a dispute in 1994 with the British Darts Organisation, which has run its own world championship since 1978... (8) |
England Peter Manley |
7–0 (s) |
| Winner | 16. | 2002 2002 Las Vegas Desert Classic The 2002 Las Vegas Desert Classic was the inaugural staging of a darts tournament by the Professional Darts Corporation. It featured the top players from the PDC along with an opportunity for players from North America to qualify... |
Las Vegas Desert Classic Las Vegas Desert Classic The Las Vegas Desert Classic was a darts tournament, organised by the Professional Darts Corporation and was held each year in July from 2002 until 2010... |
England |
3–0 (s) |
| Winner | 17. | 2002 2002 World Matchplay Darts The 2002 World Matchplay was a darts tournament held in the Empress Ballroom at the Winter Gardens, Blackpool. Sponsored by UK bookmaker Stan James, the tournament ran from 28 July through 3 August 2002, and was won by Phil Taylor.-1st Round:... |
World Matchplay (5) | Canada John Part |
18–16 (l) |
| Winner | 18. | 2002 | World Grand Prix (4) | Canada John Part |
7–3 (s) |
| Runner-up | 2. | 2003 2003 PDC World Darts Championship The 2003 Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship was the tenth World Championship organised by the Professional Darts Corporation since it split from the British Darts Organisation in 1993. Ladbrokes took over sponsorship of the event from Skol.The field at the televised stages expanded for the... |
World Darts Championship PDC World Darts Championship The PDC World Darts Championship is a world championship competition for the sport of darts, organised by the Professional Darts Corporation . It was introduced following a dispute in 1994 with the British Darts Organisation, which has run its own world championship since 1978... |
Canada John Part |
6–7 (s) |
| Winner | 19. | 2003 2003 UK Open Darts The 2003 UK Open was the first edition of the UK Open darts tournament organised by the PDC. The tournament was won by Phil Taylor who defeated Shayne Burgess in the final with 18-8.-Preliminary Round: best of 9 legs... |
UK Open | England Shayne Burgess |
18–8 (l) |
| Winner | 20. | 2003 2003 World Matchplay Darts The 2003 World Matchplay was a darts tournament held in the Empress Ballroom at the Winter Gardens, Blackpool. This was the fourth World Matchplay tournament to be sponsored by UK bookmaker Stan James... |
World Matchplay (6) | England |
18–12 (l) |
| Winner | 21. | 2003 | World Grand Prix (5) | Canada John Part |
7–2 (s) |
| Winner | 22. | 2004 2004 PDC World Darts Championship The 2004 Ladbrokes.com World Championship was the 10th anniversary of the PDC version of the World Darts Championship. An extra preliminary round was introduced bringing the total players at the televised stages to 48. Ladbrokes, who sponsored the event initially for one year in 2003, decided to... |
World Darts Championship PDC World Darts Championship The PDC World Darts Championship is a world championship competition for the sport of darts, organised by the Professional Darts Corporation . It was introduced following a dispute in 1994 with the British Darts Organisation, which has run its own world championship since 1978... (9) |
England |
7–6 (s) |
| Winner | 23. | 2004 2004 Las Vegas Desert Classic The 2004 Las Vegas Desert Classic, promoted at the time as the Las Vegas Desert Classic III, was the third year that the Professional Darts Corporation held a major darts tournament in the United States. It was held between 30 June and July 4, 2004.... |
Las Vegas Desert Classic Las Vegas Desert Classic The Las Vegas Desert Classic was a darts tournament, organised by the Professional Darts Corporation and was held each year in July from 2002 until 2010... (2) |
England Wayne Mardle |
6–4 (s) |
| Winner | 24. | 2004 2004 World Matchplay Darts The 2004 Stan James World Matchplay Darts Championship was held between 25–31 July 2004 at the Winter Gardens, Blackpool.-Tournament Review - Day 1:Three games this evening as the World Matchplay got underway... |
World Matchplay (7) | England |
18–8 (l) |
| Winner | 25. | 2005 2005 PDC World Darts Championship The 2005 Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship, sponsored by Ladbrokes, was held at the Circus Tavern, Purfleet and started on Boxing Day, 2004... |
World Darts Championship PDC World Darts Championship The PDC World Darts Championship is a world championship competition for the sport of darts, organised by the Professional Darts Corporation . It was introduced following a dispute in 1994 with the British Darts Organisation, which has run its own world championship since 1978... (10) |
England Mark Dudbridge |
7–4 (s) |
| Winner | 26. | 2005 2005 Premier League Darts The 2005 888.com Premier League was the first season of a darts tournament organised by the Professional Darts Corporation.Phil Taylor, Colin Lloyd, Peter Manley, John Part, Roland Scholten, Wayne Mardle and wildcard entrant Mark Dudbridge were the seven players who competed in a round-robin... |
Premier League Darts Premier League Darts The 888.com Premier League Darts is a darts tournament which launched on January 20, 2005 on Sky Sports, and is currently the world's largest indoor sports event. The league is now played weekly from February to May, having originally started as a fortnightly fixture... |
England |
16–4 (l) |
| Winner | 27. | 2005 2005 UK Open Darts The 2005 Budweiser UK Open was the third year of the darts tournament organised by the Professional Darts Corporation. A massive field of 170 players were whittled down to just one in 48 hours of hectic competition at the Reebok Stadium, Bolton. Phil Taylor eventually took the trophy with a 13-7... |
UK Open (2) | England |
13–7 (l) |
| Winner | 28. | 2005 2005 Las Vegas Desert Classic -1st Round: best of 3 sets best of 5 legs * John Part - Darren Webster 2 - 0* Alan Warriner - Erik Clarys 0 - 2* George Walls - Wes Newton 0 - 2* Kevin Painter - Adrian Lewis 2 - 0* Ronnie Baxter - James Wade 1 - 2* Andy Jenkins - Andy Smith 2 - 0... |
Las Vegas Desert Classic Las Vegas Desert Classic The Las Vegas Desert Classic was a darts tournament, organised by the Professional Darts Corporation and was held each year in July from 2002 until 2010... (3) |
England Wayne Mardle |
6–1 (s) |
| Winner | 29. | 2005 | World Grand Prix (6) | England Colin Lloyd |
7–1 (s) |
| Winner | 30. | 2006 2006 PDC World Darts Championship The 2006 Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship was held from 19 December 2005 to 2 January 2006 at the Circus Tavern. It was the 13th staging of the Professional Darts Corporation's version of the World Championship.... |
World Darts Championship PDC World Darts Championship The PDC World Darts Championship is a world championship competition for the sport of darts, organised by the Professional Darts Corporation . It was introduced following a dispute in 1994 with the British Darts Organisation, which has run its own world championship since 1978... (11) |
England Peter Manley |
7–0 (s) |
| Winner | 31. | 2006 | World Series of Darts | England |
13–5 (l) |
| Winner | 32. | 2006 2006 Premier League Darts The 2006 Holsten Premier League the second year of the Professional Darts Corporation's popular darts league. The 2006 league was launched with the top six players in the PDC world rankings and the addition of a wildcard player, Raymond van Barneveld who decided to switch from the British Darts... |
Premier League Darts Premier League Darts The 888.com Premier League Darts is a darts tournament which launched on January 20, 2005 on Sky Sports, and is currently the world's largest indoor sports event. The league is now played weekly from February to May, having originally started as a fortnightly fixture... (2) |
 Netherlands |
16–6 (l) |
| Winner | 33. | 2006 2006 World Matchplay Darts The 2006 Stan James World Matchplay was the 13th staging of the major darts tournament by the Professional Darts Corporation. It was held at the Winter Gardens, Blackpool between July 23 and July 29, 2006.-Prize money:... |
World Matchplay (8) | England |
18–11 (l) |
| Winner | 34. | 2006 | World Grand Prix (7) | England |
7–4 (s) |
| Runner-up | 3. | 2007 2007 PDC World Darts Championship The 2007 Ladbrokes.com PDC World Darts Championship was the 14th World Championship organised by the Professional Darts Corporation since it separated from the British Darts Organisation. The tournament began on Monday 18 December 2006 and the final was played on Monday 1 January 2007... |
World Darts Championship PDC World Darts Championship The PDC World Darts Championship is a world championship competition for the sport of darts, organised by the Professional Darts Corporation . It was introduced following a dispute in 1994 with the British Darts Organisation, which has run its own world championship since 1978... |
Netherlands |
6–7 (s) |
| Winner | 35. | 2007 | US Open (2) | Netherlands Raymond van Barneveld |
4–1 (s) |
| Winner | 36. | 2007 2007 Premier League Darts The 2007 Holsten Premier League was a major darts tournament organised by the Professional Darts Corporation . The prize money for the 2007 event increased by almost £100,000 compared to 2006. The overall fund was £265,000 with the eventual winner taking home £75,000... |
Premier League Darts Premier League Darts The 888.com Premier League Darts is a darts tournament which launched on January 20, 2005 on Sky Sports, and is currently the world's largest indoor sports event. The league is now played weekly from February to May, having originally started as a fortnightly fixture... (3) |
England Terry Jenkins |
16–6 (l) |
| Winner | 37. | 2007 2007 Grand Slam of Darts The 2007 Grand Slam of Darts was the inaugural staging of the darts tournament, the Grand Slam of Darts, held by the Professional Darts Corporation. The tournament invited the best performing players from the PDC and its rival the British Darts Organisation... |
Grand Slam of Darts Grand Slam of Darts The Grand Slam of Darts is a darts tournament organised by the Professional Darts Corporation and is known as the William Hill Grand Slam of Darts for sponsorship purposes. The PDC also invites the best performing players from its rival the British Darts Organisation... |
England |
18–11 (l) |
| Winner | 38. | 2008 | US Open (3) | England Colin Lloyd |
3–0 (s) |
| Winner | 39. | 2008 2008 Premier League Darts The 2008 Whyte & Mackay Premier League was a darts tournament organised by the Professional Darts Corporation . The prize money was increased by £75,000 compared to 2007... |
Premier League Darts Premier League Darts The 888.com Premier League Darts is a darts tournament which launched on January 20, 2005 on Sky Sports, and is currently the world's largest indoor sports event. The league is now played weekly from February to May, having originally started as a fortnightly fixture... (4) |
England James Wade |
16–8 (l) |
| Winner | 40. | 2008 2008 Las Vegas Desert Classic The 2008 Las Vegas Desert Classic was the seventh installment of the Las Vegas Desert Classic, a darts tournament organised by the Professional Darts Corporation. It was held in the evenings between June 30 and July 6.... |
Las Vegas Desert Classic Las Vegas Desert Classic The Las Vegas Desert Classic was a darts tournament, organised by the Professional Darts Corporation and was held each year in July from 2002 until 2010... (4) |
England James Wade |
13–7 (l) |
| Winner | 41. | 2008 2008 World Matchplay Darts The 2008 Stan James World Matchplay was the 15th annual staging of the tournament by the Professional Darts Corporation. The tournament took place from Sunday July 20 to Saturday July 26. It was staged at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool... |
World Matchplay (9) | England James Wade |
18–9 (l) |
| Winner | 42. | 2008 | World Grand Prix (8) | Netherlands Raymond van Barneveld |
6–2 (s) |
| Winner | 43. | 2008 2008 Championship League Darts The 2008 Championship League Darts is the inaugural edition of a darts competition - the Championship League Darts. The competition is organised and held by the Professional Darts Corporation and has a maximum prize fund of £189,000.... |
Championship League Darts Championship League Darts Championship League Darts is a PDC darts tournament that uses a league and legs format similar to the Premier League but offers the top players outside of the top 8 in the PDC Order of Merit a chance to compete for the championship... |
England |
7–5 (s) |
| Winner | 44. | 2008 | European Championship European Championship (darts) The European Championship is a PDC darts tournament which allows the top European players to compete with the highest ranked players from the PDC Order of Merit. The tournament takes place in late July to early August and features a field of 32... |
England Adrian Lewis |
11–5 (l) |
| Winner | 45. | 2008 2008 Grand Slam of Darts The 2008 Grand Slam of Darts was the second staging of the darts tournament, the Grand Slam of Darts organised by the Professional Darts Corporation. The event took place from 15–23 November 2008 at the Wolverhampton Civic Hall... |
Grand Slam of Darts Grand Slam of Darts The Grand Slam of Darts is a darts tournament organised by the Professional Darts Corporation and is known as the William Hill Grand Slam of Darts for sponsorship purposes. The PDC also invites the best performing players from its rival the British Darts Organisation... (2) |
England Terry Jenkins |
18–9 (l) |
| Winner | 46. | 2009 2009 PDC World Darts Championship The 2009 Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship was the 16th World Championship organised by the Professional Darts Corporation since it separated from the British Darts Organisation.... |
World Darts Championship PDC World Darts Championship The PDC World Darts Championship is a world championship competition for the sport of darts, organised by the Professional Darts Corporation . It was introduced following a dispute in 1994 with the British Darts Organisation, which has run its own world championship since 1978... (12) |
Netherlands Raymond van Barneveld |
7–1 (s) |
| Winner | 47. | 2009 2009 Players Championship Finals The 2009 Players Championship Finals was the inaugural edition of the PDC tournament, the Players Championship Finals, which saw the top 32 players from the 2008 PDC Players Championship Order of Merit taking part... |
Players Championship Finals Players Championship Finals The Players Championship Finals is a darts tournament organised by the Professional Darts Corporation... |
Scotland |
16–9 (l) |
| Winner | 48. | 2009 2009 UK Open Darts The 2009 Blue Square UK Open was the seventh year of the PDC darts tournament where, following numerous regional qualifying heats throughout Britain, players competed in a single elimination tournament to be crowned champion... |
UK Open (3) | England |
11–6 (l) |
| Winner | 49. | 2009 2009 Las Vegas Desert Classic The 2009 Las Vegas Desert Classic was the eighth and final installment of the Las Vegas Desert Classic, a darts tournament organised by the Professional Darts Corporation... |
Las Vegas Desert Classic Las Vegas Desert Classic The Las Vegas Desert Classic was a darts tournament, organised by the Professional Darts Corporation and was held each year in July from 2002 until 2010... (5) |
Netherlands Raymond van Barneveld |
13–11 (l) |
| Winner | 50. | 2009 2009 World Matchplay Darts The 2009 Stan James World Matchplay was the 16th annual staging of the tournament by the Professional Darts Corporation. The tournament took place from Sunday 19 July to Sunday 26 July... |
World Matchplay (10) | England Terry Jenkins |
18–4 (l) |
| Winner | 51. | 2009 | World Grand Prix (9) | Netherlands Raymond van Barneveld |
6–3 (s) |
| Runner-up | 4. | 2009 2009 Championship League Darts The 2009 Championship League Darts is the second edition of a darts competition—the Championship League Darts. The competition is organized and held by the Professional Darts Corporation and has a maximum prize fund of £189,000.... |
Championship League Darts Championship League Darts Championship League Darts is a PDC darts tournament that uses a league and legs format similar to the Premier League but offers the top players outside of the top 8 in the PDC Order of Merit a chance to compete for the championship... |
England Colin Osborne |
4–6 (s) |
| Winner | 52. | 2009 | European Championship European Championship (darts) The European Championship is a PDC darts tournament which allows the top European players to compete with the highest ranked players from the PDC Order of Merit. The tournament takes place in late July to early August and features a field of 32... (2) |
England |
11–3 (l) |
| Winner | 53. | 2009 2009 Grand Slam of Darts The 2009 Grand Slam of Darts was the third staging of the darts tournament, the Grand Slam of Darts organised by the Professional Darts Corporation. The event took place from 14–22 November 2009 at the Wolverhampton Civic Hall. Television coverage of the tournament was covered by ITV Sport, with... |
Grand Slam of Darts Grand Slam of Darts The Grand Slam of Darts is a darts tournament organised by the Professional Darts Corporation and is known as the William Hill Grand Slam of Darts for sponsorship purposes. The PDC also invites the best performing players from its rival the British Darts Organisation... (3) |
England |
16–2 (l) |
| Winner | 54. | 2010 2010 PDC World Darts Championship The 2010 Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship was the 17th World Championship organised by the Professional Darts Corporation since it separated from the British Darts Organisation.... |
World Darts Championship PDC World Darts Championship The PDC World Darts Championship is a world championship competition for the sport of darts, organised by the Professional Darts Corporation . It was introduced following a dispute in 1994 with the British Darts Organisation, which has run its own world championship since 1978... (13) |
 Australia |
7–3 (s) |
| Winner | 55. | 2010 2010 Premier League Darts The 2010 Whyte & Mackay Premier League was a darts tournament organised by the Professional Darts Corporation; the sixth such running of the tournament.The tournament began at The O2 Arena in London on 11 February, and finished at the Wembley Arena on 24 May.... |
Premier League Darts Premier League Darts The 888.com Premier League Darts is a darts tournament which launched on January 20, 2005 on Sky Sports, and is currently the world's largest indoor sports event. The league is now played weekly from February to May, having originally started as a fortnightly fixture... (5) |
England James Wade |
10–8 (l) |
| Winner | 56. | 2010 2010 UK Open Darts The 2010 Rileys Darts Zones UK Open was the eighth year of the PDC darts tournament where, following numerous regional qualifying heats throughout Britain, players competed in a single elimination tournament to be crowned champion... |
UK Open (4) | Scotland |
11–5 (l) |
| Winner | 57. | 2010 | US Open (4) | England Denis Ovens |
6–2 (s) |
| Winner | 58. | 2010 2010 World Matchplay Darts The 2010 Stan James World Matchplay was the 17th annual staging of the World Matchplay, organised by the Professional Darts Corporation. The tournament took place from 17–25 July.... |
World Matchplay (11) | Netherlands Raymond van Barneveld |
18–12 (l) |
| Winner | 59. | 2010 | European Championship European Championship (darts) The European Championship is a PDC darts tournament which allows the top European players to compete with the highest ranked players from the PDC Order of Merit. The tournament takes place in late July to early August and features a field of 32... (3) |
England |
11–1 (l) |
| Runner-up | 5. | 2010 2010 Championship League Darts The 2010 Championship League Darts was the third edition of a darts competition — the Championship League Darts. The competition is organized and held by the Professional Darts Corporation, with the 2010 edition having a maximum prize fund of £189,000.... |
Championship League Darts Championship League Darts Championship League Darts is a PDC darts tournament that uses a league and legs format similar to the Premier League but offers the top players outside of the top 8 in the PDC Order of Merit a chance to compete for the championship... |
England James Wade |
5–6 (s) |
| Winner | 60. | 2011 2011 Players Championship Finals (1) The 2011 Players Championship Finals was the third edition of the PDC tournament, the Players Championship Finals, which saw the top 32 players from the 2010 PDC Players Championship Order of Merit taking part... |
Players Championship Finals Players Championship Finals The Players Championship Finals is a darts tournament organised by the Professional Darts Corporation... (2) |
Scotland Gary Anderson |
13–12 (l) |
| Winner | 61. | 2011 | World Matchplay (12) | England James Wade |
18–8 (l) |
| Winner | 62. | 2011 2011 European Championship (darts) The 2011 European Championship was the fourth edition of the PDC tournament, the European Championship, which allowd the top European players to compete against the highest ranked players from the PDC Order of Merit. The tournament took place from July 28 to 31, featuring a field of 32 players and... |
European Championship European Championship (darts) The European Championship is a PDC darts tournament which allows the top European players to compete with the highest ranked players from the PDC Order of Merit. The tournament takes place in late July to early August and features a field of 32... (4) |
England Adrian Lewis |
11–8 (l) |
| Winner | 63. | 2011 2011 World Grand Prix (darts) The 2011 PartyPoker.com World Grand Prix was the fourteenth staging of the World Grand Prix. It was played from October 3 to 9.James Wade was the defending champion. However he lost in the semi finals to Brendan Dolan who had the unique achievement of becoming the first player to achieve a... |
World Grand Prix (10) |  Northern Ireland |
6–3 (s) |
| Winner | 64. | 2011 2011 Championship League Darts The 2011 Championship League Darts was the fourth edition of a darts competition — the Championship League Darts. The competition was organized and held by the Professional Darts Corporation, with the 2011 edition having a maximum prize fund of £189,000.... |
Championship League Darts Championship League Darts Championship League Darts is a PDC darts tournament that uses a league and legs format similar to the Premier League but offers the top players outside of the top 8 in the PDC Order of Merit a chance to compete for the championship... (2) |
Australia |
6–1 (s) |
| Winner | 65. | 2011 2011 Grand Slam of Darts The 2011 Grand Slam of Darts, the fifth staging of the darts tournament organised by the Professional Darts Corporation was known as the William Hill Grand Slam of Darts for sponsorship purposes. The event took place from 12–20 November 2011 at the Wolverhampton Civic Hall... |
Grand Slam of Darts Grand Slam of Darts The Grand Slam of Darts is a darts tournament organised by the Professional Darts Corporation and is known as the William Hill Grand Slam of Darts for sponsorship purposes. The PDC also invites the best performing players from its rival the British Darts Organisation... (4) |
Scotland Gary Anderson |
16–4 (l) |
Other wins
- Antwerp Darts Trophy: 2008
- Antwerp Open: 1997, 1998
- Battle of the Champions: 1997
- Berlin Open: 1993
- Bobby Bourn Memorial: 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008
- British Pentathlon: 1990, 1991
- Canadian OpenCanadian Open (darts)The Canadian Open is a darts tournament that has been held annually since 1985.-List of winners:...
: 1988 - Center Parcs Masters: 1996
- Champion Vs Champion: 1999, 2004
- Championship of Darts: 2008, 2011
- China Telecom Cup: 2004
- Dartgala Hengelo: 2005, 2005, 2005
- Denmark Open: 1990
- Eastbourne Pro: 2002
- Finnish Open: 1990
- German Darts ChampionshipGerman Darts ChampionshipThe PartyPoker.net German Darts Championship was a darts tournament organised by the Professional Darts Corporation. The event began in 2007 and was held in the Gerry Weber Centre in Halle, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany...
: 2007, 2009 - Gleneagle Irish Masters: 2009
- Hemeco Open Rosmalen: 2009, 2011
- Ireland Open Autumn Classic: 2004, 2005
- Isle Of Man Open: 1990
- Jersey Festival Of Darts: 1990, 1999
- Jocky Wilson CupJocky Wilson CupThe Jocky Wilson Cup was a one-off international darts tournament, organised by the Professional Darts Corporation, held between England and Scotland in 2009...
: 2009 - Killarney Pro Tour: 2009
- London Masters: 2008
- Masters Of Darts: 2005
- MDA Face Off: 2010
- Montreal Open: 2001, 2002
- Munich Open: 2006
- News of the World Tournament: 1997
- North American Cup: 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003
- North American Open: 1990, 1991
- Open Lunteren: 2011
- PDC UK Masters: 1994
- PDC UK Matchplay: 1996
- PDC World Pairs: 1996
- Pontins British Masters: 1990
- RTL7 MastersRTL7 MastersThe RTL7 Masters 2011 was the first ever edition of the RTL7 Masters which took place from March 18 to 21 at the Hotel Zuiderduin in Egmond aan Zee in the Netherlands.-Prize Money :- Group Stages :...
: 2011 - South African Masters: 2007, 2008, 2009
- WDF Europe CupWDF Europe CupThe WDF Europe Cup is a darts tournament held biennially since 1978. The tournament consists of a team championship, a pairs championship and a singles championship. All events have a men's competition, and a women's competition . The next Europe Cup will be held in 2012, in Antalya,...
: 1990, 1992 - WDF Europe Cup Pairs: 1990
- World Cricket ChampionshipWorld Cricket Championship (darts)The World Cricket Championship is a darts tournament that uses the rules of darts cricket. It started in 2010 and was won by Phil Taylor after beating Mark Walsh 3-2 in the final.-Results:- External links :*...
: 2010
Players Championships
- Players Championships (Austria): 2010
- Players Championships (Bristol): 2008
- Players Championships (Derby): 2010, 2010
- Players Championships (Eindhoven): 2008, 2008
- Players Championships (Germany): 2008, 2008, 2009, 2009
- Players Championships (Gibraltar): 2009, 2009
- Players Championships (Netherlands): 2005, 2005, 2007, 2007
- Players Championships (Ireland): 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011
- Players Championships (Las Vegas): 2008
- Players Championships (English Midlands): 2008
- Players Championships (Nuland): 2009, 2009
- Players Championships (Southern England): 2008, 2009
- Players Championships (Wales): 2005, 2006
- Players Championships (Wigan): 2010, 2011, 2011
UK Open Regionals
- UK Open Regional (Ireland): 2002, 2004
- UK Open Regional (English Midlands): 2008, 2009
- UK Open Regional (North West England): 2008
- UK Open Regional (South West England): 2009
- UK Open Regional (Southern England): 2003, 2007, 2009
- UK Open Regional (Wales): 2002, 2004, 2006
- UK Open Qualifier: 2010, 2010, 2011, 2011
High averages
Taylor has achieved a majority of the highest ever televised averages in the PDC, including the highest average ever on television. This was achieved in round four of the 2010 UK Open2010 UK Open Darts
The 2010 Rileys Darts Zones UK Open was the eighth year of the PDC darts tournament where, following numerous regional qualifying heats throughout Britain, players competed in a single elimination tournament to be crowned champion...
, in which he averaged 118.66 in a 9–0 win over Kevin Painter
Kevin Painter
Kevin Painter is an English professional darts player who plays in Professional Darts Corporation tournaments, where he is known as "The Artist"...
.
| Rank | Average | Player | Score | Opponent | Tournament | Stage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 118.66 | England Phil Taylor |
9–0 (L) | Kevin Painter Kevin Painter Kevin Painter is an English professional darts player who plays in Professional Darts Corporation tournaments, where he is known as "The Artist"... England |
2010 UK Open 2010 UK Open Darts The 2010 Rileys Darts Zones UK Open was the eighth year of the PDC darts tournament where, following numerous regional qualifying heats throughout Britain, players competed in a single elimination tournament to be crowned champion... |
Round 4 |
| 2 | 116.01 | England Phil Taylor |
8–3 (L) | John Part John Part John Part is a Canadian professional darts player, who is nicknamed Darth Maple.Part is one of only five players in darts history to be a three time World Champion... Canada |
2009 Premier League 2009 Premier League Darts The 2009 Whyte & Mackay Premier League was a darts tournament organised by the Professional Darts Corporation.The tournament kicked off at the Echo Arena Liverpool which hosted the biggest ever crowd for a PDC event of almost 8,000 in 2008.... |
League |
| 3 | 115.62 | England Phil Taylor |
10–0 (L) | Mark Lawrence England |
2009 UK Open 2009 UK Open Darts The 2009 Blue Square UK Open was the seventh year of the PDC darts tournament where, following numerous regional qualifying heats throughout Britain, players competed in a single elimination tournament to be crowned champion... |
Quarter-finals |
| 4 | 115.51 | England Phil Taylor |
9–3 (L) | Ken Mather Canada |
2009 UK Open 2009 UK Open Darts The 2009 Blue Square UK Open was the seventh year of the PDC darts tournament where, following numerous regional qualifying heats throughout Britain, players competed in a single elimination tournament to be crowned champion... |
Round 4 |
| 5 | 114.54 | England Phil Taylor |
9–3 (L) | Wes Newton Wes Newton Wesley "Wes" Newton is an English darts player who plays in Professional Darts Corporation tournaments.-Darts career:... England |
2008 UK Open 2008 UK Open Darts The 2008 Blue Square UK Open was the sixth year of the PDC darts tournament where, following numerous regional qualifying heats throughout Britain, players competed in a single elimination tournament to be crowned champion... |
Round 5 |
| 6 | 114.15 | England Darryl Fitton Darryl Fitton Darryl Fitton is an English professional darts player currently playing in BDO events. He is nicknamed The Dazzler and comes to the stage dancing to the Madness song "One Step Beyond" wearing sunglasses. It is one of the most popular walk-ons with the audience... |
6–0 (L) | Davy Richardson Davy Richardson Davy Richardson is an English darts player currently playing in British Darts Organisation events. He is nicknamed The Face.... England |
2004 International Darts League | Last 32 group |
| 7 | 113.92 | England Phil Taylor |
9–3 (L) | Mervyn King England |
2008 European Championship 2008 European Championship Darts The 2008 European Championship was the inaugural edition of the PDC tournament, the European Championship, which allowed the top European players to compete against the highest ranked players from the PDC Order of Merit... |
Round 2 |
| 8 | 113.43 | England Phil Taylor |
8–0 (L) | Gary Mawson Gary Mawson Gary Mawson is a Canadian-born American darts player, who currently resides in North Royalton, Ohio, United States. He moved from Niagara Falls to Ohio to further increase his chances of success on the growing American darts circuit. He uses the nickname The Mauler for his matches...  United States |
1997 World Matchplay 1997 World Matchplay Darts The 1997 World Matchplay was a darts tournament held in the Empress Ballroom at the Winter Gardens, Blackpool. The tournament was won by Phil Taylor.-1st Round:*Dean Allsopp v Bob Anderson 5 - 8... |
Round 1 |
| 9 | 113.33 | England Phil Taylor |
11–7 (L) | Robert Thornton Robert Thornton (darts player) Robert Thornton is a Scottish darts player who competes in Professional Darts Corporation events after his switch from the BDO in May 2008. He won the prestigious Winmau World Masters in November 2007.-BDO career:... Scotland |
2008 European Championship 2008 European Championship Darts The 2008 European Championship was the inaugural edition of the PDC tournament, the European Championship, which allowed the top European players to compete against the highest ranked players from the PDC Order of Merit... |
Semi-finals |
| 10 | 112.68 | England Phil Taylor |
11–1 (L) | Adrian Lewis Adrian Lewis Adrian Lewis is an English professional darts player for the Professional Darts Corporation who is the reigning PDC World Darts Champion... England |
2008 Premier League 2008 Premier League Darts The 2008 Whyte & Mackay Premier League was a darts tournament organised by the Professional Darts Corporation . The prize money was increased by £75,000 compared to 2007... |
Semi-finals |
| 11 | 112.56 | England Chris Mason Chris Mason (darts player) Christopher John Mason is an English darts player who plays in the Professional Darts Corporation. He uses the nickname Mace the Ace for his matches.- BDO and first PDC spell :... |
11–8 (L) | Adrian Lewis England |
2005 UK Open 2005 UK Open Darts The 2005 Budweiser UK Open was the third year of the darts tournament organised by the Professional Darts Corporation. A massive field of 170 players were whittled down to just one in 48 hours of hectic competition at the Reebok Stadium, Bolton. Phil Taylor eventually took the trophy with a 13-7... |
Round 6 |
| 12 | 112.17 | England Phil Taylor |
16–7 (L) | Chris Mason England |
2002 World Matchplay 2002 World Matchplay Darts The 2002 World Matchplay was a darts tournament held in the Empress Ballroom at the Winter Gardens, Blackpool. Sponsored by UK bookmaker Stan James, the tournament ran from 28 July through 3 August 2002, and was won by Phil Taylor.-1st Round:... |
Quarter-finals |
| 13 | 111.74 | England Phil Taylor |
8–3 (L) | John Part Canada |
2008 Premier League 2008 Premier League Darts The 2008 Whyte & Mackay Premier League was a darts tournament organised by the Professional Darts Corporation . The prize money was increased by £75,000 compared to 2007... |
League |
| 14 | 111.67 | England Phil Taylor |
10–8 (L) | James Wade James Wade James Wade is an English professional darts player, currently playing in the Professional Darts Corporation . He became the youngest player ever to win a major PDC title at the World Matchplay in July 2007... England |
2010 Premier League 2010 Premier League Darts The 2010 Whyte & Mackay Premier League was a darts tournament organised by the Professional Darts Corporation; the sixth such running of the tournament.The tournament began at The O2 Arena in London on 11 February, and finished at the Wembley Arena on 24 May.... |
Final |
| 15 | 111.35 | England Phil Taylor |
3–0 (S) | Dennis Priestley Dennis Priestley Dennis Priestley is an English professional darts player. He has won two world championships, and was the first player to win both the BDO and WDC world championships, in 1991 and 1994 respectively... England |
2008 US Open 2008 US Open Darts The 2008 US Open is the second year of a darts tournament, organized by the Professional Darts Corporation . It was played at the Mohegan Sun Casino Resort, Connecticut, USA between May 16 and May 18, 2008.Phil Taylor successfully defended his title.... |
Semi-finals |
| 16 | 111.21 | England Phil Taylor |
6–1 (S) | Shayne Burgess Shayne Burgess Shayne Burgess is an English darts player who is one of the few examples of players that has switched from the British Darts Organisation to the Professional Darts Corporation and back - he announced his intention to return to the BDO in early 2007, but remains a competitor in the PDC... England |
2002 PDC World Championship | Round 2 |
| 17 | 111.14 | England Phil Taylor |
8–3 (L) | Raymond van Barneveld Raymond van Barneveld Raymond van Barneveld , nickname Barney is a professional darts player. He is a five time World Darts Champion, and two time UK Open Champion. From January to June 2008, he was the PDC world number one ranked player... Netherlands |
2008 Premier League 2008 Premier League Darts The 2008 Whyte & Mackay Premier League was a darts tournament organised by the Professional Darts Corporation . The prize money was increased by £75,000 compared to 2007... |
League |
| 18 | 111.03 | England James Wade |
5–3 (L) | Denis Ovens Denis Ovens Denis Ovens is an English darts player currently ranked number 29 in the PDC Order of Merit. He is nicknamed The Heat and is now based in Stevenage. Ovens is widely regarded as one of the most consistent players in the circuit, though he has as yet failed to convert his form from the circuit to... England |
2008 Grand Slam of Darts 2008 Grand Slam of Darts The 2008 Grand Slam of Darts was the second staging of the darts tournament, the Grand Slam of Darts organised by the Professional Darts Corporation. The event took place from 15–23 November 2008 at the Wolverhampton Civic Hall... |
Groups |
| 19 | 110.94 | England Phil Taylor |
7–1 (S) | Raymond van Barneveld Netherlands |
2009 PDC World Championship 2009 PDC World Darts Championship The 2009 Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship was the 16th World Championship organised by the Professional Darts Corporation since it separated from the British Darts Organisation.... |
Final |
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Average was achieved by Phil Taylor | |
| L | Game was in legs |
| S | Game was in sets |
External links
- PhilThePower.com Official Website
[3] http://www.6towns.co.uk/news/2011/10/dan-discussesis-darts-sport-and-should-it-be-olympics Phil Taylor interview on 6 Towns radio 22 October 2011