CLAYTON HUNTS MVG AS HE EYES TOP FOUR
08/03/2026 By Aaron Nijjar
JONNY CLAYTON insists he is HUNTING down Michael van Gerwen as he eyes the world No.4 spot.
‘The Ferret’ beat Martin Lukeman 10-7 in a hard-fought clash to secure his place in the quarter-finals of the UK Open
The Welsh thrower has been hovering on the fringes of the top four in the Order of Merit for several months and currently sits on £649,000, chasing MVG, who stands on £710,250.
Clayton knows that winning the PDC Premier event would put him ahead of his Dutch rival and guarantee a spot in next year’s Premier League.
He said: “I’ve been looking for him for a long, long time. I’m hunting him down. But you know, he is class.
“If I win this, I get above him — great job. I don’t worry about things like that. I just want to play well and pick trophies up.
“It is a tough tournament. You could have the world No.1 and No.2 against each other in the fourth or fifth round.
“Nobody knows who they are going to play. You have to play well. It is just one of them — concentration is massive.”
Clayton has been in superb form this season, leading the Premier League table after five weeks.
The four-time major winner believes his experience in the weekly roadshow is giving him the edge in other tournaments.
He added: “Being in the Premier League, you are playing the eight in-form players. There is no better match practice than playing those players week in and week out.
“That is a massive help because concentration is everything on that stage. When you come to other tournaments, you are fresh.
“You come off that stage on Thursday with a great player, and it is in your mind that you have to keep going.
“That is what I am trying to do.”
Clayton returns to action on Sunday afternoon and will face fellow compatriot Gerwyn Price for a spot in the semi-final at Butlins, Minehead.
Image by Taylor Lanning.
