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PDC Roster - Player Profiles
PDC / Bull’s-Eye News Official Report
March 31, 2006
The PDC Pro Player roster is now official for the 2006 World Series of Darts event! These 16 fierce competitors are already sharpening their steel in preparation for the main events at the Mohegan Sun, and they will come packing years of big-stage, televised match experience; serious game skills forged by fire! Will the less experienced but truly hungry American qualifiers be ready for the battle of their lives? We think so! (Stay tuned! Complete profiles of all 16 U.S. qualifiers will also be added here online soon!)
Phil Taylor
THE greatest player ever to play darts, Phil won a 13th World Championship title in January when he overcame Peter Manley 7-0 at the Circus Tavern.
He has dominated the sport since bursting onto the scene in the late 1980's, when he was Eric Bristow's protégé.
As well as his incredible record in the World Championship - losing just twice to date at the Circus Tavern - he has won every other major honour.
Although John Part ended his hopes of an eighth World Matchplay last year, he bounced back to win a sixth World Grand Prix in October.
 Taylor has also won three titles at the Las Vegas Desert Classic and UK Open, as well as hitting a hat-trick of televised nine-darters.
Nickname: The Power
Date of Birth: 13 August 1960
Home Town: Stoke-on-Trent, England
Darts Used: 24g Unicorn Phil Taylor
Colin Lloyd
COLIN has emerged as the world number one in the past two years and picked up his second major title in July 2005 at the World Matchplay.
The most consistent player on the PDC circuit since 2004, he has taken a host of ranking titles in moving up to the summit of the PDC standings.
His major breakthrough came at the World Grand Prix in October 2004, when he overcame Alan Warriner to take his biggest title.
 He added the World Matchplay title last July, completing an 18-12 win over John Part with a brilliant 170 checkout in Blackpool.
Nickname: Jaws
Date of Birth: 7 August 1973
Home Town: Witham, England
Darts Used: 17g Unicorn Colin Lloyd
Ronnie Baxter
RONNIE has worked his way up to number three in the world rankings with a string of consistent displays on the PDC circuit over the past two years.
Although he has yet to capture a major title with the PDC, he has vast experience on the big stage.
Ronnie appeared twice in the Embassy final and also lost out in the 1998 World Matchplay final and 2002 Las Vegas Desert Classic showpiece.
A competitor in the 2006 Premier League Darts, the quick-fire thrower has the game to match the best in the business, as shown by numerous wins on the circuit.
 Originally from Lancashire, he made his name in the 1980's on the North American scene so should feel at home in the Mohegan Sun.
Nickname: The Rocket
Date of Birth: 5 February 1961
Home Town: Swindon, England
Darts Used: 22g Nickel Tungsten
Roland Scholten
ONE of the greatest ever Dutch darts players, the biggest win of Roland's career to date came at the 2004 UK Open, when he defeated John Part to take the title.
With over 15 year's experience on the circuit, the former World Cup Singles champion has tasted victory in a wide range of events across the globe.
A semi-finalist in the Premier League and UK Open last year, he was defeated on both occasions by Phil Taylor.
 A heavy scorer, Scholten's accuracy on the treble twenty bed can make him hard to live with on his day.
Nickname: The Tripod
Date of Birth: 11 January 1965
Home Town: Den Haag, Holland
Darts Used: 21g Datadart
Peter Manley
PETER won the 2003 Las Vegas Desert Classic to confirm his status as one of the finest players in the world.
A three-time World Championship finalist, Peter also reached the World Matchplay final in 1999.
A semi-finalist in the Premier League and UK Open in 2005, he ended the year by reaching the final of the World Championship, where he went down 7-0 to Phil Taylor.
 Nicknamed "One Dart" due to his clinical finishing, Peter is one of the sport's greatest characters and a consistent performer.
Nickname: One Dart
Date of Birth: 7 March 1962
Home Town: Carlisle, England
Darts Used: 21g Unicorn Peter Manley
Wayne Mardle
WAYNE is one of the most flamboyant characters in the world of darts, and has backed that up with the performances to move him into the upper echelons of the World Rankings.
A four-time World Championship semi-finalist, he went to within a whisker of reaching the Purfleet final when he lost 6-5 to Phil Taylor in January.
He has also lost to Taylor in the last two Las Vegas Desert Classic finals, as well as the 2003 World Matchplay showpiece.
 Wayne broke an 18-month run without a tournament win in March 2006, and is one of the elite players involved in the Premier League Darts tournament.
Nickname: Hawaii 501
Date of Birth: 5 May 1970
Home Town: Romford, Essex
Darts Used: 21g B&W
Kevin Painter
KEVIN came agonisingly close to taking World Championship glory in 2004, when he lost 7-6 to Phil Taylor in one of the greatest ever darts matches.
A former England international, he has won the British Matchplay, British Open and England Open during a strong career.
He has worked up the PDC rankings, and won the North-East Regional Final to qualify for the UK Open back in January, defeating Colin Lloyd in the final.
 A quarter-finalist in the last two World Championships, he is still searching for a major title.
Nickname: The Artist
Date of Birth: 12 July 1967
Home Town: March, England
Darts Used: 19.5g Unicorn Kevin Painter
Andy Jenkins
ANDY has established himself as a firm fixture inside the world's top ten in his five years on the PDC circuit.
A former winner of the English, Welsh and Swiss Open, he has yet to capture a major televised title.
 Andy has fallen just short of reaching the final at the 2002 World Grand Prix and 2004 UK Open, when he lost both times to John Part.
Nickname: Rocky
Date of Birth: 11 March 1971
Home Town: Portsmouth, England
Darts Used: 21g Elvin
Denis Ovens
DENIS was one of the form players on the PDC circuit in 2005, and is established among the top ten of the World Rankings.
Victories in the Eastbourne Open and Southern Regional Final for the UK Open saw him take honours, whilst he also reached the final
 of the Ireland Open Classic and Open Hotel Zwartwater.
A consistent player on the circuit, he disappointingly lost in the second round of the World Championship to qualifier Steve Alker
Nickname: The Heat
Date of Birth: 1 July 1957
Home Town: Stevenage, England
Darts Used: 17g Copper Pencil
Mark Dudbridge
The 2005 World Championship finalist, Mark is one of the rising stars of the darts scene, having already reached two major PDC finals in his short career.
A former World Masters champion, he reached the 2004 World Matchplay final in Blackpool after a sensational run, before losing to Phil Taylor.
Taylor was also his conqueror in the World Championship final, but a number of wins on the circuit have helped Dudbridge to move into the world's top ten.
 A hugely talented player, Mark is now coming to grips with the professional circuit after becoming a full-time pro during the Premier League Darts last year.
Nickname: Flash
Date of Birth: 11 January 1973
Home Town: Bristol, England
Darts Used: 21g Harrows Flash Series
John Part
John is one of the few players to have won the World Championship with both the PDC and BDO, during a glittering career.
Having announced himself on the world stage by winning the 1994 Embassy title, he completed the double in 2003 when he edged out Phil Taylor 7-6 at the Circus Tavern.
That avenged defeats to Taylor in the finals of the World Championship, World Matchplay and World Grand Prix (twice).
He also suffered losses to Peter Manley in the final of the 2002 Las Vegas Desert Classic and Roland Scholten in the 2004 UK Open.
 However, Part remains a top performer on his day, as his win over Taylor in the World Matchplay last summer showed.
Nickname: Darth Maple
Date of Birth: 29 June 1966
Home Town: Oshawa, Canada
Darts Used: 23g Unicorn John Part
Mark Walsh
MARK enjoyed his best every year on the PDC circuit in 2005, when he reached his first major final at the UK Open.
He lost to Phil Taylor in Bolton, but avenged that when he won the first Regional Final for the 2006 UK Open in Wales last September.
 Mark also reached two other finals on the circuit in 2005, and has continued his progression up the world rankings since joining the PDC four years ago.
Nickname: Walshie
Date of Birth: 2 February 1965
Home Town: Abbots Langley, England
Darts Used: 25g Red Dragon
Dennis Priestley
QUITE simply a legend of the game, Priestley has won two World Championships during his career, and could have picked up a host more titles had it not been for Phil Taylor.
He picked up his first World Championship in 1991, and defeated Taylor 6-1 in the first ever PDC World Championship three years later.
He lost in four subsequent Circus Tavern finals to Taylor, as well as the first three World Matchplay finals to Larry Butler, Taylor and Peter Evison.
Dennis has enjoyed a resurgence in the past 12 months since winning the Le Skratch tournament in Montreal last May.
He reached the quarter-finals at the World Matchplay and the semis at the World Grand Prix, before winning a Players Championship event in Gibraltar in January.
 That was followed up with a triumph in the 128 Plus Classic in Yarmouth in May, and he also reached the final of the UK Open South-West Regional Final.
Nickname: The Menace
Date of Birth: 16 July 1950
Home Town: Mexborough, England
Darts Used: 13g
Alan Warriner-Little
A FORMER World Grand Prix champion, Alan is a veteran of the professional scene who has seen it all during his career.
The beaten finalist at the 1993 World Championship, he has been on the PDC circuit since the following year.
He overcame Roland Scholten to win the 2001 World Grand Prix, and reached the final of the same event three years later, losing to Colin Lloyd.
 Twice the runner-up to Phil Taylor at the World Matchplay, Alan's form on the circuit has been disappointing in the last 12 months, but he is still capable of producing the goods.
Nickname: The Iceman
Date of Birth: 24 March 1962
Home Town: Maryport, England
Darts Used: 21g Datadart
Terry Jenkins
TERRY'S displays in the past 18 months have taken him into the world's top 16.
A high-quality performer, he won the Antwerp Open last April and also took victory in the Open Hotel Zwartwater and Primus Masters.
 Terry is also beginning to realise his potential on the televised stage, and he is tipped to capture major honours in the near future.
Nickname: Tucker
Date of Birth: 26 August 1973
Home Town: Ledbury, England
Darts Used: 22g Own Make
Adrian Lewis
ADRIAN has enjoyed a meteoric rise to fame inside the past two years, and his run to the quarter-finals on his World Championship debut last December took him into the top 16.
A teenage star at the 2004 UK Open, he reached the last 16 the following year and also qualified for the 2005 World Matchplay, where he reached the last eight.
A tremendous natural talent, he won back-to-back PDC events over a weekend in November last year, and is widely tipped as a future World Champion.
 The practice partner of Phil Taylor, he is a young star with a big future in the game.
Nickname: Jackpot
Date of Birth: 21 January 1985
Home Town: Stoke-on-Trent, England
Darts Used: 21g Unicorn
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