Phil Taylor (darts player)

Phil Taylor
Personal information
Full namePhilip Douglas Taylor
Nickname"The Power"
"The Crafty Potter"
Born (1960-08-13) 13 August 1960 (age 64)
Stoke-on-Trent, England
Darts information
Darts26g Target Phil Taylor Gen 11
LateralityRight-handed
Walk-on music"The Power" by Snap!
Organisation (see split in darts)
BDO1987–1993
PDC1993–2018 (founding member)
WDF major events – best performances
World Ch'shipWinner (2): 1990, 1992
World MastersWinner (1): 1990
World TrophyWinner (1): 2006
Int. Darts LeagueQuarter-final: 2006
PDC premier events – best performances
World Ch'shipWinner (14): 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2013
World MatchplayWinner (16): 1995, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2017
World Grand PrixWinner (11): 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2013
UK OpenWinner (5): 2003, 2005, 2009, 2010, 2013
Grand SlamWinner (6): 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2014
European Ch'shipWinner (4): 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011
Premier LeagueWinner (6): 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2012
Ch'ship LeagueWinner (4): 2008, 2011, 2012, 2013
Desert ClassicWinner (5): 2002, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2009
US Open/WSoDWinner (3): 2006, 2007, 2008
PC FinalsWinner (3): 2009, 2011, 2012
MastersWinner (1): 2013
Champions LeagueWinner (1): 2016
World Series FinalsSemi-final: 2015, 2016
WSDT major events – best performances
World Ch'shipQuarter-final: 2022, 2023
World MatchplayRunner-up: 2022
World MastersRunner-up: 2022
ChampionsQuarter-final: 2023
Other tournament wins
PDC World Cup of Darts (team event) 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016

European Tour Events

German Darts Championship 2012
German Darts Masters 2014
Gibraltar Darts Trophy 2013
Austrian Darts Open 2016

Players Championships/Pro Tour Events

Players Championship (AUS) 2010
Players Championship (BRI) 2008
Players Championship (CRA) 2014, 2015
Players Championship (DER) 2010 (x2)
Players Championship (EIN) 2008 (x2)
Players Championship (GER) 2008 (x2), 2009 (x2)
Players Championship (GIB) 2009 (x2)
Players Championship (HOL) 2005 (x2), 2007 (x2)
Players Championship (IRL) 2005, 2006, 2007,
2008, 2009, 2011
Players Championship (KIL) 2009
Players Championship (LAV) 2008
Players Championship (MID) 2008
Players Championship (NUL) 2009 (x2)
Players Championship (REA) 2012
Players Championship (SOU) 2008, 2009
Players Championship (WAL) 2005, 2006
Players Championship (WIG) 2010, 2011 (x2)
Bobby Bourn Memorial 2003, 2004, 2005
2006, 2007, 2008
Antwerp Darts Trophy 2008
US Open Players Championship 2010

UK Open Regionals/Qualifiers

UK Open Regional (IRL) 2002, 2004
UK Open Regional (MID) 2008, 2009
UK Open Regional (NWE) 2008
UK Open Regional (SWE) 2009
UK Open Regional (SOU) 2003, 2007, 2009
UK Open Regional (WAL) 2002, 2004, 2006
UK Open Qualifier 2010 (x2), 2011 (x2), 2012 (x2)
2014, 2015, 2016

World Series of Darts Events

Sydney Darts Masters 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016
Perth Darts Masters 2014, 2015
Japan Darts Masters 2015
Melbourne Darts Masters 2017

Other tournament wins

Antwerp Open 1997, 1998
Australian Open 2012
Battle of the Champions 1997
Berlin Open 1993
British Pentathlon 1990, 1991
Canadian Open 1988
Center Parcs Masters 1996
Champion Vs Champion 1999, 2004
China Telecom Cup 2004
Dartgala Hengelo 2005, 2005, 2005
Denmark Open 1990
DPA Tournament of Champions 2012
Eastbourne Pro 2002
Finnish Open 1990
German Darts Championship 2007, 2009
Gleneagle Irish Masters 2009
Hemeco Open Rosmalen 2009, 2011
IRL Open Autumn Classic 2004, 2005
Isle of Man Open 1990
Jersey Festival of Darts 1990, 1999
Las Vegas Open 1989
London Masters 2008
Malta Open 1990
Masters of Darts 2005
MDA Face Off 2010
Montreal Open 2001, 2002
Munich Open 2006
News of the World Ch'ship 1997
North American Cup 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003
North American Open 1990, 1991
Northern Ireland Open 1989
Open Lunteren 2011
WDC UK Masters 1994
WDC UK Matchplay 1996
Pontins British Masters 1990
Quebec Open 2001
RTL7 Masters 2011
South African Masters 2007, 2008, 2009
Sunparks Masters 1996, 1997
WDF Europe Cup Singles 1990, 1992
WDF Europe Cup Pairs1990
WDF Europe Cup Teams1990, 1992
WDF World Cup Team1991
World Team Championship1996
Jocky Wilson Cup2009
World Cricket Championship 2010
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 Hits third televised nine-dart finish at the UK Open
2006 PDC Player of the Year[1]
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[2]
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 PDC Player of the Year, PDPA Players' Player of the Year, Fans' Player of the Year and Best PDC Pro Tour Player
2010 Inaugural inductee into Stoke-on-Trent Sporting Hall of Fame[3]
2010 Hit two televised nine-dart finishes in Premier League Final against James Wade
2010 Scored what was then a world record televised average of 118.66 against Kevin Painter in UK Open[4]
2012 Hits ninth televised nine-darter in the Premier League against Kevin Painter.
2014 Hits tenth televised nine-darter in the World Matchplay against Michael Smith.
2015 Becomes the first man to hit a nine-darter in the World Series of darts in the Sydney Masters against Peter Wright. It was his 11th televised nine-darter.
Updated on 24 December 2016.

Philip Douglas Taylor (born 13 August 1960) is an English former professional darts player. Nicknamed "The Power",[5] he dominated darts for over three decades and is widely considered the greatest darts player of all time, having won 214 professional tournaments, including a record 85 major titles and a record 16 World Championships.[6] In 2015, the BBC rated Taylor among the ten greatest British sportsmen of the last 35 years.[7]

Taylor won eight consecutive World Championships from 1995 to 2002, reached 14 consecutive finals from 1994 to 2007 and reached 21 world finals overall, all of which are records. He held the world number one ranking for thirteen years in total, including eight in a row from 2006 to 2013. He won 70 PDC Pro Tour events, which was a record until Michael van Gerwen passed it in February 2019. Taylor hit a record 11 televised nine-dart finishes (and 22 overall). He was also the first person to hit two nine-dart finishes in the same match.[8]

Taylor played in competitions organised by the British Darts Organisation (BDO) until 1993. Amidst growing disenchantment with the BDO, he was among 16 top players who broke away to form their own organisation, the World Darts Council, now known as the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC). He won the PDC Player of the Year award six times (2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012) and was twice nominated for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year, in 2006 and 2010; in the latter event he finished as runner-up, making him the only darts player ever to finish in the top two.[9][10] He was inducted into the PDC Hall of Fame in 2011.[11] Taylor retired from professional darts after the 2018 World Championship. In 2022 he entered the inaugural 2022 World Seniors Darts Championship, and lost to Kevin Painter in the quarter-finals.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference PDC Profile was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ "Wade scoops PDC Player of the Year award". Matchroomsport. 10 January 2008. Archived from the original on 12 March 2008. Retrieved 9 August 2010.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference stokehall was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ "Taylor on Fire, Whitewashes Kevin Painter and sets new Record with 118.66 AVG". The Oche. 5 June 2010. Archived from the original on 15 December 2018. Retrieved 9 August 2010.
  5. ^ "Part relishes Taylor triumph". BBC Sport. 6 January 2003. Retrieved 18 January 2010.
  6. ^ "Phil Taylor player profile". Dartsdatabase. Archived from the original on 18 January 2019. Retrieved 23 July 2010.
  7. ^ "Top 10: Best of British sportsmen of the last 35 years". BBC. 26 October 2015. Retrieved 12 December 2019.
  8. ^ "Historic Taylor nails TWO 9 darters in Premier League triumph!". Unicorn: The Big Name in Darts. Unicorn. 24 May 2010. pp. "Unicorn Darts News" section. Retrieved 27 July 2010.
  9. ^ BBC Press Office (4 December 2006). "BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2006 shortlist unveiled". Unicorn: The Big Name in Darts. BBC Sport. Retrieved 30 November 2010.
  10. ^ "Sports Personality of the Year 2010: Phil Taylor". Unicorn: The Big Name in Darts. BBC Sport. 29 November 2010. Retrieved 30 November 2010.
  11. ^ "PDC Hall of Fame". pdc.tv. Retrieved 13 December 2019.