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==High averages==
==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 Open Darts|2010 UK Open]], in which he averaged 118.66 in a 9–0 win over [[Kevin Painter]].<ref name="averages">{{Cite web|title=Average Records |url=http://www.pdpa.co.uk/stats/averagerecords/index.htm|work=PDPA|accessdate=13 August 2010}}</ref>{{dead link|date=February 2012}}<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/othersports/article-1284319/Phil-Taylor-smashes-world-record-average-televised-game.html |title=Phil Taylor smashes world record average for a televised game |newspaper=[[Daily Mail]] |date=5 June 2010 |accessdate=22 August 2010 | location=London}}</ref>
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 Open Darts|2010 UK Open]], in which he averaged 118.66 in a 9–0 win over [[Kevin Painter]].<ref name="averages">{{Cite web|title=Average Records |url=http://www.pdpa.co.uk/stats/averagerecords/index.htm|work=PDPA|accessdate=13 August 2010}}</ref>{{dead link|date=February 2012}}<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/othersports/article-1284319/Phil-Taylor-smashes-world-record-average-televised-game.html |title=Phil Taylor smashes world record average for a televised game |newspaper=[[Daily Mail]] |date=5 June 2010 |accessdate=22 August 2010 | location=London}}</ref> In February 2012, Taylor achieved the highest ever average without actually winning the match, as he drew 7–7 with [[Adrian Lewis]] in the [[2012 Premier League Darts|Premier League]] with an average of 112.79.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.pdc.tv/page/NewsdeskDetail/0,,10180~2605896,00.html | title=McCoy's Premier League Darts - Night One Round-Up | publisher=[[Professional Darts Corporation|PDC]] | date=10 February 2012 | accessdate=11 February 2012}}</ref>
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Revision as of 19:15, 11 February 2012

Phil Taylor
Personal information
Full namePhilip Douglas Taylor
NicknameThe Power
Born (1960-08-13) 13 August 1960 (age 63)
Stoke-on-Trent, England
Home townCrewe
Darts information
Playing darts since1961
Darts26g Unicorn Phase 5 Rosso[1]
LateralityRight-handed
Walk-on music"The Power" by Snap!
Organisation (see split in darts)
BDO1988–1993
PDC1993–present (Founding member)
Current world ranking1
WDF major events – best performances
World Ch'shipWinner (2) 1990, 1992
World MastersWinner (1) 1990
World TrophyWinner (1) 2006
Int. Darts LeagueQuarter-finals (1) 2006
PDC premier events – best performances
World Ch'shipWinner (13) 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010
World MatchplayWinner (12) 1995, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011
World Grand PrixWinner (10) 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2011
UK OpenWinner (4) 2003, 2005, 2009, 2010
Grand SlamWinner (4) 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011
European Ch'shipWinner (4) 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011
Premier LeagueWinner (5) 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010
Ch'ship LeagueWinner (2) 2008, 2011
Desert ClassicWinner (5) 2002, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2009
US Open/WSoDWinner (4) 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010
PC FinalsWinner (2) 2009, 2011
Other tournament wins
TournamentYears
Antwerp Darts Trophy

Antwerp Open
Battle of the Champions
Berlin Open
Bobby Bourn Memorial
British Pentathlon
Canadian Open
Center Parcs Masters
Champion Vs Champion
Championship of Darts
China Telecom Cup
Dartgala Hengelo
Denmark Open
Eastbourne Pro
Finnish Open
German Darts Championship Gleneagle Irish Masters
Hemeco Open Rosmalen
IRL Open Autumn Classic
Isle Of Man Open
Jersey Festival Of Darts
Jocky Wilson Cup
Killarney Pro Tour
London Masters
Masters Of Darts
MDA Face Off
Montreal Open
Munich Open
News of the World Tournament
North American Cup
North American Open
Open Lunteren
PDC UK Masters
PDC UK Matchplay
PDC World Cup of Darts
PDC World Pairs
Pontins British Masters
RTL7 Masters
South African Masters
WDF Europe Cup
WDF Europe Cup Pairs
World Cricket Championship

Players Championships
Players Championship (AUS)
Players Championship (BRI)
Players Championship (DER)
Players Championship (EIN)
Players Championship (GER)
Players Championship (GIB)
Players Championship (HOL)
Players Championship (IRL)
Players Championship (LAV)
Players Championship (MID)
Players Championship (NUL)
Players Championship (SOU)
Players Championship (WAL)
Players Championship (WIG)

UK Open Regionals
UK Open Regional (IRL)
UK Open Regional (MID)
UK Open Regional (NWE)
UK Open Regional (SWE)
UK Open Regional (SOU)
UK Open Regional (WAL)

UK Open Qualifier		2008

1997, 1998
1997
1993
2003-2008
1990, 1991
1988
1996
1999, 2004
2008, 2011
2004
2005, 2005, 2005
1990
2002
1990
2007, 2009
2009
2009, 2011
2004, 2005
1990
1990, 1999
2009
2009
2008
2005
2010
2001, 2002
2006
1997
2000-2003
1990, 1991
2011
1994
1996
2012
1996
1990
2011
2007-2009
1990, 1992
1990
2010


2010
2008
2010, 2010
2008, 2008
2008, 2008, 2009, 2009
2009, 2009
2005, 2005, 2007, 2007
2005-2009, 2011
2008
2008
2009, 2009
2008, 2009
2005, 2006
2010, 2011, 2011


2002, 2004
2008, 2009
2008
2009
2003, 2007, 2009
2002, 2004, 2006

2010, 2010, 2011, 2011
Other achievements
2002 Achieves his first televised nine dart finish (and the first live televised nine-darter in the UK) at World Matchplay

2004 Becomes first player to hit a second televised nine-dart finish
2005 Hit third televised nine-dart finish
2006 PDC Player of the Year[2]
2007 Fourth televised nine-darter in IDL in the Netherlands
2007 Fifth televised nine-darter in 2007 UK Open at the Reebok Stadium, Bolton
2007 PDC Fans' Player of the Year[3]
2008 Sixth televised nine-darter in 2008 UK Open
2008 Fans' Player of the Year, PDC Player of the Year and PDPA Player's Player of the Year
2009 Hits seventh televised 9 darter in Championship League Darts against John Part
2009 PDC Player of the Year, PDPA Players’ Player of the Year, Fans’ Player of the Year and Best PDC Pro Tour Player[4]
2010 Inaugural inductee into Stoke-on-Trent Sporting Hall of Fame[5]
2010 Hit two televised nine dart finishes in Premier League Final against James Wade[6]

2010 Scored world record televised average of 118.66 against Kevin Painter in UK Open[7]
Updated on 20 November 2011.

Philip Douglas 'Phil' Taylor (born 13 August 1960) is an English professional darts player, nicknamed The Power. He is 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.[8][9]

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).[10][11] He was the first person to hit two nine darters in one match, in the 2010 Premier League Darts final against James Wade.[12] As of 26 September 2010, he has hit nine televised nine dart finishes, 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).

He was given the nickname "The Power" by a Sky Sports production manager, Peter Judge. Judge told Taylor that he should have a nickname, and he was named "The Power" after Judge stepped on an empty CD case of Snap!'s "The Power".[13]

Early life

Taylor was born to 'Dangerous' Douglas and 'Magic' Miranda Taylor on 13 August 1960 in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent. He left school at the age of 16 [14] and after holding a few jobs including as a sheet metal worker,[15] he would spend most of his early working days making ceramic toilet roll handles, for which he earned £52 a week.[16][17] 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.[18][19][20]

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 Masters 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,[21] 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[note 1] to claim his first world title.[21] 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.[22]

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.[23] 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.[24] He called the win as the favourite of his career.[25]

Split in darts

Main article: 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 Organisation, and formed their own organisation, the World Darts Council (WDC), later renamed the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC).[26]

In the 1993 World Championship, the last unified World Championship to be held,[27] Taylor lost in the second round to Kevin Spiolek.[28] 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.[26] In the first WDC World Championship in 1994, Taylor lost to Priestley, but Taylor dominated the event for the next decade and beyond.[29]

PDC career

1994 to 1998

After losing to Priestley 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.

1999 to 2004

Taylor stretched his World Championship unbeaten run to eight years in the PDC World Championship beating Peter Manley in 1999 and 2002, Priestley for a fourth time in 2000 and John Part in 2001. Part would finally end the run[29] by beating Taylor 7–6 (sets) in the 2003 World Championship.[30]

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.[31]

2004 to 2008

Taylor continued his dominance during 2004 and 2005, but after winning his 13th World Championship title in January 2006,[32] he lost four matches in televised tournaments during the first half of the year.[33] He lost to Jelle Klaasen and Simon Whitlock in the International Darts League tournament,[34] and twice in a row to Raymond van Barneveld—in the UK Open[35] and the Las Vegas Desert Classic.[36] He came back to win the World Matchplay,[37] the World Darts Trophy[38] (a BDO affiliated event), and the World Grand Prix[39] 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).[40] Taylor had many opportunities to win the match, as he led 3–0, 4–2 and 5–3.[40] Taylor said, "Of all the finals I've played in, I would probably put this one as the best".[40]

2007 proved to be Taylor's most barren year for major title successes.[41] 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.[42] He lost to Mark Dudbridge at the Las Vegas Desert Classic,[43] and lost at the World Matchplay in Blackpool. At the World Grand Prix in Dublin, he lost to Adrian Gray.[44] Taylor feared his career was in decline or over[45] but later vowed that he would continue.[46]

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.[47] This was the first time that he had not reached the final stage of the PDC World Darts Championship.[29] He was taken to the final set in each of his first three rounds before losing to Wayne Mardle 5 sets to 4;[47] At one point he was up 3–0 in sets.[48]

Before the start of the Premier League tournament,[49] Taylor unveiled some new black 26g darts.[1] 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[50] with a 16–8 victory over Wade (average 108.36).[51] He won his second US Open title in May 2008, defeating Colin Lloyd in the final.[52][53] 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,[54] but was defeated 10–9 in the quarter-finals by Raymond van Barneveld.[55]

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,[56] World Grand Prix,[57] the first European Darts Championship.[58][59] and the Grand Slam of Darts.[60][61]

2009 to 2011

Taylor won the World Championship 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.[62] His average during the course of the tournament was 104.08.[63] Taylor beat Colin Osborne 11–6 in the final[64] to win his third UK Open title in June, his first win at this tournament since 2005. His tournament average was 107.38.[65]

Success continued throughout the rest of 2009 winning the last Las Vegas Desert Classic (his fifth time),[66] the World Matchplay, the World Grand Prix,[67] European Darts Championship[68] and the Grand Slam of Darts for the third successive time in November.[69]

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.[70] 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.[71] He made history again in the Premier League final against defending champion James Wade in the final by hitting two nine dart finishes, the first time this has been done in professional darts.[72]

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.[73] 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.[74] 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 27 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.

In November, he won the Grand Slam of Darts by beating Gary Anderson 16-4. He lost his Players championship title to Kevin Painter when he was defeated by Mervyn King.

2012 onwards

Taylor failed to make the quarter-finals of the PDC World Championship for the first time in his career in 2012, as he was beaten in the second round, 1-4, by Dave Chisnall.[75] He then represented England this time with Adrian Lewis in his second World Cup of Darts and looked to improve upon the second round exit of 2010. Taylor started the tournament sluggishly as he lost his singles matches to Ken MacNeil of Canada and Gary Mawson of the United States, but nevertheless England progressed thanks to a sudden-death leg in the former and a doubles victory in the latter. A comfortable 5–1 win over Wales followed to reach the final against the Australian pair of Simon Whitlock and Paul Nicholson. Taylor won both his singles matches, averaging 106 to beat Whitlock, but England lost the doubles meaning the tie was level at 3–3 and would require a sudden-death leg. It proved to be a nervous finale to the game as Australia missed four darts to win and Taylor missed two, before Lewis took out double 5 to ensure that England won their first World Cup title. Phil played Adrian in the first week of the 2012 McCoy's Premier League Darts and managed to draw 7-7 with him after being an incredible 6-1 down, he averaged 112.79. [76]

Rivalries

Priestley

Dennis Priestley and Phil Taylor have played each other in five World Finals, with Taylor on top in these head-to-heads 4–1.[77] 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.[77] Taylor and Priestley remain great friends,[78] and Taylor has claimed Priestley is the toughest opponent he has ever faced.[79] 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.[80]

Part

Taylor's next rivalry was with Canadian John Part, who won the BDO World Championship in 1994[81] and moved to the PDC in 1997.[82] Their first meeting in the PDC came at the 2001 PDC World Championship final.[83] The match was one-sided as Taylor averaged 107 and won 7–0.[83] 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.[84][85][86]

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[87] to end Taylor's eight tournament unbeaten run in the championship.[29] Taylor's other losses to Part came in the 2003 Las Vegas Desert Classic (10–13 in the semi-final),[88] the 2004 UK Open (6–8 in the quarter final)[89] and at the 2005 World Matchplay (11–16 in the quarter final).[90]

Part won the 2008 PDC World Championship and became one of only three people with Adrian Lewis and Phil Taylor to have won the tournament more than once,[29] 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.[91]

van Barneveld

Whilst Taylor was clocking up World titles in the PDC, Raymond van Barneveld 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.[92] Barneveld's first PDC win over Taylor came at the 2006 UK Open with an 11–10 quarter final success,[93] which he followed up with success in the semi-finals of the Las Vegas Desert Classic, winning by 4 sets to 3.[94] Taylor later defeated van Barneveld by 3 sets to 1 in the World Grand Prix.[95]

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.[96] 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.[97] Taylor responded to his loss by defeating van Barneveld on two occasions in the 2007 Premier League Darts[98] and beating him in the final of the inaugural US Open.[99] van Barneveld later defeated Taylor in the quarter-finals of the UK Open by 11 legs to 4.[100] Taylor lost his top spot in the PDC World Rankings to van Barneveld in January 2008, but regained it in June.[101]

In major PDC tournaments in 2008, Taylor defeated van Barneveld twice in the Premier League,[102] lost by 10 legs to 9 in the quarter-finals of the UK Open,[103] but won the World Grand Prix against his rival by 6 sets to 2.[104] 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.[105] 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".[106]

They have now met more than 45 times, with Taylor having 35 victories.[107]

Manley, Mason, King and Wade

Taylor has overcome rivals such as Peter Manley whom 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.[108] He was "seriously considering his future in the game" because of Mason's behaviour but decided to continue.[108] Mason apologised to Taylor for his behaviour a week later.[109][110]

He also has current rivalries with Mervyn King since he switched to the PDC in 2007 but has only suffered two televised defeats to-date (2009 Premier League semi-final, Players Championship Finals 2011). 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,[2][102] but Taylor has won every televised knockout match against him, including three World Matchplay finals and two Premier League finals.[111]

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 finish. The first time he achieved this was at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool, against Chris Mason in the televised World Matchplay Championship in 2002.[112] He has achieved the feat eight 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,[12] Taylor became the first player in professional darts to hit two nine dart finishes in a single match.[113]

Phil Taylor's televised nine-dart finishes
Date Opponent Tournament Method Prize
1 August 2002 Chris Mason World Matchplay 3 x T20; 3 x T20; T20, T19, D12 £100,000
5 June 2004[114] Matt Chapman UK Open 3 x T20; 3 x T20; T20, T19, D12 501 bottles of Budweiser
12 June 2005[115] Roland Scholten UK Open 3 x T20; 3 x T20; T20, T19, D12 501 bottles of Budweiser
8 May 2007[116] Raymond van Barneveld International Darts League 3 x T20; 3 x T20; T20, T19, D12 Opel Tigra Twin Top
9 June 2007[117] Wes Newton UK Open 3 x T20; 3 x T20; T20, T19, D12 £20,000[118]
7 June 2008[119] Jamie Harvey UK Open 3 x T20; 2 x T20, T19; 2 x T20, D12 £25,000[120]
24 May 2010 James Wade Premier League Darts T20, 2 x T19; 3 x T20; T20, T17, D18
24 May 2010 James Wade Premier League Darts 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.[121] He has written an autobiography with Sky TV darts commentator Sid Waddell.[122] He supports his home town football club, Port Vale.[123] He was also inducted into the Stoke-on-Trent Hall of Fame when it was opened in January 2011.[124] 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[125]

Television appearances

Taylor's achievements in darts have led to guest appearances on television.[126]

Despite PDC darts not being broadcast on the BBC, he has appeared on several BBC television shows over the years.[127][128][129] 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.[130][131] 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.[132] 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.[133]

Taylor holds records for high scoring in darts. His three-dart average per match records are the highest in the history of the game.[134] 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.[135] Taylor is the first darts player to win more than £1 million in prize money.[136]

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.[137] 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.[138] 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.[5] 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, 2011
  • PDC Fans' Player of the Year: 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011
  • 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,*2011.-2011 *Gold Pin Badge(Televised)/-Silver Pin Badge(Non Televised)
  • BBC Sports Personality Of The Year ( Runner Up ) 2010
  • PDC Hall Of Fame 2011

Tournament wins

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[N 1]
Winner 1. 1990 World Darts Championship England Eric Bristow 6–1 (s)
Winner 2. 1990 Winmau World Masters Scotland Jocky Wilson [N 2]
Runner-up 1. 1991 Winmau World Masters England Rod Harrington [N 2]
Winner 3. 1992 World Darts Championship (2) England Mike Gregory 6–5 (s)
Winner 4. 2006 World Darts Trophy England Martin Adams 7–2 (s)
Runner-up 2. 2007 World Darts Trophy Scotland Gary Anderson 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[N 1]
Runner-up 1. 1994 World Darts Championship England Dennis Priestley 1–6 (s)
Winner 1. 1995 World Darts Championship England Rod Harrington 6–2 (s)
Winner 2. 1995 World Matchplay England Dennis Priestley 16–11 (l)
Winner 3. 1996 World Darts Championship (2) England Dennis Priestley 6–4 (s)
Winner 4. 1997 World Darts Championship (3) England Dennis Priestley 6–3 (s)
Winner 5. 1997 World Matchplay (2) England Alan Warriner-Little 16–11 (l)
Winner 6. 1998 World Darts Championship (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 (5) England Peter Manley 6–2 (s)
Winner 9. 1999 World Grand Prix (2) England Shayne Burgess 6–1 (s)
Winner 10. 2000 World Darts Championship (6) England Dennis Priestley 7–3 (s)
Winner 11. 2000 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 World Darts Championship (7) Canada John Part 7–0 (s)
Winner 14. 2001 World Matchplay (4) Wales Richie Burnett 18–10 (l)
Winner 15. 2002 World Darts Championship (8) England Peter Manley 7–0 (s)
Winner 16. 2002 Las Vegas Desert Classic England Ronnie Baxter 3–0 (s)
Winner 17. 2002 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 World Darts Championship Canada John Part 6–7 (s)
Winner 19. 2003 UK Open England Shayne Burgess 18–8 (l)
Winner 20. 2003 World Matchplay (6) England Wayne Mardle 18–12 (l)
Winner 21. 2003 World Grand Prix (5) Canada John Part 7–2 (s)
Winner 22. 2004 World Darts Championship (9) England Kevin Painter 7–6 (s)
Winner 23. 2004 Las Vegas Desert Classic (2) England Wayne Mardle 6–4 (s)
Winner 24. 2004 World Matchplay (7) England Mark Dudbridge 18–8 (l)
Winner 25. 2005 World Darts Championship (10) England Mark Dudbridge 7–4 (s)
Winner 26. 2005 Premier League Darts England Colin Lloyd 16–4 (l)
Winner 27. 2005 UK Open (2) England Mark Walsh 13–7 (l)
Winner 28. 2005 Las Vegas Desert Classic (3) England Wayne Mardle 6–1 (s)
Winner 29. 2005 World Grand Prix (6) England Colin Lloyd 7–1 (s)
Winner 30. 2006 World Darts Championship (11) England Peter Manley 7–0 (s)
Winner 31. 2006 World Series of Darts England Adrian Lewis 13–5 (l)
Winner 32. 2006 Premier League Darts (2) Netherlands Roland Scholten 16–6 (l)
Winner 33. 2006 World Matchplay (8) England James Wade 18–11 (l)
Winner 34. 2006 World Grand Prix (7) England Terry Jenkins 7–4 (s)
Runner-up 3. 2007 World Darts Championship Netherlands Raymond van Barneveld 6–7 (s)
Winner 35. 2007 US Open (2) Netherlands Raymond van Barneveld 4–1 (s)
Winner 36. 2007 Premier League Darts (3) England Terry Jenkins 16–6 (l)
Winner 37. 2007 Grand Slam of Darts England Andy Hamilton 18–11 (l)
Winner 38. 2008 US Open (3) England Colin Lloyd 3–0 (s)
Winner 39. 2008 Premier League Darts (4) England James Wade 16–8 (l)
Winner 40. 2008 Las Vegas Desert Classic (4) England James Wade 13–7 (l)
Winner 41. 2008 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 Championship League Darts England Mervyn King 7–5 (s)
Winner 44. 2008 European Championship England Adrian Lewis 11–5 (l)
Winner 45. 2008 Grand Slam of Darts (2) England Terry Jenkins 18–9 (l)
Winner 46. 2009 World Darts Championship (12) Netherlands Raymond van Barneveld 7–1 (s)
Winner 47. 2009 Players Championship Finals Scotland Robert Thornton 16–9 (l)
Winner 48. 2009 UK Open (3) England Colin Osborne 11–6 (l)
Winner 49. 2009 Las Vegas Desert Classic (5) Netherlands Raymond van Barneveld 13–11 (l)
Winner 50. 2009 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 Championship League Darts England Colin Osborne 4–6 (s)
Winner 52. 2009 European Championship (2) England Steve Beaton 11–3 (l)
Winner 53. 2009 Grand Slam of Darts (3) England Scott Waites 16–2 (l)
Winner 54. 2010 World Darts Championship (13) Australia Simon Whitlock 7–3 (s)
Winner 55. 2010 Premier League Darts (5) England James Wade 10–8 (l)
Winner 56. 2010 UK Open (4) Scotland Gary Anderson 11–5 (l)
Winner 57. 2010 US Open (4) England Denis Ovens 6–2 (s)
Winner 58. 2010 World Matchplay (11) Netherlands Raymond van Barneveld 18–12 (l)
Winner 59. 2010 European Championship (3) England Wayne Jones 11–1 (l)
Runner-up 5. 2010 Championship League Darts England James Wade 5–6 (s)
Winner 60. 2011 Players Championship Finals (2) Scotland Gary Anderson 13–12 (l)
Winner 61. 2011 World Matchplay (12) England James Wade 18–8 (l)
Winner 62. 2011 European Championship (4) England Adrian Lewis 11–8 (l)
Winner 63. 2011 World Grand Prix (10) Northern Ireland Brendan Dolan 6–3 (s)
Winner 64. 2011 Championship League Darts (2) Australia Paul Nicholson 6–1 (s)
Winner 65. 2011 Grand Slam of Darts (4) Scotland Gary Anderson 16–4 (l)
  1. ^ a b (l) = score in legs, (s) = score in sets.
  2. ^ a b No record of the final score.

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 Open: 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 Championship: 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 Cup: 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 Cup of Darts: 2012
  • PDC World Pairs: 1996
  • Pontins British Masters: 1990
  • RTL7 Masters: 2011
  • South African Masters: 2007, 2008, 2009
  • WDF Europe Cup: 1990, 1992
  • WDF Europe Cup Pairs: 1990
  • World Cricket Championship: 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

Performance timeline

Tournament 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
BDO World Championship A W QF W 2R Not BDO Member
PDC World Championship Not yet founded RU W W W W W W W W RU W W W RU QF W W QF 2R
Winmau World Masters 2R SF W RU 1R Did not participate
World Matchplay Not Held 2R W 2R W QF SF W W W W W QF W SF W W W W
World Grand Prix Not held W W W 1R W W 1R W W 1R W W SF W
Las Vegas Desert Classic Not held W SF W W SF 1R W W Not held
World Darts Trophy Not held Did not participate W RU Not held
UK Open Not held W QF W QF QF QF W W 5R
Premier League Darts Not held W W W W SF W SF
Grand Slam of Darts Not held W W W QF W
US Open Not held W W A W NH
South African Masters Not held W W W NH
German Darts Championship Not held W RU W NH
European Championship Not held W W W W
Championship League Not held W RU RU W
Players Championship Finals Not held W SF W

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 Open, in which he averaged 118.66 in a 9–0 win over Kevin Painter.[139][dead link][140] In February 2012, Taylor achieved the highest ever average without actually winning the match, as he drew 7–7 with Adrian Lewis in the Premier League with an average of 112.79.[141]

Rank Average Player Score Opponent Tournament Stage
1 118.66 England Phil Taylor 9–0 (L) Kevin Painter England 2010 UK Open Round 4
2 116.01 England Phil Taylor 8–3 (L) John Part Canada 2009 Premier League League
3 115.62 England Phil Taylor 10–0 (L) Mark Lawrence England 2009 UK Open Quarter-finals
4 115.51 England Phil Taylor 9–3 (L) Ken Mather Canada 2009 UK Open Round 4
5 114.54 England Phil Taylor 9–3 (L) Wes Newton England 2008 UK Open Round 5
6 114.15 England Darryl Fitton 6–0 (L) Davy Richardson England 2004 International Darts League Last 32 group
7 113.92 England Phil Taylor 9–3 (L) Mervyn King England 2008 European Championship Round 2
8 113.43 England Phil Taylor 8–0 (L) Gary Mawson United States 1997 World Matchplay Round 1
9 113.33 England Phil Taylor 11–7 (L) Robert Thornton Scotland 2008 European Championship Semi-finals
10 112.79 England Phil Taylor 7–7 (L) Adrian Lewis England 2012 Premier League League
11 112.68 England Phil Taylor 11–1 (L) Adrian Lewis England 2008 Premier League Semi-finals
12 112.56 England Chris Mason 11–8 (L) Adrian Lewis England 2005 UK Open Round 6
13 112.17 England Phil Taylor 16–7 (L) Chris Mason England 2002 World Matchplay Quarter-finals
14 111.74 England Phil Taylor 8–3 (L) John Part Canada 2008 Premier League League
15 111.67 England Phil Taylor 10–8 (L) James Wade England 2010 Premier League Final
16 111.35 England Phil Taylor 3–0 (S) Dennis Priestley England 2008 US Open Semi-finals
17 111.21 England Phil Taylor 6–1 (S) Shayne Burgess England 2002 PDC World Championship Round 2
18 111.14 England Phil Taylor 8–3 (L) Raymond van Barneveld Netherlands 2008 Premier League League
19 111.03 England James Wade 5–3 (L) Denis Ovens England 2008 Grand Slam of Darts Groups
20 110.94 England Phil Taylor 7–1 (S) Raymond van Barneveld Netherlands 2009 PDC World Championship Final
Legend
Average was achieved by Phil Taylor
L Game was in legs
S Game was in sets

Notes

Footnotes

  1. ^ Each set is best of five legs of 501 points each.

Citations

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External links

[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

Awards and achievements
Preceded by BDO World Champion
1990 		Succeeded by
Preceded by BDO World Champion
1992 		Succeeded by
Preceded by PDC World Champion
1995–2002 		Succeeded by
Preceded by PDC World Champion
2004–2006 		Succeeded by
Preceded by PDC World Champion
2009–2010 		Succeeded by

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