BENNETT IN TEARS AFTER CARD GLORY

NEW KID prodigy Leighton Bennett admitted he broke down in tears after winning his first tour card at the age of 18.

Lincoln-born ‘Boom Boom’ won day three of Qualifying School in Milton Keynes to secure his ‘golden ticket’ professional status. 

Now Bennett, who famously beat Phil Taylor when he was 13, wants to emulate Littler’s incredible run at the World Championship. 

He said: “It was weird and mad to be honest. I never thought I’d come here and win one this week. I’m over the moon. 

“As soon as I got enough points the reality kicked in that I’d got a tour card. All the emotions started coming out. 

“I dropped to my knees and started crying. I never thought I’d be good enough to get through. 

“I rang my dad on my manager’s phone. Dad started crying and it got me going. Oh my God, it’s actually happening. 

“It was even better to win an event to achieve it. It’s weird, something has clicked with me over the past couple of months. 

“I made two quarters and I didn’t dare ask my manager about the points situation. It was scary. It’s such a strange feeling to say I’m now a professional. I’m buzzing!

“I think over the past year practice and growing up a little bit has made all the difference. 

“I’ve just a bit of time to myself. I had a rough patch. But I practice like mad and go to as many comps as I can. Just trying to do everything I can to get my game right. 

“I wanted to get back to where I knew I could be and it’s come much sooner than I thought to be honest. 

“My mum and dad always pushed me on darts that it would be a wasted talent if I packed it in. 

“I’ve been lucky to have people like Target Darts and Rab Bain from RBS Scaffolding. Rab manages Rob Cross, Josh Rock and Scott Williams and him and Target have stuck with me through the good times and the tough times. I’m pleased I’ve managed to give them something back now for their constant support. 

“I used to look back at old interviews of myself. I thought it would be stupid if I didn’t give it a proper go. Now it’s a completely different story again.”

Bennett appeared in a couple of high profile exhibitions with legend Taylor and beat him in Frankfurt. He then went on to win the BDO World Youth Championship in 2019. 

But now he admits that watching Littler’s incredible run at the Ally Pally has given him extra hunger – and wants to clash again with the Warrington wonderkid at the UK Open in early March.

He added: “I’m so glad with everything I did before with Phil Taylor and the exhibitions when I was 13. 

“I did lose a bit of love for the sport. I’ve got back into it like mad and now winning a tour card has made me want to succeed even more than ever before. 

“Being on the ProTour is now a completely different ball game. It’s another chapter now. 

“There’s been no pressure I’ve felt over the past year to be honest. 

“But Luke has taken the spotlight off me. Happy days really I could just focus on my own game. If I did have a bad game no one was really going on about it. I did enjoy that in some ways. 

“But seeing Luke at the Worlds has given me a kick up the backside and now I just want to push on and get back up there myself. 

“When I was 12 or 13 I probably was playing the best darts of my life. 

“But this week has seen glimpses of the old me. I’ve got the old confidence. Now I think I am ready for a different level of the sport. It’s the first time I’ve actually felt comfortable to go up and do something like this. 

“I’ve proved loads and loads of people wrong from years ago. They said I was just a kid he won’t do anything in years to come. Here we are now and I’m actually classified as a professional dart player.

“I’d love for Luke and I to be the new Taylor v Raymond van Barneveld sort of rivalry. 

“It would be great if we drew each other at the UK Open on the main stage. I think that’s what people would want. I’d want that draw definitely. 

“I’m looking forward to battling with Luke and players like Michael van Gerwen, Gerwyn Price and Rob Cross who has been a mentor for me. 

“I think I’ve played Luke 50 or 60 times. I’ve got a better record over him, only because I was a bit older probably. Over the past two years he has battered me more. I beat him last time though, I need to say that obviously!”

Images by Taylor Lanning.