Simon Whitlock facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Simon Whitlock
Whitlock in 2017
Personal information
Nickname	"The Wizard"
Born	(1969-03-03) 3 March 1969 (age 56) Cessnock, New South Wales, Australia
Home town	Hornsby, Australia and Waterlooville, England
Darts information
Playing darts since	1984
Darts	23g Winmau Signature
Laterality	Right-handed
Walk-on music	"Down Under" by Men at Work
Organisation (see split in darts)
BDO	2004–2009
PDC	2001–2004, 2009– (Tour Card: 2011–2024)
BDO majors – best performances
World Ch'ship	Runner Up: 2008
World Masters	Quarter Final: 2007
World Darts Trophy	Last 16: 2005, 2006, 2007
Int. Darts League	Semi Final: 2005, 2006
PDC premier events – best performances
World Ch'ship	Runner Up: 2010
World Matchplay	Semi Final: 2010, 2014
World Grand Prix	Runner Up: 2017
Grand Slam	Semi Final: 2020
Premier League	Runner Up: 2012
Ch'ship League	Runner Up: 2012
Desert Classic	Last 32: 2009
European Ch'ship	Winner (1): 2012
UK Open	Quarter Final: 2017, 2021
Players Ch'ship Finals	Semi Final: 2012
Masters	Quarter Final: 2013, 2022
Champions League	Group Stage: 2018
World Series Finals	Quarter Final: 2016, 2018
Other tournament wins
PDC World Cup of Darts (Team event) 2022 Australian Grand Masters 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 Australian Masters 2002, 2003, 2006, 2007 Gleneagle Irish Masters 2010 Japan Open 2006 New Zealand Masters 2005 Pacific Masters 2004, 2006, 2008 European Tour Events Dutch Darts Masters 2012 Players Championships (x12) UK Open Qualifiers (x3) DPA Pro Tours (x30)

Simon Whitlock, born on March 3, 1969, is a professional darts player from Australia. He plays in big darts competitions run by the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC). Before that, he played in events organized by the British Darts Organisation (BDO).

People call him "The Wizard" because of his amazing skills. He won the European Championship in 2012. He also helped Australia win the World Cup of Darts in 2022 with his teammate Damon Heta. Simon has been a runner-up twice in the World Championships. He was second in the BDO World Darts Championship in 2008 and the PDC World Darts Championship in 2010. Overall, he has won many titles, including 18 PDC titles.

Simon's Early Darts Journey

Whitlock in 2006

In 2003, Simon Whitlock reached the top 16 at the World Championship. He won against players like Paul Williams and Peter Manley. However, he lost to Richie Burnett with a score of 5–3.

In 2005, Whitlock made it to the semi-finals of the 2005 BDO World Championship. He was defeated by Martin Adams 5–0. He also reached the semi-finals of the International Darts League in 2005 and 2006. In those matches, he lost to Mervyn King and Raymond van Barneveld.

Whitlock won the first two events in the Dartplayers Australia (DPA) series. He competed in the BDO World Championship in 2008. He had great wins against Edwin Max, Fabian Roosenbrand, Ted Hankey, and Brian Woods. This led him to the final, where he lost to Mark Webster 7–5.

Simon entered the 2009 BDO World Darts Championship as the number twelve seed. He reached the second round by beating Mark Barilli. But he then lost to Darryl Fitton.

Joining the PDC Again

Whitlock returned to playing in the PDC on March 19, 2009. He started playing in the AGP circuit and won eight tournaments there. He qualified for the Las Vegas Desert Classic but lost in the first round to Terry Jenkins.

At the 2009 Grand Slam of Darts, Whitlock won all three of his group games. He beat Ted Hankey, Wayne Mardle, and Scott Waites. In the next round, he defeated Steve Beaton 10–1. However, he later lost to Scott Waites, who ended up being the runner-up.

At the 2010 PDC World Championship, Whitlock had an amazing run. He defeated Colin Osborne, Wayne Jones, Terry Jenkins, James Wade, and Raymond van Barneveld. He made it to the final but lost to the legendary Phil Taylor 7–3.

After reaching the World Championship final, it was announced that he would play in the 2010 Premier League Darts. He finished second in the league table, which meant he qualified for the semi-finals. He lost 8-6 to James Wade in that match.

In his first appearance at the World Matchplay in 2010, Whitlock reached the semi-finals. He was again defeated by Phil Taylor. At the 2010 Grand Slam of Darts, he lost all three of his group matches. His opponents were Dave Chisnall, Colin Osborne, and Robert Thornton.

Whitlock represented Australia with Paul Nicholson at the first PDC World Cup of Darts in December 2010. They lost in the semi-finals to Wales' team, Mark Webster and Barrie Bates.

Big Wins in 2011 and 2012

At the 2011 PDC World Darts Championship, Whitlock defeated Steve Evans and Denis Ovens. He then lost to Vincent van der Voort in the third round. He also competed in the 2011 Premier League, finishing in sixth place.

During the 2011 PDC Pro Tour, Simon made history. He was the first player to achieve a perfect nine-dart finish in two tournaments in a row.

At the 2011 World Matchplay, Whitlock beat Peter Wright and Denis Ovens. This took him to the quarter-finals. He was then defeated by Andy Hamilton in a close match, 17–15.

Whitlock had to pull out of the 2011 Grand Slam of Darts and the 2011 Players Championship Finals due to an injury. He played at the 2012 World Championship. He beat Dennis Smith, Steve Beaton, Michael van Gerwen, and Gary Anderson. However, he lost to Andy Hamilton 6–5 in the semi-finals.

Whitlock teamed up with Paul Nicholson again for the 2012 PDC World Cup of Darts. They won against Ireland, Belgium, and the Netherlands to reach the final. There, they played against England's Phil Taylor and Adrian Lewis. Both Whitlock and Nicholson missed chances to win the match in a sudden-death leg.

He was chosen to play in the Premier League. Whitlock won seven of his fourteen league games, finishing second in the table. This qualified him for the play-offs. Whitlock played Andy Hamilton in the semi-finals. He hit a nine-darter (a perfect game) in the second leg of the semi-final. He won that match to reach the final. In the final, he played Phil Taylor and lost 10–7.

Whitlock hit another nine-darter in his second-round match at the 2012 Austrian Darts Open (ET1). This was against Joe Cullen, but Simon still lost the match 6–4.

Whitlock achieved a 6–4 victory over Andy Hamilton in the final of Players Championship 12. The following week, he won his first major title at the European Championship. Whitlock took the title with an 11–5 win over Wes Newton. Whitlock then won his first European Tour title at the 2012 Dutch Darts Masters. He defeated his World Cup partner Paul Nicholson 6–1 in the final.

Whitlock lost to Taylor in the final of the 2012 Championship League Darts, 6–5. He then won his second Players Championship of the year. He defeated Dennis Priestley 6–2 in the final. Whitlock was the second seed for the 2012 Players Championship Finals. He beat Jamie Caven 6–3 in the first round. Whitlock then defeated Ronnie Baxter and Gary Anderson. But he lost to Phil Taylor in the semi-finals 11–2.

What Happened in 2013

Whitlock won his first two matches in the 2013 World Championship without losing a set. He then won a deciding set against Dave Chisnall. However, he lost to Raymond van Barneveld 5–1 in the next round. In his third World Cup of Darts with Paul Nicholson, the pair were defeated 5–1 by Belgium's team, Ronny Huybrechts and Kim Huybrechts.

He competed in the 2013 Premier League but finished sixth in the table.

Whitlock won his first tournament of 2013 at the fifth UK Open Qualifier. He beat Michael van Gerwen 6–1 in the final. Van Gerwen later beat Whitlock in the final of the 2013 European Darts Open 6–2. Whitlock won an award for the best televised performance of the year at the PDC Awards Dinner. This was for his quarter-final win over Jamie Caven. However, he lost to Adrian Lewis 11–6 in the 2013 European Championship final.

Simon's 2014 Season

Whitlock beat Ian White 5–4 in the quarter-finals of the 2014 PDC World Darts Championship. However, he was defeated by Peter Wright 6–2 in the semi-finals. After the tournament, Whitlock moved up to third in the world rankings. Whitlock competed in the Premier League but only won one of his nine matches. This meant he was eliminated from the competition. Whitlock and Nicholson reached the semi-finals of the 2014 PDC World Cup of Darts. They faced England's Phil Taylor and Adrian Lewis. Whitlock was beaten 4–1 by Taylor. But Nicholson overcame Lewis 4–2. Australia then lost 4–0 in the doubles decider. Whitlock won Players Championship 12 by beating James Wade 6–3 in the final. He reached the final of the 2014 European Darts Open, but lost 6–2 against Wright.

At the World Matchplay, Whitlock won against Kevin Painter, Raymond van Barneveld, and James Wade. This helped him reach the semi-finals of the event for the second time. He was defeated by Michael van Gerwen. He also lost to van Gerwen in the final of the Singapore Darts Masters.

The Year 2015

At the 2015 World Championship, Whitlock was beaten 3–1 by Darren Webster in the first round. Whitlock did not receive a special invitation to compete in the Premier League. This meant he missed the event for the first time since 2009.

Highlights from 2016

Whitlock lost to Ricky Evans 3–2 in the first round of the 2016 World Championship. In October, Whitlock won Players Championship 18. He defeated Ronny Huybrechts 6–5 in the final.

Whitlock beat Alan Norris in a deciding set at the World Grand Prix. But he lost to van Gerwen in the quarter-finals. He defeated Chris Dobey to win his second title of the year at Players Championship 19.

Success in 2017

Whitlock in 2017

Whitlock was beaten 4–0 in the second round of the 2017 World Championship by Darren Webster. Whitlock defeated Gary Anderson 6–4 in the final to win UK Open Qualifier 2. He also won the fifth event by beating Ronny Huybrechts 6–3. At the main event, he was defeated 10–9 by Daryl Gurney in the quarter-finals. He won his third ranking event title of 2017 a week later, winning Players Championship 4.

Simon's Comeback in 2020

After a few years where his rankings dropped, Whitlock made two televised semi-final appearances in 2020. These were at the World Grand Prix and the Grand Slam. He also reached the quarter-finals in the World Matchplay. He beat Michael van Gerwen in the quarter-finals at both the Grand Prix and the Slam. He defeated van Gerwen 16–15 in a very close deciding leg at the Grand Slam. Whitlock also hit a Grand Slam record of 20 180s in that win against van Gerwen.

World Cup Victory in 2022

In 2022, Whitlock, along with Damon Heta, won the 2022 PDC World Cup of Darts for Australia. They beat Wales in the final with a score of 3–1.

Simon's 2024 Season

At the 2024 PDC World Championship, Whitlock defeated Paolo Nebrida 3–2 in the first round. However, he lost to Gary Anderson 3–0 in the second round.

Looking at 2025

Simon Whitlock's Tour Card ended at the close of 2024. He accepted an invitation to compete in the 2025 World Seniors Darts Championship. He lost 3–1 in sets to Paul Hogan in the first round. Simon again represented Australia at the 2025 PDC World Cup of Darts, alongside Damon Heta. This kept his record of playing in every World Cup tournament.

Simon's Life Outside Darts

Whitlock has three sons from two previous marriages: Nicholas (born 1991), Mason (born 2003), and Locky (born 2007). His son Mason also plays darts. Simon is a big fan of the football club Portsmouth F.C..

In 2012, Whitlock and seven other players from the Premier League recorded a charity song. It was with Chas Hodges and his band, called 'Got My Tickets for the Darts'. Chas wrote the song. It was released on May 18, the day after the play-offs in London. Money from the song was given to the Haven House Children's Hospice.

World Championship Results

BDO World Championship

• 2005: Semi-finals (lost to Martin Adams 0–5)
• 2006: Second round (lost to Paul Hanvidge 2–4)
• 2007: Second round (lost to Niels de Ruiter 3–4)
• 2008: Runner-up (lost to Mark Webster 5–7)
• 2009: Second round (lost to Darryl Fitton 2–4)

PDC World Championship

• 2003: Third round (lost to Richie Burnett 3–5)
• 2010: Runner-up (lost to Phil Taylor 3–7)
• 2011: Third round (lost to Vincent van der Voort 2–4)
• 2012: Semi-finals (lost to Andy Hamilton 5–6)
• 2013: Quarter-finals (lost to Raymond van Barneveld 1–5)
• 2014: Semi-finals (lost to Peter Wright 2–6)
• 2015: First round (lost to Darren Webster 1–3)
• 2016: First round (lost to Ricky Evans 2–3)
• 2017: Second round (lost to Darren Webster 0–4)
• 2018: Second round (lost to Darren Webster 1–4)
• 2019: Second round (lost to Ryan Joyce 0–3)
• 2020: Fourth round (lost to Gerwyn Price 2–4)
• 2021: Third round (lost to Krzysztof Ratajski 0–4)
• 2022: Second round (lost to Martijn Kleermaker 1–3)
• 2023: Second round (lost to José de Sousa 2–3)
• 2024: Second round (lost to Gary Anderson 0–3)

World Seniors Darts Championship

• 2025: First round (lost to Paul Hogan 3–1)

Major Finals Simon Has Played In

BDO Major Finals: 1 (1 runner-up)

Outcome	No.	Year	Championship	Opponent in the final	Score
Runner-up	1.	2008	World Championship	Mark Webster	5–7 (s)

PDC Major Finals: 7 (1 title)

Outcome	No.	Year	Championship	Opponent in the final	Score
Runner-up	1.	2010	World Championship	Taylor, PhilPhil Taylor	3–7 (s)
Runner-up	2.	2012	Premier League	Taylor, PhilPhil Taylor	7–10 (l)
Winner	1.	2012	European Championship	Newton, WesWes Newton	11–5 (l)
Runner-up	3.	2012	Championship League	Taylor, PhilPhil Taylor	4–6 (l)
Runner-up	4.	2013	European Championship	Lewis, AdrianAdrian Lewis	6–11 (l)
Runner-up	5.	2017	World Grand Prix	Gurney, DarylDaryl Gurney	4–5 (s)
Runner-up	6.	2018	European Championship	James Wade	8–11 (l)

PDC World Series Finals: 1 (1 runner-up)

Outcome	No.	Year	Championship	Opponent in the final	Score
Runner-up	1.	2014	Singapore Darts Masters	Michael van Gerwen	8-11 (l)

PDC Team Finals: 2 (1 title)

Outcome	'No.	Year	Championship	Team	Teammate	Opponents in the final	Score
Runner-up	1.	2012	World Cup	Australia	Paul Nicholson	England – Phil Taylor and Adrian Lewis	3–4 (m)
Winner	2.	2022			Damon Heta	Wales – Gerwyn Price and Jonny Clayton	3–1 (m)

Nine-Dart Finishes

Simon Whitlock has achieved a perfect nine-dart finish in televised matches. This is when a player scores 501 points in just nine darts.

Simon Whitlock televised nine-dart finishes

Date	Opponent	Tournament	Method	Prize
17 May 2012	Andy Hamilton	Premier League	3 x T20; 3 x T20; T20, T15, D18	Unknown

High Averages

A high average means a player scored many points per three darts thrown. Simon Whitlock has had some impressive high averages in televised games.

Simon Whitlock televised high averages

Average	Date	Opponent	Tournament	Stage	Score
108.86	12 November 2018	Gerwyn Price	2018 Grand Slam	Group stage	5-4 (l)

Images for kids

• 

  Whitlock in 2017

• 

  Whitlock in 2006

• 

  Whitlock in 2017