GURNEY PUTS MATCHPLAY TENSION WITH PRICE BEHIND HIM
08/10/2025 By Aaron Nijjar
DARYL GURNEY has poured cold water on rumours of a feud with Gerwyn Price after their fiery World Matchplay bust-up.
The pair grabbed headlines in July after a frosty handshake and tense exchange followed Price’s emphatic win at the Winter Gardens.
‘Superchin’ says the incident has long been forgotten and revealed the Welshman even put him in a headlock at a later event to prove there were no hard feelings.
He said: “That all came about in Hildesheim. I got beat early in my second game and stayed around to support Scott Williams.
“I was sitting at the table like this, and all of a sudden, I was in a headlock — and it was from Gezzy!
“But honestly, there was no bad feeling between me and Gerwyn from my side anyway.
“He was the better player in Blackpool. I went behind, and I just thought, enjoy yourself.
“I probably enjoyed it too much! So yeah, I deserved what I got in the end.
“But there’s no bad blood — Gezzy is a great player, and whenever we see each other, we’re always laughing and joking twice as much as before.”
World No. 26 Daryl Gurney cruised past Ross Smith 2-0 in his World Grand Prix opener, winning six of the seven legs in dominant fashion.
Two-times major winner Gurney was razor-sharp on the doubles, nailing six of his nine attempts to seal a commanding victory.
But Gurney hasn’t reached a major semi-final since the 2020 UK Open and has made just one quarter-final on the floor this year.
The Derry thrower admits he is not at the same level he once was and now sees himself as the underdog going into ties.
He added: “To be honest, you’ve got as big a clue as I do. Honestly, I play every game now like I’m not the favourite.
“I feel like that kind of evens things up and gives me the chance to come back and win games — like I did against Ross.
“What he did last Wednesday, after the week he’s had, that man deserves a medal.
“Even tonight, he was very unlucky against me in the trebles, and I just seemed to hit every double possible.
“I’m in a similar frame of mind to Joe Cullen — we just don’t know which version of ourselves is going to turn up.
“Joe turns up and wins tournaments; I turn up and maybe win my board or get to the semi-finals of a Players Championship. That’s where I’m at right now.
“Right now, I’ve got more doubt than confidence. If I can overcome that — and that only comes with wins — then maybe I can start to believe again.”
Image by Taylor Lanning.
