Sussex ace Gray eyes spot on PDC pro tour

Adrian Gray is about to attempt to regain his place on the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) ProTour.
Adrian Gray is hoping to secure a place on the PDC ProTourAdrian Gray is hoping to secure a place on the PDC ProTour
Adrian Gray is hoping to secure a place on the PDC ProTour

The St Leonards-based player will compete in the 2021 PDC UK Qualifying School in Milton Keynes aiming to secure one of the coveted PDC Tour Cards.

The competition is already under way but Gray is one of 32 players who are exempt until the final stage, which will run from Sunday until Wednesday.

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Featuring 128 players, it will consist of four days of play and the winner on each day will receive a PDC tour card.

Additional tour cards will be on offer for the leading players on the final stage order of merit.

A total of 29 cards will be up for grabs across the UK Qualifying School and European Qualifying School, which is running in Niedernhausen, Germany.

Competition will be fierce, with several former world champions and runners-up plus winners of televised tournaments also in the field.

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Gray secured his card via the order of merit two years ago, when he finished in a four-way tie for sixth place after performing consistently.

But he lost his place on the circuit as a result of being outside the top 64 on the PDC Order of Merit after the recent William Hill World Championship.

Gray’s best result in a PDC tournament in the past two years was a semi-final spot in the Players Championship 20 in July 2019.

The 39-year-old boasts plenty of top-level experience Gray first shot to prominence at the 2003 UK Open, reaching the last 16 of an event in which another local player, Shayne Burgess, was the runner-up.

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He famously defeated the great Phil Taylor en route to the quarter-finals of the 2007 World Grand Prix.

Also a highly skilled and successful carpet fitter, Gray played in three consecutive World Championships from 2007 to 2009, with a best result of reaching the last 32.

He competed in the World Matchplay in 2007 and 2008, and made it to the quarter-finals of the Las Vegas Desert Classic 13 years ago.

Gray has also tasted success in soft tip darts, winning international tournaments in Asia in 2014 and 2015.