Adam Smith-Neale Explained

Adam Smith-Neale
Nickname:"Big Dog"
Birth Date:1993 10, df=yes
Birth Place:Coventry, England
Hometown:Nuneaton, England
Since:2010
Darts:22g Red Dragon
Laterality:Right-handed
Music:"Big Dog" by Akon
Bdo:2018–2020
Pdc:2010–2018, 2023–
(Tour Card: 2011-2012, 2023–)
Wdf:2022
Bdo World:Last 32: 2020
World Masters:Winner (1): 2018
World Darts Trophy:Last 32: 2019
Grand Slam:Group Stage: 2018
Uk Open:Last 96: 2012
European:Last 32: 2021
Results:Youth events

Adam Smith-Neale (born 29 October 1993) is an English professional darts player.

Darts career

Early career

Smith-Neale started playing in the PDC at the age of 17 in 2011 when he entered the World Youth Championships and lost in the last 64 to Lewis Venes. The following January Smith-Neale entered Q School and after making the last 16 all four days he was given a two-year tour card to play the Pro tour.[1] Through those 2 years Smith-Neale split his time between playing on the main tour and on the Youth tour, on the main tour he failed to make an impact and only made one TV major which was the 2012 UK Open where he made the last 96. On the Youth tour however Smith-Neale had much more success where he managed to finish the 2011 season 9th in the Rankings which qualified him for the 2012 PDC World Youth Championship where he again went out at the last 64 stage.

In 2012 Smith-Neale won his first PDC tournament when he won Event 7 of the Youth tour [2] and finished the season in 14th qualifying for the 2013 PDC World Youth Championship where he went out in the first round.

After not making the top 64 of the PDC Order of Merit by the end of 2012, Smith-Neale lost his tour card and went to Q-School again. He failed to gain a tour card in 2013, 14, 15, 17, but continued to play on the Challenge Tour and Development Tour during that time.

2018 season

After failing to get a Tour Card at the start of the 2018 season, Smith-Neale started to play in more BDO events which lead him to qualify for the BDO World Masters. Not being a seed meant that he had to start the tournament at the first round but Smith-Neale won through the first 6 rounds on the floor to reach the stage finals. He defeated Aaron Turner 3-1 in the last 48, Daniel Day 3-0 in the last 32, Mark McGeeney 3-2 in the last 16, Wayne Warren 4-1 in the quarter-finals, Jim Williams 5-3 in the semi-final and BDO Number 1 Glen Durrant 6-4 in the final. Winning the World Masters meant Smith-Neale qualified for the 2019 BDO World Championship, and the 2018 Grand Slam of Darts.

2019

Prior to the 2019 BDO World Darts Championship, Smith-Neale suffered a broken leg in a fall following a tournament in Italy, with Smith-Neale admitting he was inebriated before the fall. He managed to play his preliminary round match, but did so on crutches, using both during his walk-on and using his right crutch while throwing his darts. He was beaten 3–0 by New Zealand's Mark McGrath.

2023-present

He regained his tour card in 2023 after defeating Nick Kenny in the final on the last day of Q School, and will play on the PDC circuit for the 2023 and 2024 seasons.[3]

In March 2024, Smith-Neale was suspended by the Darts Regulation Authority following footage emerging of him punching an opponent during an amateur event in Nuneaton.[4]

World Championship results

BDO

Performance timeline

Tournament 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
PDC Ranked televised events
UK OpenDNQ2RDNQNon-PDC2RDNQ1R2R
European ChampionshipDNQNon-PDC1RDNQ
Grand Slam of DartsDNQRRDNQ
PDC Non-major televised events
1R1R1R1R1R2R2RDNP
BDO Ranked televised events
BDO World ChampionshipPDCPR1RNHDNQPDC
BDO World TrophyPDC1RNH
Winmau World MastersPDC2RPDCW2RNHDNQPDC
Career statistics
Year-end ranking11491 style="text-align:center;-style="text-align:center;- style="text-align:center;- style="text-align:center;-209style="text-align:center;-style="text-align:center;-style="text-align:center;-120style="text-align:center;-131

PDC European Tour

Season 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
2012ADO
DNQ
GDC
DNQ
EDO
DNQ
GDM
DNQ
DDM
DNQ
2021HDT
DNQ
GDT
3R
2022Did not play
2023BSD
DNQ
EDO
DNQ
IDO
DNQ
GDG
DNQ
ADO
DNQ
DDC
1R
BDO
DNQ
CDO
DNQ
EDG
2R
EDM
GDO
HDT
GDC

Career finals

BDO major finals: 1 (1 titles)

Performance timeline legend
DNPDid not play in the eventDNQDid not qualify for the eventWDWithdrew from the event
  1. R
lost in the early rounds of the tournament
(RR = Round robin)
QFlost in the quarter-finalsSFlost in the semi-finalsFlost in the finalWwon the tournament

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Planet Darts | Latest News | Newsdesk | Newsdesk | Qualifying School Day Four . 13 October 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120924135919/http://www.pdc.tv/page/NewsdeskDetail/0,,10180~2268151,00.html . 24 September 2012 . dead .
  2. Web site: Planet Darts | Latest News | Newsdesk | Newsdesk | Smith-Neale & Aubrey's Youth Joy . 13 October 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120927215139/http://www.pdc.tv/page/NewsdeskDetail/0,,10180~2795824,00.html . 27 September 2012 . dead .
  3. Web site: Brown & Huybrechts headline Tour Card winners as 2023 Q Schools conclude. www.pdc.tv. 15 January 2023. 12 March 2024.
  4. Web site: Adam Smith-Neale suspended by darts bosses after allegation he punched opponent at oche. Sky Sports. 12 March 2024. 12 March 2024.
  5. (l) = score in legs, (s) = score in sets.