Welsh delivery driver pulls off shock win at World Darts Championship

By day Rob Owen works as a delivery driver for Iceland. By night he’s a rising star in the darts world who certainly delivered on the world stage today defeating highly ranked Gabriel Clemens

Clemens became the third seed to fall at the World Championship after being dumped out by the Welshman earlier today.

The 27th seed has followed James Wade and Mike de Decker in losing at the first hurdle after world number 77 Owen won 3-1 in the afternoon session at Alexandra Palace.

The rising star secured what he described as the “win of his career” by defeating 2023 semi-finalist Clemens in the second round of the 2025 PDC World Darts Championship, which all but secured his spot on the PDC tour for one more year.

The victory not only keeps Owen’s dream of lifting the Sid Waddell Trophy alive but also significantly boosts his bid to retain his PDC tour card for another year.

Owen’s triumph provisionally places him just inside the top 64 of the PDC Order of Merit, a critical threshold for retaining his spot on the tour.

While it appears highly likely that Owen will hold onto his card, his bold declaration to the Ally Pally crowd—“And I’ve secured my tour card!”—might have tempted fate.

For Owen to lose his place from this position would require an unlikely series of results. He would need to lose his third-round match against either Dave Chisnall or Ricky Evans, while both fellow Welshman Nick Kenny and Dutchman Jeffrey de Zwaan would have to win their first two matches to dislodge him from the provisional top 64.

Additionally, an underdog ranked outside the world’s top 100 would need an extraordinary deep run in the competition to overtake him.

99 average 🎯
40% on doubles 👀
A place in the third round confirmed ✅

What an afternoon for Robert Owen! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿#WCDarts | @stackattack84 pic.twitter.com/Qz0rMDVz2y

— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) December 19, 2024

Adding an extra layer of intrigue, Owen revealed during the post-match press conference that he is close friends and regular practice partners with Kenny, one of the main threats to his tour card survival.

“I know Nick [Kenny] very well. We got a practise last night in the hotel and I’ll support him as much as I can, as he does me,” Owen said.

“But at the end of the day, darts is a lonely sport. You really, really want to focus on yourself.”

Despite the high stakes, Owen was clear that his friendship with Kenny remains unaffected.

“But when you’re practising and having a lot, go to a local tournament, we’re all friends. We are all friends until we play each other,” he added.

When asked if he would send Kenny his usual words of encouragement, Owen maintained his supportive stance, even with their career paths potentially colliding.

“I’ll encourage him because at the end of the day he’s one of my friends. I would never be nasty or anything, that’s not in my nature, but I wish him all the best and what he, he’s trying to do. There’s a good chance that both of us could go through. So, it’s win-win.”

Kenny is set to face American player Stowe Buntz in his opening-round match this evening.

Owen acknowledged the importance of the outcome but downplayed any nerves about watching his friend compete, despite the implications for his own career.

“Yeah, I probably will watch a little bit. But I won’t watch it all, I’m working tomorrow night at nine o’clock.”

Owen works as a delivery driver for Iceland, balancing his professional darts career with delivering groceries. As he celebrates his marquee victory on the oche, he’ll soon be back behind the wheel, ensuring customers receive their Christmas turkeys.

With his place in the tournament secure past Christmas, Owen has more than proven his mettle. Now, his focus turns to the third round and continuing his journey toward darts glory – tour card secure or not.

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