Kirk Shepherd to quit PDC and return to BDO

Kingp35

KIRK SHEPHERD is ready to quit professional darts — less than 12 months after reaching the world championship final.

The Martial Dartist was yesterday dumped out of this year’s first round 3-2 by Dutch qualifier Jan van der Rassel.

Shepherd quit his job as a sheet-metal worker and turned pro with the PDC after banking £50,000 from losing to John Part in last year’s Ladbrokes.com final.

But, after following Part out of this year’s tournament, Shep said: “I’m going back to the BDO and back to work.I’m just not good enough for the PDC.

“It’s also a financial thing. The PDC is so expensive to play in and I haven’t got the backing. It’s OK if you are consistently in the top 16, but I haven’t been.

“One good tournament pushed me up there but I haven’t produced the goods.”

Qualifier Shepherd beat Terry Jenkins, Peter Manley and Wayne Mardle on his way to January’s final.

He said: “Last year came too early for me. Having the cheque was lovely but it did my game no good.

“I need to gain more experience, then come back and give it another shot.

“The fifty grand I won last year was never going to last for ever. I’m gutted.”

Van der Rassel faces fellow Dutchman Jelle Klaasen in Saturday’s second round.

Shepherd added: “I took him too lightly — and that punished me.”

Shepherd’s exit was the second shock of the afternoon after Geordie-turned-Aussie Paul Nicholson whitewashed Adrian Gray 3-0.

Ronnie Baxter made it into the second round with a 3-1 victory over Finland’s Mark Kantele.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/article2067901.ece

A bit surprised by this really. I know he had a terrible 2008 but I thought he might give it one more year on the circuit because he knows he has the ability to do well. Supposedly there are another few players considering moving back to the BDO because the PDC circuit is expensive to play on.

Rented Mule

Kingp35 wrote: »

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/article2067901.ece

A bit surprised by this really. I know he had a terrible 2008 but I thought he might give it one more year on the circuit because he knows he has the ability to do well. Supposedly there are another few players considering moving back to the BDO because the PDC circuit is expensive to play on.

It's even more expensive if you're not winning.

You also have to look at the fact that he got to where he was in the BDO because of a routine. His work, and familylife were part of that routine, and when you give it up, everything else changes along with it.

Once he finds his equilibrium in life his dart game will return.

Bluezar

Luckiest Finalist ever last year!!!!

unknown13

Bluezar wrote: »

Luckiest Finalist ever last year!!!!

True , last year's World Championships were poor and all the top players had bad weeks , Taylor was out in the quarters and was nearly put out earlier , Barney had a bad week and I think he had the flu , Wade was too sick to play darts in at least two of his matches and everyone except Mardle and Part were rubbish

Rented Mule

unknown13 wrote: »

True , last year's World Championships were poor and all the top players had bad weeks , Taylor was out in the quarters and was nearly put out earlier , Barney had a bad week and I think he had the flu , Wade was too sick to play darts in at least two of his matches and everyone except Mardle and Part were rubbish

Be that as it may, at the end of the day, they don't list excuses for everyone else on the trophy.

Both finalist won all of their matchups to get there and deserve their place in history.

ratinakeg

Kirk Shepherd is entered for this weeks PDC sponsored Bobby Bourn Players Championships among 142 players.
What is he up to?

Healio

ratinakeg wrote: »

Kirk Shepherd is entered for this weeks PDC sponsored Bobby Bourn Players Championships among 142 players.
What is he up to?

Id say his membership is up after that tourney.

nhughes100

Good, never liked him, he had the luckiest streak ever and got to a final never averaging over 90. He should do quite well in the BDO with them stats. He'll only have to wait till November for another televised tournament and we'll all be saying -oh yeah there's your man, wasn't he in the PDC once? As he walks onto the stage in Butlins for the Winman masters.

Evolution Enter

Funny thing about Kirk Shepherd, I think he did alot of good for darts, maybe even more so than Taylor in the last two years. As lucky as he was last year, it really got alot of people thinking that maybe if they stuck with it that maybe they could do it too.

To compare it to poker, seeing as that's a popular thing to do on this forum, he kinda had a Chris Moneymaker effect!

Whiskey Devil

He posted on Superstars of Darts a few days later to say that he was misquoted and has no intention of leaving the PDC.