Michael Smith happy to end Premier League season 'on a high' despite failing to reach top four
- Planet Sport writer
- 27 May 2022
Michael Smith failed to reach the final four of the Darts Premier League, but ended the season with his first victory in Night 16.
Michael Smith has enjoyed an impressive darting career, but the 31-year-old has often found himself falling just short of major titles.
'Bully Boy' finished runner up twice in the World Championship (2019 & 2022), while also finishing second in this year's UK Open.
Overall he's finished as a runner-up seven times in major PDC events, leaving the Warrington-born player frustrated with his lack of silverware having come within touching distance so many times.
Another of his silver medals came in the 2018 Premier League, eventually won by Michael van Gerwen. Smith looked to go one step further this season, but a poor campaign saw him finish sixth in 2022.
FINAL STANDINGS
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) May 26, 2022
After 16 league nights, Jonny Clayton is the fourth player to top the Premier League table.
Clayton, Michael van Gerwen, James Wade and Joe Cullen will travel to Berlin on Monday June 13 to contest the Play-Offs! pic.twitter.com/CEhnmgavt7
The result means Smith will miss out on the play-offs in Berlin next month, but he did take pride from his final result in the competition.
Heading into Night 16, Smith was the only player out of the eight-man roster to have not won an event. But after a superb showing in Newcastle on Thursday night, Smith finally added a win to his name, taking his points tally to 22 - two short of Joe Cullen in fourth.
But instead of getting caught up on missing out on the play-offs, Smith instead chose to see the positives in winning his first Premier League event of the year.
"To finally get that win and get over the line was massive tonight. Sadly I didn't make the top four, but I ended on a high and a positive," said Smith.
"It was only me on zero wins in the Premier League, so I was playing for that, and luckily enough I fell over the line against Jonny."
🗣 "That gives me the confidence for the rest of the season now"
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) May 26, 2022
Hear from a jubilant Michael Smith after his triumph on Tyneside as he looks ahead to the World Series... pic.twitter.com/3H4fOdMgwx
Smith first managed to better Michael van Gerwen and Gerwyn Price in the opening two rounds of the night, before beating the league-topping Jonny Clayton in the finale.
Clayton, Van Gerwen, James Wade and Joe Cullen will now be the quartet that head to Berlin for the play-offs on June 13, with the winner set to pocket a handy £1million prize.
