Former World Youth Championship winner Keegan Brown has signed for Red Dragon and was straight into action in the 2023 World Series of Darts Finals on Friday night in Amsterdam.
There has seemed a quiet but concerted effort, from some big name manufacturers, in recent months, to complete their playing staff for the short to medium future.
With the biggest names seeming tied to their main sponsors for at least a year or two it has been the second and third tier of players that are being signed, re-signed or extended. Keegan Brown certainly fits the bill for Red Dragon.
A well known player, with a positive reputation, who is capable if winning any single match and, on favourable days, entire events.
As if to demonstrate this The Needle opened his campaign up at the AFAS Live with a superb victory over Australian Simon Whitlock, and being rewarded with a high profile encounter with defending champion and fellow Red Dragon player Gerwyn Price in the Last 16.
Despite fading slightly from his highly impressive youth career, Brown was amongst those to claim a Players Championship Title in 2022, averaging just shy of 94 in beating Nathan Aspinall 8-7 in a last leg decider in the the Barnsley Metrodome.
The Englishman lost his PDC Tour Card at the end of the year at the World Darts Championship where he went out to Florian Hempel in the 1st Round at the Alexandra Palace.
Keegan though did not let the disappointment affect him, as he went straight back into Qualifying School in Milton Keynes and claimed his spot on the Pro Tour back via the UK Q School Order of Merit.
Keegan was very busy throughout the COVID 19 Pandemic, prioritising his commitments as an NHS Worker throughout a very busy difficult period for himself and his colleagues.
Keegan, now 30, is also part of an illustrious group to have won the PDC World Youth Championship at some point in their careers, the club includes: includes Luke Humphries, Michael Smith, Dimitri van den Bergh and Josh Rock.
Brown defeated Dirk van Duijvenbode in the Semi Finals before beating Austrian international Rowby-John Rodriguez 6-4 in the Final back in 2014 at the O2 Arena in London.
The 30-year-old Isle of Wight resident, has another year left on his PDC Tour Card and will hope to secure his place in the 2024 Paddy Power World Darts Championship, currently sitting in 58th on the Pro Tour Order of Merit with 9 events still left to play.
‘Keegz’ has qualified for 7 PDC World Championships with his best run coming back in 2018 where he reached the Last 16 – losing to the legend that is Phil Taylor – having defeated James Wade and Zoran Lerchbacher earlier in the tournament.
Before that will be the little matter of tacking The Iceman in Amsterdam in the World Series Finals and then the Autumn campaign fresh with the boost of a new deal from a manufacturer who certainly know how to find or make champions!
—–ENDS—–
Original Reporting : Harry Masterson
Image: Red Dragon
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