Phil Taylor has congratulated Gerwyn Price and welcomed him ‘to the club’ after he won his first PDC World Darts Championship title.
Welshman Price produced a superb performance to beat two-time champion Gary Anderson 7-3 in Sunday’s final at the Alexandra Palace.
Price, who was playing in his first final, missed 11 match darts before hitting double five to clinch the title and the winners cheque of £500,000.
By becoming world champion, the former professional rugby player also secured his place as world number one, ending Michael van Gerwen’s seven-year reign.
Taylor, who won a record 16 World Championships, posted on social media: ‘Congratulations to Gerwyn Price, welcome to the club pal you played brilliant.’
Price, who only started competing on the PDC tour in 2014, out-scored Anderson and missed double 12 for a nine-dart leg during a set in which he averaged an extraordinary 136.6.
After lifting the trophy, he said: ‘I’ve never ever felt pressure like that in my life. I think it’s going to take a couple of days to sink in. I’m walking on cloud now – it means the world.
‘When you get that chance to win and you get three darts in your hand to take it out and you think you are going to take it – I’ve never been in that situation to win the World Championship and that was tough.’
Anderson, meanwhile, said: ‘Tonight I just could not get the darts up to that treble twenty. My doubles were atrocious and that’s what happens when you do that – you get thumped.
‘You get beat in the final – yes it’s disappointing but to get to the final in the first place was a pat on the back for myself. What I’ve done the last few weeks has been a bonus for me so it’s good to get back on it.’
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