Northern Ireland darts prospect Kyle McKinstry has World Championship dream

Nicknamed ‘The Village Man’, McKinstry - originally from Tandragee - cut his teeth on the county circuit before joining the British Darts Organisation (BDO) where he enjoyed a successful career.

He made the switch to the PDC and, buoyed by his last 16 appearance at the UK Open, the aim now is to win a tour card and turn full-time professional.

“I started off playing county darts for Armagh in area nine and doing a few BDO events and got a few wins; Gareth Chambers from Ballymore Inn and David Heasley from Indigo Fleet sponsored me and gave me the opportunity and I grasped it,” explained McKinstry.

“I made three Lakesides (BDO World Championships), lost out to Glen Durrant in the quarter-finals in 2019 then Matthew Ward from MDA Promotions came along and put me to Q (Qualifying) School and it snowballed from there.

“County level is a high standard and it gets you picked for the Northern Ireland team and three years in a row I finished top of the county averages,” he added.

“I won the Hal Masters (2017) in Holland the first time I went to it - I won the Northern Ireland Open twice and got beat in the final once.

“I’ve won the England Open which is a big one and three years in a row at Lakeside was a good experience.

“Winning the Northern Ireland Open in your own country is a big thing.”

McKinstry lost 5-2 to three time world champion Glen Durrant in the last eight at the Lakeside.

“Coming up against Glen in the quarter-final on a Friday night at a packed Lakeside - the hair was standing on the back of my neck was standing up,” he said.

“I played well, I could have went off 2-1 up at the break in sets but went off 2-1 and then Glen kicked on.

“Growing up, the Lakeside was the one you’d gear up to watch ever year, I’d have always sat with my dad watching it and I always said to him I’ll be there one day.

“It was my dad that started me off playing darts in the house; he would have went to a few competitions with me, then I would throw myself into the deep end and go to all the big ones put the practice in and it has paid off.”

After the Lakeside McKinstry switched to the PDC.

“It didn’t matter what happened, whether I won it or went out in the first round I was going to the PDC; after the Lakeside I was home two days then I went to Q School.

“It was a big step up and it took me two or three days to adjust; because I had a good Lakeside I felt I had a target on my back. In the second round I played Jim Williams, averaged 97 and got beat 5-2 - it’s all in the luck of the draw.

“Last year I missed the first week of the challenge tour and the top two automatically get a tour card and a place at the Ally Pally (World Championship) and if I hadn’t missed the first weekend I’d have got it; I finished seventh and that got me into the UK Open.”

McKinstry drew the player that nobody would have wanted in the first round the ‘women of the moment’ Fallon Sherrock who’d created history by beating Ted Evans and Mensur Suljovic at the World Championships in December.

However, the Moygashel man was well prepared for a female opponent as he practices with his 13-year-old daughter Cathlin Rea, who is already a accomplished thrower having won three Northern Ireland youth events and has adopted the nickname the Village Woman.

“I was coming back from the Celtic Cup in Scotland with the Northern Ireland team and my phone was going mad, then my partner rang and said you see the draw for the UK Open - you’ve got Fallon Sherlock.

“I was like, right dead-on, then I hung up and went on line and checked.

“From (when) I saw the draw I was really nervous with the way she’d played at the Worlds and the way the crowd reacted. Where they going to give me hassle?

“Even backstage before the match I was practicing with Fallon and she was missing nothing, so I knew I’d have to be on top of my game.

“Luckily I got on the stage and my finishing got me through it, I had six out of seven (6-1 victory) on the doubles and it is an experience I’ll not forget.”

Jason Heaver and Stephen Burton were dispatched before McKinstry got embroiled in a classic with England’s Bradley Brooks.

“It was a good game, I went off at the break 7-3 down but I wasn’t doing anything wrong, my manager said if you can win the next two legs you’ll win the match - I won the next four legs and won the match 10-8,” he said.

McKinstry put out German World Cup player Martin Schindler 10-5 with a 97 average in the last 32 but the run was ended by former World Championship quarter-finalist Dimitri van den Bergh.

“If you don’t take your chances at that level you get punished,” he said.

“I had one dream to get to the Lakeside and I conquered it and the next dream now is the Ally Pally and a tour card.”