WRIGHT’S PLOT OF GOLD
DARTS WORLD SERIES FINALS
PETER WRIGHT last night revealed he has plotted a route to world No.1.
The Scotland World Cup star wants to be top dog in the rankings in the new year.
Wright is back in his homeland this weekend for a crack at the Ladbrokes World Series of Darts Finals at the Braehead Arena but has plans beyond the Glasgow showpiece and into 2018.
Snakebite arrives as world No.2 in the PDC rankings behind Michael van Gerwen and has designs on reaching the summit.
Wright has been superb this term, winning 12 titles, and he said: “We’ve been working it out that if I win the next couple of tournaments I could get very close to world No.1 by the end of the year or early next year.
“My target for some time has been to be No.1 but that’s next year’s plan. If I can do it earlier, I’ll do it earlier.
“I did that in the Premier League, I got into that a year earlier than I thought, so I can do it again.”
Wright believes he can go one better in Glasgow this year after two near things.
The West Lothian-born ace reached the 2015 final only to be denied 11-10 by van Gerwen. And last year the Green Machine repeated the trick with an 11-9 win.
Undeterred, Wright is back for another bash and this time things are different. Having snared the UK Open title at the beginning of this year for a first TV major, it has lifted the weight from his shoulders.
Wright, who hit a nine-darter during a prep event in Cologne this week, believes he has the game to do the damage in Glasgow and can’t wait to return home to get the backing of his own punters.
Van Gerwen is the favourite for the tournament, which gets going tonight, but Wright insists he will be ready to pounce if the Dutchman shows any signs of being off colour.
He said: “I got to the UK Open Final two years on the trot and then finally won it so
THE DRAW
1st rd (tonight 7pm): Simon Stevenson v Jan Dekker, Justin Pipe v Dave Chisnall, Max Hopp v Adrian Lewis, Michael Smith v Dimitri van den Bergh, Corey Cadby v Jelle Klaasen, Mark Webster v Simon Whitlock, Chris Dobey v Mensur Suljovic, Jonny Clayton v Rob Cross. I want to do it again at Braehead now.
“I’ll probably play Michael in the semi-finals this time so I’ll get rid of him then!
“Every time in Glasgow the crowds are behind me 120 per cent which is fantastic.
“It’s off-putting for the other guys who have to play me but I have to put up with that when I go to Holland and other places around the world.
“It’s nice to be on your home ground and have the crowd behind you when you’re playing.
“Michael’s not quite on his game at the moment and when someone’s like that is not quite on form you jump on top of them.
“It happens to every darts player on the circuit.
“A snif f of weakness and they jump all over you.
“Micha e l has to be very careful.” have a situation where he wasn’t eligible to play.
“I’ve made no promises to Paul and I won’t make any promises to anyone else.”
There’s a three-way tie at the top in Turkey after day one with Haydn Porteous, Joost Luiten and Nicolas Colsaerts shooting 64s to sit seven under.
Padraig Harrington is a shot adrift alongside Andres Romero and the Irishman looks set to be one of Bjorn’s five vice-captains in France next year.
They have been spotted talking this week and Harrington said: “Thomas is hard not to bump into.
“We have been talking. We’ve been vice-captains before and have played together for 20 years.”
David Drysdale is leading Scot in Turkey after a 68 with Stephen Gallacher a shot behind. Richie Ramsay hit a level-par 71 while Marc Warren posted a 72 and Scott Jamieson a 73.