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Joe Cullen (darts player)

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Joe Cullen
Cullen at the 2022 Premier League Darts
Personal information
Nickname"The RockStar”
Born (1989-07-13) 13 July 1989 (age 35)
Bradford, England
Home townBradford, England
Darts information
Playing darts since2006
Darts21g Winmau Joe Cullen
LateralityRight-handed
Walk-on music"Layla" by Derek and the Dominos (intro)&
"Don't Look Back in Anger" by Oasis
Organisation (see split in darts)
PDC2008–
(Tour Card: 2011-)
Current world ranking17 Increase 1 (27 October 2024)[1]
PDC premier events – best performances
World Ch'shipLast 16: 2021, 2023
World MatchplaySemi Final: 2023
World Grand PrixSemi Final: 2023
UK OpenQuarter Final: 2016
Grand SlamQuarter Final: 2022
European Ch'shipSemi Final: 2018, 2021
Premier LeagueRunner Up: 2022
PC FinalsQuarter Final: 2020, 2022
MastersWinner (1): 2022
World Series FinalsQuarter Final: 2016, 2022
Other tournament wins
Youth Tour (AUT) 2011
Youth Tour (NED) 2011
Youth Tour (IRL) 2011

European Tour Events

European Darts Matchplay 2019
Hungarian Darts Trophy 2022
International Darts Open 2020

Players Championships

Players Championship (BAR) 2017 (x2)
Players Championship (BOL) 2021
Players Championship (COV) 2020
Players Championship (MK) 2021
Players Championship (WIG) 2022 (x2)

Joe Cullen (born 13 July 1989) is an English professional darts player who plays in Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) events. He won three Youth Tour tournaments in his early career and has qualified for the PDC World Championship twelve times, winning only thrice in the first round. Cullen reached his first major quarter-final at the 2016 UK Open and won his first PDC Pro Tour title in 2017. He won his first televised title at the 2022 Masters.

Career

Early career

Cullen first came to prominence in 2008 when he qualified for the UK Open.[2] He defeated Mark Stapleton and Dennis Smith before Chris Mason defeated him in the last 64. Following his performances at Bolton, he joined the PDC circuit. He also reached the final of the New Kids on the Oche tournament, losing to Arron Monk.

In 2009, Cullen decided to leave his job as a postman to concentrate on a career in darts.[3]

Cullen had another decent run at the 2010 UK Open. He knocked out Darren Latham and Mike Nott before losing to Mervyn King, again in the last 64. Later that year, he defeated Phil Taylor in the last 16 of the John McEvoy Gold Dart Classic in Killarney, eventually losing in the quarter-finals to Colin Osborne.[4]

Cullen qualified for his first PDC World Darts Championship in 2011. He lost narrowly to Terry Jenkins by 3 sets to 2 in the first round. In April, Cullen reached his first PDC Pro Tour final at the sixth UK Open Qualifier in Barnsley, losing 6–1 to Taylor.[5]

2012

He reached the final of the PDPA World Championship Qualifier, where he was beaten 5–3 by Arron Monk.[6] The result meant that he qualified for the preliminary round of the 2012 World Championship, where he beat Oliver Ferenc of Serbia by 4 legs to 2.[7] He played number 10 seed Terry Jenkins in the first round for the second successive year and was beaten 3–0, winning just three legs in the match.[8] In April, he earned a place in the Austrian Darts Open by defeating Sam Hill and John Bowles in the UK qualifier.[9] He played Brendan Dolan in the first round and won 6–4,[10] and then continued his run by beating Simon Whitlock 6–4, despite his opponent hitting a nine darter.[11] Cullen defeated Mark Walsh to make the quarter-finals, where he was this time on the wrong end of a 6–4 scoreline as he lost to eventual winner Justin Pipe.[12] Cullen's best result of the season came a week after this as he won through to the semi-finals of the final UK Open Qualifier, but was then whitewashed 6–0 by Pipe.[13][14] He also qualified for the third European Tour event, the European Darts Open and beat Jenkins 6–1 in the first round in Düsseldorf, before losing to Johnny Haines 6–5 in round two.[15]

Cullen reached the last 16 of the UK Open with victories over Jim Walker (9–4) and Colin Lloyd (9–8),[16] but then let a 4–0 and 5–1 lead against Jamie Caven slip to lose 9–8.[17] He qualified for the World Matchplay for the first time and lost to Pipe 10–4 in the first round.[18]

2013

Cullen qualified for the 2013 World Championship by finishing 36th on the 2012 ProTour Order of Merit,[19] claiming the fifth of sixteen spots that were available for the highest non-qualified players.[20] He lost 3–0 to John Part in the first round, with the Canadian's superior finishing being the difference between the players.[21] Cullen was ranked world number 41 after the tournament.[22] He lost 9–5 to Lee Palfreyman in the third round of the UK Open.[23] At the Austrian Darts Open Cullen beat Kim Huybrechts 6–4 and then averaged a stunning 111.84 average in seeing off Stuart Kellett 6–1.[24] He reached the quarter-finals of this event for the second year running by surviving one match dart from Raymond van Barneveld to win 6–5, but was then beaten 6–0 by Mervyn King.[25] Cullen reached three other quarter-finals in floor events during the year but lost in each one.[26]

2014

Cullen qualified for the 2014 World Championship through the ProTour Order of Merit once again and faced Peter Wright in the first round.[27][28] Cullen took out a 147 finish to level the opening set with Wright on 12 but lost the decider and also lost the final leg in the second set and was beaten 3–0.[29] He missed out on playing in the UK Open for the first time in his career as he failed to advance beyond the last 128 in any of the six qualifiers.[30] At the 11th Players Championship of the year he reached the semi-finals of a ranking PDC event for the first in over two years, where he was defeated 6–3 by Gary Anderson.[31] Cullen won through to the same stage of the 16th event with impressive victories over Dave Chisnall, Andy Hamilton and Michael van Gerwen, but this time lost 6–3 to Brendan Dolan.[32]

2015

Cullen lost 3–1 to reigning champion Michael van Gerwen in the first round of the 2015 World Championship, after every set had gone to a deciding leg which included Cullen missing two darts for the second set.[33] He was knocked out in the third round of the UK Open 9–6 by Eddie Dootson.[34] Cullen lost in the quarter-finals of the first Players Championship 6–0 to Dave Chisnall and had to wait until October for another one. It came at the European Darts Grand Prix after he saw off Antonio Alcinas 6–3, Chisnall 6–2 (with an average of 103.58) and then averaged an outstanding 110.16 in defeating Raymond van Barneveld 6–2.[35] However, in the quarters he averaged just over 20 points less during a 6–4 loss to Mensur Suljović.[36] Cullen's third and final quarter-final of 2015 was at the 19th Players Championship after he ousted Ronnie Baxter, Ian White, Jamie Caven and Steve West, before losing 6–4 to Stephen Bunting.[37]

2016

He took the final qualifying spot from the Pro Tour Order of Merit for the 2016 World Championship, but lost in the opening round for the sixth year in a row as he won just two legs during a 3–0 defeat to Jelle Klaasen.[38][39] At the UK Open Cullen beat Mark Frost 9–1, Alan Norris 9–6 and Stephen Bunting 9–7 to play in his first major quarter-final.[40] He produced a fightback from 9–3 down to Peter Wright, but would lose 10–7 with an average of 101.83, his highest in a televised match to date.[41][42] This began a rich vein in form for Cullen as he reached the semi-finals of the first Players Championship event (lost 6–3 to Wright) and the same stage of the German Darts Masters (lost 6–1 to Michael van Gerwen after whitewashing reigning world champion Gary Anderson 6–0 in the quarters).[43][44]

Cullen's second ever PDC final came at the ninth Players Championship, but he was thrashed 6–0 by Benito van de Pas.[45] Another came at the 11th event and he was left waiting for his first professional title as Ian White won 6–3.[46] Cullen qualified for the World Matchplay for the first time in four years and lost 10–5 to Wright in the opening round.[47] Cullen made his debut at the World Grand Prix and he won the first set against Simon Whitlock, before losing six of the next seven legs to bow out.[48] After seeing off Chris Dobey 6–2 at the European Championship he was heavily beaten 10–3 by Phil Taylor in the second round.[49] A 13 dart leg from Cullen saw him squeeze past Anderson in to the quarter-finals of the non-ranking World Series of Darts Finals, where he lost to Wright in a televised match for the third time in 2016, this time 10–7.[50] Cullen eased past Steve Brown 6–1 and Rowby-John Rodriguez 6–0 at the Players Championship Finals, but then averaged 71.13 as Raymond van Barneveld knocked him out 10–2 in the third round.[51]

2017

After breaking into the top 32 on the Order of Merit during 2016, it meant Cullen was a seeded player at the World Championship for the first time in his career. He beat Corey Cadby 3–1 in the first round to pick up his first-ever win at the tournament at the seventh time of asking. Cullen averaged 100.88, but went on to lose 4–0 to two-time winner of the event Adrian Lewis in the next round.[52][53][54]

Cullen joined the Professional Dart Players Association's 9 Dart Club for the first time, after getting a nine-dart finish in the second round of the 2017 PDC Players Championship 4 against Jim Brown.[55][56][57]

Cullen claimed his first PDC title in April at the eighth Players Championship. He was 4–1 up in the final, before Daryl Gurney squared the match at 5–5. Gurney missed one match dart and Cullen won on double four and said afterwards that he had relied on his natural talent in the past, but in the last year he had also been working very hard on his game.[58]

2022

Cullen at the Premier League Darts final in Berlin (2022)

Entering the 2022 PDC World Darts Championship ranked 13th in the world, Cullen defeated Jim Williams 3–2 in the second round before losing 3–4 to debutant Martijn Kleermaker in the third round.[59] On 30 January 2022, Cullen won a first televised PDC title when he won the 2022 Masters.[60] Cullen defeated Daryl Gurney, Gary Anderson 10–1 with an average of 106.30, Michael van Gerwen and José de Sousa en route to the final.[61] Despite missing ten match darts, he defeated Dave Chisnall 11–9 to secure his first televised PDC title.[60]

Cullen joined the Professional Dart Players Association's 9 Dart Club for the second time, after getting a nine-dart finish in the third round of the 2022 PDC Players Championship 5 against James Wilson.[55][62][63]

Cullen competed in his debut season in the Premier League in 2022; he finished 4th in the table and qualified for finals night on the last night of league play, by defeating Peter Wright in his final match. On June 13, at finals night in Berlin, Cullen defeated Jonny Clayton 10-4 in the semi-finals to secure a place in the final against Michael van Gerwen, which he lost 11-10 after missing a match dart.

Cullen made it to the last 16 of the 2023 PDC World Darts Championship.[64] He was knocked out by eventual winner Michael Smith.[64][65]

World Championship record

PDC

Career finals

PDC major finals: 2 (1 title, 1 runner-up)

Outcome No. Year Championship Opponent in the final Score[N 1] Ref.
Winner 1. 2022 The Masters England Dave Chisnall 11–9 (l) [66]
Runner-up 1. 2022 Premier League Netherlands Michael van Gerwen 10–11 (l) [67]

Performance timeline

Tournament 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
PDC World Championship Did not qualify 1R 1R 1R 1R 1R 1R 2R 1R 2R 2R 4R 3R 4R
UK Open 3R 1R 3R 4R 5R 3R DNQ 3R QF 5R 3R 4R 5R 4R 4R 6R
World Matchplay Did not qualify 1R Did not qualify 1R 1R QF 1R 2R 2R 2R SF
World Grand Prix Did not qualify 1R 2R 1R 1R QF 1R 2R SF
European Championship Did not qualify 2R 1R SF 2R 1R SF 1R
Grand Slam of Darts Did not qualify RR 2R QF
Players Championship Finals Did not qualify 3R 1R 3R 2R QF 1R QF
Non-ranked televised events
The Masters Not held Did not qualify QF 1R 2R W 1R
Premier League Darts Did not play F DNP
World Series of Darts Finals Not held DNQ QF DNQ 1R DNP QF DNP
PDC World Youth Championship Not held 3R 2R Did not play
Career statistics
Year-end ranking 267 118 61 48 41 37 44 48 28 19 15 15 16 11 12

PDC European Tour

Season 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
2012 ADO
QF 		GDC
DNP 		EDO
2R 		GDM
DNQ 		DDM
DNQ
2013 UKM
DNQ 		EDT
2R 		EDO
DNQ 		ADO
QF 		GDT
1R 		GDC
DNQ 		GDM
DNQ 		DDM
2R
2014 GDC
DNQ 		DDM
3R 		GDM
DNQ 		ADO
DNQ 		GDT
DNQ 		EDO
DNQ 		EDG
2R 		EDT
DNQ
2015 GDC
1R 		GDT
DNQ 		GDM
DNQ 		DDM
1R 		IDO
DNQ 		EDO
2R 		EDT
DNQ 		EDM
DNQ 		EDG
QF
2016 DDM
DNQ 		GDM
SF 		GDT
2R 		EDM
1R 		ADO
DNQ 		EDO
DNQ 		IDO
2R 		EDT
3R 		EDG
3R 		GDC
QF
2017 GDC
3R 		GDM
2R 		GDO
3R 		EDG
QF 		GDT
2R 		EDM
QF 		ADO
SF 		EDO
WD 		DDM
3R 		GDG
3R 		IDO
SF 		EDT
QF
2018 EDO
QF 		GDG
QF 		GDO
QF 		ADO
SF 		EDG
QF 		DDM
2R 		GDT
3R 		DDO
QF 		EDM
3R 		GDC
SF 		DDC
QF 		IDO
3R 		EDT
2R
2019 EDO
3R 		GDC
3R 		GDG
QF 		GDO
3R 		ADO
2R 		EDG
2R 		DDM
2R 		DDO
QF 		CDO
2R 		ADC
3R 		EDM
W 		IDO
3R 		GDT
3R
2020 BDC
2R 		GDC
3R 		EDG
3R 		IDO
W
2021 HDT
QF 		GDT
3R
2022 IDO
3R 		GDC
3R 		GDG
2R 		ADO
QF 		EDO
3R 		CDO
2R 		EDG
2R 		DDC
2R 		EDM
2R 		HDT
W 		GDO
SF 		BDO
3R 		GDT
3R
2023 BSD
3R 		EDO
2R 		IDO
2R 		GDG
SF 		ADO
QF 		DDC
2R 		BDO
2R 		CDO
2R 		EDG
3R 		EDM
SF 		GDO
2R 		HDT
3R 		GDC
3R


Performance Table Legend
W Won the tournament RU Runner-up SF Semifinalist QF Quarterfinalist #R
RR
L# 		Lost in # round
Round-robin
Last # stage 		DQ Disqualified
DNQ Did not qualify DNP Did not participate WD Withdrew NH Tournament not held NYF Not yet founded

References

  1. ^ (l) = score in legs, (s) = score in sets.
  1. ^ "PDC Order of Merit". PDPA. 27 October 2024. Retrieved 27 October 2024.
  2. ^ "Joe Cullen - Winmau Players and Other Top Tour Pros - Players". www.reddragondarts.com. Retrieved 15 February 2021.
  3. ^ "Joe Cullen profile". Retrieved 16 December 2010.
  4. ^ Anderson Takes Killarney Glory Archived 19 October 2010 at the Wayback Machine PDC.tv
  5. ^ Taylor Takes Qualifier Six Win Archived 20 April 2011 at the Wayback Machine PDC.tv
  6. ^ "PDPA World Championship Qualifier". PDC. Archived from the original on 31 December 2011. Retrieved 19 December 2011.
  7. ^ "World Championship - Night Six". PDC. 20 December 2011. Archived from the original on 7 January 2012. Retrieved 20 December 2011.
  8. ^ "Gary Anderson survives Jyhan Artut scare". BBC Sport. 20 December 2011. Archived from the original on 13 July 2012. Retrieved 21 December 2011.
  9. ^ "European Tour 1 - UK Qualifier". PDC. 13 April 2012. Archived from the original on 17 April 2012. Retrieved 24 April 2012.
  10. ^ "European Tour Event One Draw". PDC. 13 April 2012. Archived from the original on 20 June 2012. Retrieved 24 April 2012.
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  12. ^ "2012 PDC European Tour Vienna Results". Darts Database. Retrieved 29 April 2012.
  13. ^ "2012 UK Open Qualifier Results". Darts Database. Retrieved 13 January 2013.
  14. ^ "Joe Cullen 2012". Darts Database. Archived from the original on 14 January 2013. Retrieved 13 January 2013.
  15. ^ "2012 PDC European Tour Dusseldorf Results". Darts Database. Retrieved 9 July 2012.
  16. ^ "2012 UK Open Results". Darts Database. Retrieved 11 June 2012.
  17. ^ "Speedy Services UK Open RD5". PDC. Archived from the original on 11 June 2012. Retrieved 11 June 2012.
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  26. ^ "Joe Cullen 2013". Darts Database. Archived from the original on 8 December 2013. Retrieved 8 December 2013.
  27. ^ "2014 PDC World Championship Qualifiers". Darts Database. Retrieved 8 December 2013.
  28. ^ "Ladbrokes World Championship Schedule". PDC. Archived from the original on 6 December 2013. Retrieved 8 December 2013.
  29. ^ "Ladbrokes World Championship Day One". PDC. 14 December 2013. Archived from the original on 16 December 2013.
  30. ^ "Coral UK Open Field Confirmed". PDC. 23 February 2014. Archived from the original on 1 March 2014. Retrieved 24 February 2014.
  31. ^ "Brilliant Anderson Storms To Victory In Coventry". PDC. Archived from the original on 17 June 2014. Retrieved 15 June 2014.
  32. ^ "Deadly Dolan's Dublin Delight". PDC. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 5 October 2014.
  33. ^ "William Hill World Championship Day One". PDC. Archived from the original on 18 December 2014. Retrieved 18 December 2014.
  34. ^ "2015 UK Open Results". Darts Database. Retrieved 2 December 2015.
  35. ^ "European Darts Grand Prix Third Round". PDC. Archived from the original on 19 October 2015. Retrieved 2 December 2015.
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  37. ^ "2015 PDPA Players Championship Coventry Results". Darts Database. Retrieved 3 December 2015.
  38. ^ "2016 PDC World Championship Qualifiers". Darts Database. Archived from the original on 28 December 2017. Retrieved 2 December 2015.
  39. ^ "William Hill World Championship Day Seven". PDC. Archived from the original on 25 December 2015. Retrieved 27 December 2015.
  40. ^ "2016 Coral UK Open Fifth Round". PDC. Archived from the original on 10 May 2017. Retrieved 11 December 2016.
  41. ^ "2016 Coral UK Open Quarter-Finals". PDC. Archived from the original on 10 June 2016. Retrieved 11 December 2016.
  42. ^ "Joe Cullen Televised Averages". Darts Database. Archived from the original on 12 December 2016. Retrieved 11 December 2016.
  43. ^ "Wright Edges Lewis For PC1 Victory". PDC. Retrieved 11 December 2016.
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  46. ^ "White Denies Cullen For Barnsley Win". PDC. Retrieved 11 December 2016.
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  49. ^ "2016 European Championship Results". Darts Database. Archived from the original on 18 November 2016. Retrieved 11 December 2016.
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  51. ^ "2016 Players Championship Finals Results". Darts Database. Retrieved 11 December 2016.
  52. ^ "William Hill World Championship Day Five". PDC. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 20 December 2016.
  53. ^ "On target: Adrian Lewis next on horizon for Bradford's Joe Cullen". The Yorkshire Post. Retrieved 20 December 2016.
  54. ^ "William Hill World Championship Day Nine". PDC. Retrieved 23 December 2016.
  55. ^ a b "PDPA - 9 Dart Club". Professional Darts Players Association - PDPA. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
  56. ^ "2017 Players Championship 4". PDC. 12 March 2017. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
  57. ^ "Ninedarter thrown by Joe Cullen vs. Jim Brown at Players Championships 2017 PC 04 Barnsley - Mastercaller". Mastercaller. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
  58. ^ "Cullen's Maiden Title Delight In Barnsley". PDC. Archived from the original on 13 April 2017. Retrieved 17 April 2017.
  59. ^ "Cross wins epic Gurney tussle with 170 checkout". www.pdc.tv. 28 December 2021. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
  60. ^ a b "CLinical Cullen secures maiden TV title at Ladbrokes Masters". www.pdc.tv. 30 January 2022. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
  61. ^ "Whitlock KO's Wright to reach Ladbrokes Masters quarter-finals". www.pdc.tv. 29 January 2022. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
  62. ^ Allen, Dave (19 March 2022). "Heta edges out Anderson for Players Championship 5 triumph". PDC. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
  63. ^ "Ninedarter thrown by Joe Cullen vs. James Wilson at Players Championships 2022 PC 05 Barnsley - Mastercaller". Mastercaller. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
  64. ^ a b Wellens, Megan (30 December 2022). "World Darts Championship: Michael Smith shows class to knock out Joe Cullen as Gabriel Clemens makes history with win over Alan Soutar". Sky Sports. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
  65. ^ Hammer, Chris (4 January 2023). "Darts results: Nine-dart hero Michael Smith wins his first PDC World Championship after beating Michael van Gerwen in an epic Ally Pally final". Sporting Life. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
  66. ^ "Clinical Cullen secures maiden TV title at Labrokes Masters". www.pdc.tv. 30 January 2022.
  67. ^ "Van Gerwen wins Cullen classic to lift sixth Premier League title". www.pdc.tv. 13 June 2022.
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