Stephen Bunting
A Successful Switch?
In January 2014 Stephen Bunting made the
decision to switch from the BDO to the PDC.
The decision came after he won the 2014
Lakeside World Darts Championships for the
first time.
The 29 year old had originally stated he was planning
on defending is BDO Championship in 2015, however
the chance of winning big money and playing against
the so called ‘big boys’ in the sport persuaded The
Bullet to switch.
names in darts; Phil Taylor, Michael Van Gerwen,
Raymond Van Barneveld and Adrian Lewis just to
name a few.
Photo: Tip Top Pics Ltd/Chris Sargent
Stephen has had an extremely successful last two
years winning three major Championships, along
with several open events moving him up the BDO
rankings to the top spot. In 2012 he won the World
Darts Masters and then successfully defended it the
following year becoming the first man in history to
win the title without dropping a set, then in 2014 he
won the biggest prize on the BDO circuit, the World
Darts Championship.
Bunting made his first PDC appearance at the UK
Qualifiers in February winning eight matches, a
result that saw him earn entry into the UK open
where he made his PDC televised debut against
Keith Dowling. Bunting won the match 9-8 with a 151
checkout earning him a tie with Dean Winstanley,
but unfortunately he went on to lose 9-6.
Bunting had won 39 events during his time at the
BDO bringing his career earnings to nearly £300,000.
The Bullet is ranked 63 in the PDC Rankings, but you
could soon see him climbing the rankings rapidly.
Previous winners of the World Championship have
been offered a tour card in the PDC but have turned
it down. Martin Adams and Scott Waites turned
down the switch, but Bunting accepted after much
deliberation.
Ted Hankey and Mark Webster made the switch
of codes and have not really set the world alight
in the PDC, but this didn’t faze the man from St
Helens. Many fans have expressed their excitement
of Bunting’s switch on his twitter page offering their
best wishes for the future.
Bunting can now look forward to ties with the big
Barry Hearn has come out in an interview with Sky
Sports and saluted the bravery of the two time
Masters Champion saying: “I think Stephen Bunting
has been brave and I knew he would be because he’s
that type of kid.”
So after the switch what comes next for the 29 year
old? Hearn thinks that Bunting should be aiming
for the World Matchplay in Blackpool next July. To
qualify for the event Stephen needs to have won
around £25,000 in the 21 events before the cut off
for the World Matchplay.
Can Bunting follow in the footsteps of Dave Chisnall,
Andy Hamilton and Peter Wright and make it to the
Premier League? Can he make a big name for himself
on the PDC circuit like he did in the BDO? Only time
will tell.
Scott Taylor