Adam Smith-Neale

Last updated

Adam Smith-Neale
Personal information
Nickname"Big Dog"
Born (1993-10-29) 29 October 1993 (age 31)
Coventry, England
Home town Nuneaton, England
Darts information
Playing darts since2010
Darts22g Red Dragon
Laterality Right-handed
Walk-on music"Big Dog" by Akon
Organisation (see split in darts)
BDO 2018–2020
PDC 2010–2018, 2023–
(Tour Card: 2011–2012, 2023–2024)
WDF 2022
WDF major events – best performances
World Championship Last 32: 2020
World Masters Winner (1): 2018
World Trophy Last 32: 2019
PDC premier events – best performances
UK Open Last 96: 2012
Grand Slam Group Stage: 2018
European Championship Last 32: 2021
Other tournament wins
PDC Challenge Tour 2021

Youth events

PDC Development Tour 2012

Adam Smith-Neale (born 29 October 1993) is an English professional darts player who plays in Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) events. He won a Challenge Tour in 2021 and was the 2018 BDO World Masters champion.

Contents

Darts career

Early career

Smith-Neale started playing in the PDC at the age of 17 in 2011 when he entered the World Youth Championships and lost in the last 64 to Lewis Venes. The following January Smith-Neale entered Q School and after making the last 16 all four days he was given a two-year tour card to play the Pro tour. [1] Through those 2 years Smith-Neale split his time between playing on the main tour and on the Youth tour, on the main tour he failed to make an impact and only made one TV major which was the 2012 UK Open where he made the last 96. On the Youth tour however Smith-Neale had much more success where he managed to finish the 2011 season 9th in the Rankings which qualified him for the 2012 PDC World Youth Championship where he again went out at the last 64 stage.

In 2012 Smith-Neale won his first PDC tournament when he won Event 7 of the Youth tour [2] and finished the season in 14th qualifying for the 2013 PDC World Youth Championship where he went out in the first round.

After not making the top 64 of the PDC Order of Merit by the end of 2012, Smith-Neale lost his tour card and went to Q-School again. He failed to gain a tour card in 2013, 14, 15, 17, but continued to play on the Challenge Tour and Development Tour during that time.

2018 season

After failing to get a Tour Card at the start of the 2018 season, Smith-Neale started to play in more BDO events which lead him to qualify for the BDO World Masters. Not being a seed meant that he had to start the tournament at the first round but Smith-Neale won through the first 6 rounds on the floor to reach the stage finals. He defeated Aaron Turner 3-1 in the last 48, Daniel Day 3-0 in the last 32, Mark McGeeney 3-2 in the last 16, Wayne Warren 4-1 in the quarter-finals, Jim Williams 5-3 in the semi-final and BDO Number 1 Glen Durrant 6-4 in the final. Winning the World Masters meant Smith-Neale qualified for the 2019 BDO World Championship, and the 2018 Grand Slam of Darts.

2019

Prior to the 2019 BDO World Darts Championship, Smith-Neale suffered a broken leg in a fall following a tournament in Italy, with Smith-Neale admitting he was inebriated before the fall. He managed to play his preliminary round match, but did so on crutches, using both during his walk-on and using his right crutch while throwing his darts. He was beaten 3–0 by New Zealand's Mark McGrath.

2023-present

He regained his tour card in 2023 after defeating Nick Kenny in the final on the last day of Q School, and will play on the PDC circuit for the 2023 and 2024 seasons. [3]

In March 2024, Smith-Neale was suspended by the Darts Regulation Authority following footage emerging of him punching an opponent during an amateur event in Nuneaton. [4]

World Championship results

BDO

Performance timeline

Tournament20112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024
PDC Ranked televised events
UK Open DNQ 2R DNQNon-PDC 2R DNQ 1R 2R
European Championship DNQNon-PDC 1R DNQ
Grand Slam of Darts DNQ RR DNQ
PDC Non-major televised events
PDC World Youth Championship 1R 1R 1R 1R 1R 2R 2R DNP
BDO Ranked televised events
BDO World Championship PDC PR 1R NHDNQPDC
BDO World Trophy PDC 1R NH
Winmau World Masters PDC 2R PDC W 2R NHDNQPDC
Career statistics
Year-end ranking11491----209---120-131


PDC European Tour

Season12345678910111213
2012 ADO
DNQ
GDC
DNQ
EDO
DNQ
GDM
DNQ
DDM
DNQ
2021 HDT
DNQ
GDT
3R
2022 Did not play
2023 BSD
DNQ
EDO
DNQ
IDO
DNQ
GDG
DNQ
ADO
DNQ
DDC
1R
BDO
DNQ
CDO
DNQ
EDG
2R
EDM
GDO
HDT
GDC

Career finals

BDO major finals: 1 (1 titles)

Legend
Winmau World Masters (1–0)
Performance timeline legend
DNPDid not play in the eventDNQDid not qualify for the eventWDWithdrew from the event#Rlost in the early rounds of the tournament
(RR = Round robin)
QFlost in the quarter-finalsSFlost in the semi-finalsFlost in the finalWwon the tournament
OutcomeNo.YearChampionshipOpponent in the finalScore [N 1]
Winner1.2018 Winmau World Masters Flag of England.svg Glen Durrant 6–4 (s)
  1. (l) = score in legs, (s) = score in sets.

References

  1. "Planet Darts | Latest News | Newsdesk | Newsdesk | Qualifying School Day Four". Archived from the original on 24 September 2012. Retrieved 13 October 2018.
  2. "Planet Darts | Latest News | Newsdesk | Newsdesk | Smith-Neale & Aubrey's Youth Joy". Archived from the original on 27 September 2012. Retrieved 13 October 2018.
  3. "Brown & Huybrechts headline Tour Card winners as 2023 Q Schools conclude". www.pdc.tv. 15 January 2023. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
  4. "Adam Smith-Neale suspended by darts bosses after allegation he punched opponent at oche". Sky Sports. 12 March 2024. Retrieved 12 March 2024.