Michael Smith (darts player) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Michael Smith
Smith in 2019
Personal information
Nickname	Bully Boy
Born	(1990-09-18) 18 September 1990 (age 34) St Helens, Merseyside, England
Home town	St Helens, Merseyside, England
Darts information
Playing darts since	2006
Darts	Shot Michael Smith Achieve 24g
Laterality	Right-handed
Walk-on music	"Shut Up and Dance" by Walk the Moon
Organisation (see split in darts)
PDC	2008– (Tour Card: 2011–)
Current world ranking	7 (8 July 2021)
PDC premier events – best performances
World Ch'ship	Winner (1): 2023
World Matchplay	Runner Up: 2019
World Grand Prix	Semi Final: 2023
Grand Slam	Winner (1): 2022
Premier League	Runner Up: 2018
European Ch'ship	Runner Up: 2022
UK Open	Runner Up: 2022
Players Ch'ship Finals	Quarter Final: 2020
Masters	Runner Up: 2020
World Series Finals	Runner Up: 2018, 2024
Other tournament wins
PDC World Cup of Darts (team event) 2024 European Tour Events Dutch Darts Championship 2022 European Darts Trophy 2014, 2015 German Darts Grand Prix 2023 Gibraltar Darts Trophy 2017 International Darts Open 2015 Players Championships Players Championship (BAR) 2018, 2021 Players Championship (COV) 2020 (x2) Players Championship (HIL) 2023, 2024 Players Championship (NIE) 2021, 2022 Players Championship (SPA) 2012 Players Championship (WIG) 2022 (x2) UK Open Qualifier 2011, 2015, 2018 World Series of Darts Bahrain Darts Masters 2023 Shanghai Darts Masters 2018 US Darts Masters 2022 Youth tour PDC World Youth Championship 2013 PDC Youth Tour England 2012 (x5)
Other achievements
2013 Breaks into the world's top 32 for the first time 2014 PDC Young Player of the Year 2015 Breaks into the world's top 16 for the first time 2015 Breaks into the world's top 8 for the first time 2019 Sets his highest televised average with 113.62 at the Grand Slam 2022 PDC Player of the Year 2022 Wins his first major title at the 2022 Grand Slam 2023 Wins his first PDC World Darts Championship, beating Michael van Gerwen, 7–4 in the final, having previously being runner up twice in 2019 and 2022. Smith also becomes only the 2nd player to hit a nine dart finish in the final. 2023 Becomes world number one. 2024 Wins his first PDC World Cup of Darts partnered with Luke Humphries at the 2024 PDC World Cup of Darts.

Michael Smith (born 18 September 1990) is an English professional darts player. He is known as "Bully Boy". He plays in events run by the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC). Michael was the world number one player in 2023. He also won the PDC World Championship in 2023.

Smith was the PDC Under-21 World Champion in 2013. Since then, he has won 25 senior PDC titles. This includes his first major win at the 2022 Grand Slam of Darts in 2022. He has also been a runner-up in many big tournaments. These include the World Championship twice, the 2019 World Matchplay, and the Premier League.

In 2024, Smith won the PDC World Cup of Darts for England. He teamed up with Luke Humphries for this win.

Who is Michael Smith?

Michael Smith is a top darts player from England. He is famous for his fast throwing style. His nickname, "Bully Boy," comes from a childhood story. It's not related to the "bullseye" in darts. He got the name after an incident on a farm when he was young.

Early Life and How He Started

Michael Smith was born on September 18, 1990. His parents, Ian and Sandra, ran a pub in St Helens. Michael grew up in Parr, St Helens. He went to St Cuthbert's High School.

When he was younger, Michael played rugby. But at 15, he broke his hip after falling off his bike. This injury meant he had to use crutches for 16 weeks. He couldn't play rugby anymore. While recovering, he watched his dad play darts. Michael started playing too. He even hit his first 180 score while still on crutches!

After school, he began a joinery course at college. But he decided to leave college early to play in a darts tournament. He says this was the best decision he ever made. He often won local darts events. He played in his first big PDC event in 2009.

Becoming a Professional Darts Player

Michael became a full-time professional darts player in 2012. He played in his first PDC World Championship that year. In January 2012, he won his second professional tournament. He beat Justin Pipe to win the title and £6,000.

In 2013, Michael won the PDC World Youth Championship. He beat Ricky Evans 6–1 in the final. This win helped him get a spot in the Grand Slam of Darts. He showed great skill there, even beating Dave Chisnall.

Breaking into the Top Ranks

In 2014, Michael broke into the world's top 32 players. He had a big win at the 2014 World Championship. He beat the 16-time world champion, Phil Taylor. He won by hitting a 128 finish on the bullseye. He was named the PDC's Young Player of the Year. He also won his first European Tour title in 2014. He beat Michael van Gerwen in the final of the European Darts Trophy.

In 2015, Michael continued to climb the rankings. He entered the world's top 16 and then the top 8. He won another European Tour title, the International Darts Open. He also defended his European Darts Trophy title.

Smith during the 2017 German Darts Grand Prix

Major Finals and Big Wins

Michael Smith has reached many major finals in his career. He is known for his exciting matches.

World Championship and Matchplay Finals

In 2019, Michael reached his first World Championship final. He played against Michael van Gerwen but lost 7–3. Later that year, he also reached the final of the 2019 World Matchplay. He lost to Rob Cross in that match.

In 2020, he reached the final of the PDC Masters. He narrowly lost 11–10 to Peter Wright. During the 2020 Premier League, Michael hit his first televised nine-dart leg. This is a perfect game in darts.

First Major Title and World Champion

The year 2022 was a big one for Michael. He reached the World Championship final again. He played Peter Wright and lost 7–5. He also reached the final of the 2022 UK Open but lost.

Finally, in November 2022, Michael won his first major title! He won the 2022 Grand Slam of Darts. He beat Nathan Aspinall 16–5 in the final. This was a huge moment for him.

In 2023, Michael Smith became the World Champion. He beat Michael van Gerwen 7–4 in the final. In this match, he also hit a nine dart finish. This made him only the second player ever to hit a nine-darter in a World Championship final. After this win, he became the world number one player. He is also the first player to win both the PDC World Youth Championship and the main PDC World Darts Championship.

Recent Achievements

In 2024, Michael Smith teamed up with Luke Humphries to win the 2024 PDC World Cup of Darts for England. This was another big team victory for him. He also reached the final of the 2024 World Series of Darts Finals. He lost to young star Luke Littler in that match.

Smith and Luke Humphries after their win in the 2024 PDC World Cup of Darts

Personal Life

Michael Smith is a big fan of St Helens R.F.C., a rugby team. He often goes to their games. In 2019, he married his wife, Dagmara. In 2023, his hometown council in St Helens nominated him for "Freedom of the Borough." This is a high honor for his achievements in darts.

World Championship Results

PDC

• 2012: First round (lost to Co Stompé 0–3)
• 2013: First round (lost to Raymond van Barneveld 0–3)
• 2014: Third round (lost to Peter Wright 3–4)
• 2015: Third round (lost to Stephen Bunting 2–4)
• 2016: Quarter-finals (lost to Raymond van Barneveld 4–5)
• 2017: Third round (lost to James Wade 3–4)
• 2018: Second round (lost to Rob Cross 3–4)
• 2019: Runner-up (lost to Michael van Gerwen 3–7)
• 2020: Second round (lost to Luke Woodhouse 1–3)
• 2021: Second round (lost to Jason Lowe 1–3)
• 2022: Runner-up (lost to Peter Wright 5–7)
• 2023: Winner (beat Michael van Gerwen 7–4)
• 2024: Fourth round (lost to Chris Dobey 0–4)
• 2025: Second round (lost to Kevin Doets 2–3)

Career Finals

PDC Major Finals: 11 (2 titles, 9 runners-up)

Outcome	No.	Year	Championship	Opponent in the final	Score
Runner-up	1.	2018	Premier League	Michael van Gerwen	4–11 (l)
Runner-up	2.	2018	World Series of Darts Finals	James Wade	10–11 (l)
Runner-up	3.	2019	World Darts Championship	Michael van Gerwen	3–7 (s)
Runner-up	4.	2019	World Matchplay	Rob Cross	13–18 (l)
Runner-up	5.	2020	The Masters	Peter Wright	10–11 (l)
Runner-up	6.	2022	World Darts Championship	Peter Wright	5–7 (s)
Runner-up	7.	2022	UK Open	Danny Noppert	10–11 (l)
Runner-up	8.	2022	European Championship	Ross Smith	8–11 (l)
Winner	1.	2022	Grand Slam of Darts	Nathan Aspinall	16–5 (l)
Winner	2.	2023	World Darts Championship	Michael van Gerwen	7–4 (s)
Runner-up	9.	2024	World Series of Darts Finals	Luke Littler	4–11 (l)

PDC World Series Finals: 5 (3 titles, 2 runners-up)

Outcome	No.	Year	Championship	Opponent in the final	Score
Winner	1.	2018	Shanghai Darts Masters	Rob Cross	8–2 (l)
Runner-up	1.	2018	Melbourne Darts Masters	Peter Wright	8–11 (l)
Runner-up	2.	2019	US Darts Masters	Nathan Aspinall	4–8 (l)
Winner	2.	2022	US Darts Masters	Michael van Gerwen	8–4 (l)
Winner	3.	2023	Bahrain Darts Masters	Gerwyn Price	8–6 (l)

PDC Team Finals: 2 (1 titles, 1 runner-up)

Outcome	No.	Year	Championship	Team	Teammate	Opponents in the final	Score
Runner-up	1.	2020	World Cup of Darts	England	Rob Cross	Wales – Gerwyn Price and Jonny Clayton	0–3 (m)
Winner	1.	2024			Luke Humphries	Austria – Mensur Suljović and Rowby-John Rodriguez	10–6 (l)

Nine-Dart Finishes

A nine-dart finish is the perfect game in darts. It means a player scores 501 points in just nine throws. Michael Smith has achieved this amazing feat several times in televised matches.

Michael Smith televised nine-dart finishes

Date	Opponent	Tournament	Method
27 February 2020	Daryl Gurney	Premier League Darts	3 x T20; 3 x T20; T20, T19, D12
5 March 2022	Mensur Suljović	UK Open	3 x T20; 3 x T20; T20, T19, D12
3 January 2023	Michael van Gerwen	World Darts Championship	3 x T20; 3 x T20; T20, T19, D12