William O'Connor (darts player)

William "Willie" James O'Connor (born 15 July 1986 from Limerick) is an Irish professional darts player. He currently plays in Professional Darts Corporation events.

William O'Connor
O'Connor in 2019
Personal information
Full nameWilliam James O'Connor
NicknameThe Magpie
Born (1986-07-15) 15 July 1986
Limerick, Republic of Ireland
Home townCappamore, County Limerick
Republic of Ireland
Darts information
Playing darts since2005
Darts23 Gram Winmau Signature
LateralityRight-handed
Walk-on music"Zombie" by The Cranberries
Organisation (see split in darts)
PDC2009–
Current world ranking37
BDO majors – best performances
World MastersLast 264: 2009
PDC premier events – best performances
World Ch'shipLast 32: 2019
World Grand PrixLast 32: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015
Grand SlamGroup Stage: 2019
Premier LeagueChallenger: 2020
European Ch'shipLast 32: 2018, 2019
UK OpenLast 16: 2015, 2017
Players Ch'ship FinalsQuarter Final: 2019
Other tournament wins
Ireland Regional Players Championship 2011
John O'Loughlin Memorial Open 2010
Tom Kirby Memorial Irish Matchplay 2017

Players Championships

Players Championship (BAR) 2019

Career

He first came to prominence in the 2010 UK Open when he defeated Stuart Monaghan in the First Round by 6 legs to 0. He then defeated Mark Frost and Peter Wright to reach the fourth round, where he played world number 3 James Wade on the main board and lost 9 legs to 3.

O'Connor qualified for the 2010 World Grand Prix, where he lost to Barrie Bates in the first round by 2 sets to 0.

O'Connor along with Mick McGowan represented Ireland at the inaugural PDC World Cup of Darts in 2010. The pair defeated Slovakia in the first round 6 legs to 3. However, they were narrowly beaten 6 legs to 5 in the second round to the Australian duo of Simon Whitlock and Paul Nicholson, who were number 4 and 16 in the world rankings respectively.

He played in his second World Cup for Ireland in 2012, again paired with McGowan and, as in 2010, they reached the second round this time by defeating Malaysia 5–2.[1] They played the same Australian pair as in 2010 next and were whitewashed 0–4.[2] The next week he reached the quarter-finals of the first UK Open Qualifier, but was defeated by Kevin Painter 4–6.[3] This would later prove to be O'Connor's deepest run in a tournament in 2012.[4] During the year he qualified for three of the five European Tour events. He was knocked out in the first round of the first two, but at the German Darts Masters he saw off Painter 6–5, before losing 3–6 to Wayne Jones.[5] O'Connor was one of the two Irish qualifiers for the World Grand Prix and missed a dart for the match in the first round against Vincent van der Voort, losing 1–2 in sets.[6]

O'Connor began 2013 ranked world number 54,[7] and played in his third World Cup of Darts and first with Connie Finnan in February.[8] The pair beat Denmark 5–0 in their first match and despite losing to South Africa 4–5 they finished top of Group B on leg difference to reach the last 16.[9] They faced Japan and were defeated 3–5.[10] O'Connor was beaten 9–4 by Dave Chisnall in the third round of the UK Open having earlier seen off Robbie Singleton and Johnny Haines.[11] He struggled for form after this until the first weekend of November when he lost in the last 16 to Mensur Suljović and Gary Anderson in two Players Championships, earning himself £2,000 in the process.[12]

O'Connor entered 2014 ranked world number 68, just outside the top 64 who had full playing privileges for the year ahead.[13] He entered Q School and had his best result on the third day when he was defeated 5–0 by Pete Dyos in the last 16.[14] The result helped him finish 24th on the Q School Order of Merit to claim the final place on offer for a two-year tour card.[15] He was edged out in the third round of the UK Open 9–8 by Jamie Lewis.[16] O'Connor and Finnan lost five successive legs in the first round of the World Cup of Darts to be beaten 5–3 by Singapore.[17] He was knocked out in the first round of two European Tour events, before picking up his first victory of the season at the European Darts Trophy by averaging 104.36 in a 6–4 win over Mensur Suljović.[18][19] In the second round, O'Connor was 5–4 ahead of Justin Pipe but bust his score when on 70 and missed one match dart at double six to be beaten 6–5.[20]

At the 2015 UK Open, O'Connor overcame Dean Winstanley 5–3, Mark Webster 9–5 and Ian White 9–6 to reach the fifth round of the event for the first time where he played Stephen Bunting.[21] The opening eight legs were shared, before Bunting took four of the next five and he went on to eliminate O'Connor 9–6.[22] He saw off Ian White 6–1 and Vincent van der Voort 6–3 to reach his first quarter-final in three years and first in a European Tour event at the German Darts Masters. O'Connor led world number one Michael van Gerwen 3–1, but went on to lose 6–4 despite taking out three 100 plus finishes.[23] O'Connor and Finnan's World Cup second round match with Hong Kong went to a doubles match which they lost 4–3.[24] O'Connor was unable to advance past the first round of the World Grand Prix for the fourth time as he missed two match darts against Jamie Lewis.[25]

O'Connor was beaten 6–5 by Jeffrey de Graaf in the second round of the UK Open.[26] He ousted Tomas Seyler 6–3 and Kim Huybrechts 6–1 at the German Darts Masters, before losing 6–2 to Gary Anderson in the third round.[27] O'Connor did not get past the last 64 of any individual event in the rest of the year.[28] At the World Cup he and Mick McGowan squeezed past Hong Kong 5–4 in the first round, but they exited the tournament in the next round after they lost their singles matches to the Northern Irish team of Daryl Gurney and Brendan Dolan.[29]

O'Connor just avoided having to enter Q School in 2017 as he was ranked 64th on the Order of Merit.[30]

William kicked off 2017 when he defeated Max Hopp, Christian Kist, Keegan Brown, Ritchie Edhouse and Devon Peterson on the way to a quarter final in UK Open Qualifier 1.[31] He eventually lost to Ricky Evans, but coupled with a run to the Last 32 in Qualifier 5[32], he did enough to make his way into the 2017 UK Open.

O'Connor entered the UK Open in the second round, where he took on fellow Irishman Steve Lennon.[33] William got the better of Lennon 6–2 to book a spot in the Last 64. Here, he played Mick Todd[34], who O'Connor beat 10–3 over the longer format. In the Last 32, he played Ronnie Baxter[35], with William claiming a super 10–6 win to reach his second ever UK Open Last 16. Simon Whitlock was his opponent, and the Aussie proved just too much, defeating O'Connor 10–7[36], although the Limerick man picked up £6,500 for his run.

O'Connor continued his form in Barnsley the following weekend, reaching the Last 16 of Players Championship 3[37], and the Last 32 of Players Championship 4.[38] He defeated Zoran Lerchbacher and Christian Kist to set up a tie with the world champion Michael van Gerwen in the Last 32. O'Connor beat van Gerwen superbly 6–4, but lost to Ritchie Edhouse in the following round. In Players Championship 4 the next day, he dispatched of Jermaine Wattimena and Mick Todd, but was beaten by Mensur Suljovic in the Last 32.

O'Connor had a couple of bad months, with his best result being a Last 32 in Players Championship 12[39], where he defeated Ronnie Baxter and Paul Harvey before a 6–5 loss to Steve Lennon. He once again teamed up with Mick McGowan at the World Cup of Darts.

O'Connor reached his first PDC final at the 2018 European Darts Matchplay, losing to Michael van Gerwen by a scoreline of 8–2.[40] He then won a first PDC title at Players Championship 13 on 30 April 2019, beating Nathan Aspinall 8–4 in the final.

In June 2019, O'Connor alongside Steve Lennon made it all the way to the final of the 2019 PDC World Cup of Darts where they eventually lost to Scotland 3–1.[41]

In the 2020 PDC World Championships, O'Connor made an apparent calculation blunder in losing his second round match.[42]

O'Connor was selected as a 'challenger' for the 2020 Premier League night in Dublin.[43]

World Championship results

PDC

Performance timeline
Tournament20102011201220132014201520162017201820192020
PDC World Championship DNQ 1R 3R 2R
UK Open 4R 2R 3R 3R 3R 5R 2R 5R DNQ 3R 5R
World Grand Prix 1R 1R 1R DNQ 1R DNQ
European Championship DNQ 1R 1R
Grand Slam of Darts DNQ RR
Players Championship Finals DNQ 3R DNQ QF
Performance Table Legend
DNP Did not play at the event DNQ Did not qualify for the event NYF Not yet founded #R lost in the early rounds of the tournament
(WR = Wildcard round, RR = Round robin)
QF lost in the quarter-finals SF lost in the semi-finals F lost in the final W won the tournament
gollark: It lets devices find their distances to access points and thus (ideally) positions.
gollark: There is also the RTT-based multilateration thing. 802.11mc.
gollark: Radar. Detecting devices is ancient stuff.
gollark: Horrible privacy issues, probably, but it is very cool.
gollark: Which can in fact see through walls.

References
  1. "Cash Converters World Cup RD1". PDC. 3 February 2012. Retrieved 3 February 2012.
  2. "Cash Converters World Cup Round Two Doubles Round-Up". PDC. 4 February 2012. Retrieved 4 February 2012.
  3. "2012 UK Open Qualifier Results". Darts Database. Retrieved 6 December 2012.
  4. "Willie O'Connor 2012". Darts Database. Archived from the original on 5 December 2012. Retrieved 5 December 2012.
  5. "2012 PDC German Darts Masters Results". Darts Database. Retrieved 6 December 2012.
  6. "PartyPoker.com WGP – Monday". PDC. Retrieved 9 October 2012.
  7. "Order of Merit on 1 January 2013". PDC. Archived from the original on 14 January 2013. Retrieved 14 January 2013.
  8. "Betfair World Cup of Darts Groups". PDC. Retrieved 19 January 2013.
  9. "Betfair World Cup of Darts – Saturday Afternoon". PDC. Retrieved 2 February 2013.
  10. "Betfair World Cup of Darts – Last 16". PDC. Retrieved 2 February 2013.
  11. "Speedy Services UK Open – Friday". PDC. Retrieved 8 June 2013.
  12. "Willie O'Connor 2013". Darts Database. Archived from the original on 29 November 2013. Retrieved 29 November 2013.
  13. "Order of Merit on 2 January 2014". PDC. Archived from the original on 18 January 2013. Retrieved 18 January 2014.
  14. "2014 PDC Tour Card Qualifying School Results". Darts Database. Retrieved 19 January 2014.
  15. "2014 PDC Qualifying School Day Four". PDC. Retrieved 18 January 2014.
  16. "Coral UK Open – Friday Evening". PDC. Retrieved 7 March 2014.
  17. "bwin World Cup of Darts First Round". PDC. Retrieved 7 June 2014.
  18. "William O'Connor 2014". Darts Database. Archived from the original on 1 December 2014. Retrieved 1 December 2014.
  19. "European Darts Trophy Day One". PDC. Retrieved 1 December 2014.
  20. "European Darts Trophy Day Two". PDC. Retrieved 1 December 2014.
  21. "Coral UK Open Fourth Round". PDC. Retrieved 7 March 2015.
  22. "Coral UK Open Fifth Round". PDC. Retrieved 7 March 2015.
  23. "Million Pound van Gerwen's Munich Triumph!". PDC. Retrieved 7 April 2015.
  24. "bwin World Cup of Darts Second Round". PDC. Retrieved 20 June 2015.
  25. "partypoker.com World Grand Prix – Sunday". PDC. Retrieved 5 October 2015.
  26. "2016 Coral UK Open Day One". PDC. Retrieved 12 November 2016.
  27. "2016 PDC German Darts Masters Results". Darts Database. Retrieved 12 November 2016.
  28. "Willie O'Connor 2016". Darts Database. Archived from the original on 12 November 2016. Retrieved 12 November 2016.
  29. "2016 PDC World Cup of Darts Results". Darts Database. Retrieved 12 November 2016.
  30. "Order of Merit on 3 January 2017". PDC. Archived from the original on 3 January 2017. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
  31. "Coral UK Open Qualifier 1 | PDC". www.pdc.tv. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
  32. "Coral UK Open Qualifier 5 | PDC". www.pdc.tv. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
  33. "Coral UK Open Day One | PDC". www.pdc.tv. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
  34. "Coral UK Open Day One | PDC". www.pdc.tv. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
  35. "Coral UK Open Day Two | PDC". www.pdc.tv. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
  36. "Coral UK Open Day Two | PDC". www.pdc.tv. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
  37. "Players Championship 3 | PDC". www.pdc.tv. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
  38. "Players Championship 4 | PDC". www.pdc.tv. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
  39. "Players Championship 12 | PDC". www.pdc.tv. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
  40. "'I was going to give darts up or get laser eye surgery and fight' – The Limerick carpenter who stunned Van Gerwen". The 42. 16 September 2018. Retrieved 18 September 2018.
  41. "Scotland beat Republic of Ireland to win the 2019 World Cup of Darts". Sky Sports. 9 June 2019. Retrieved 11 June 2019.
  42. https://www.rte.ie/sport/darts/2019/1219/1102259-willie-oconnor-counts-cost-of-error-as-price-prevails/
  43. "Challengers confirmed for 2020 Unibet Premier League". PDC. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
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