The penultimate group of the opening stage arrives with all the subtlety of a swinging pub door in a storm — dangerous, unpredictable, and absolutely loaded with players desperate to prove a point. A few headline favourites, yes… but just as many lurking threats ready to rip up the script if given half a chance.
Right near the top of that list sits Welsh thrower Kurt Parry, a man who knows exactly what it feels like to get his hands on silverware. His PDC Challenge Tour triumph may be drifting toward the rearview mirror — over a decade ago now — but Parry’s game has refused to age with it and has made great strides there this season. Recent quarter-final runs on a brutally strong circuit prove he’s still armed with enough firepower to make himself heard in this group.
But if Parry is expecting a gentle stroll into the top four, he’ll need to think again — because one of the most dangerous men in the entire section is Christian Perez. The 2022 PDC Asian Champion brings a suitcase full of experience and an iron stomach for big moments. He’s competed on the main PDC Pro Tour, even punched his way into a semi-final in Leicester last season. On paper? He should advance. On ability? He absolutely should advance. On pressure? Well… this is the ADC Global Championships — nothing is guaranteed.
And then comes the Dutch artillery. Danny van Trijp, one half of the sibling duo in this year’s field, but unmistakably the one carrying the bigger threat level. A PDC Pro Tour semi-finalist in Hildesheim just two years ago, Van Trijp is operating with real pedigree — and whispers around the scene suggest he’s not just a contender to escape the group, but a potential dark horse to go very deep in the tournament.
The English challenge arrives in a trio: Jamie Kelling, Billy Leonard and Gary Hayes. Kelling — or JK as he’s known — has Challenge Tour experience of his own, though it’s been a few years since he was in that particular furnace. Leonard and Hayes bring enthusiasm and hunger, and in a group format where a slow start can sink anyone, neither should be overlooked.
Rounding off the seven is Panagiotis Chrysospathis, a name that may only ring bells for those with a deep encyclopaedic love of Greek darts. A wildcard, an unknown quantity, and precisely the type of player who could steal a leg or two while the favourites are still waking up.
So how does it shake out? If this group follows the formbook, logic says Perez, Parry and Van Trijp should command three of the four qualifying places. But this is no gentle procession — the remaining spot is a full-on free-for-all. A scrap. A scramble. A golden ticket waiting for whichever player holds their nerve when the group hits boiling point. Because in Group Seven, anything can — and probably will — happen.
ADC GLOBAL CHAMPIONSHIP – STAGE ONE – GROUP SEVEN
Billy Leonard ENG
Christian Perez PHL
Danny Van Trijp NED
Gary Hayes ENG
Jamie Kelling ENG
Kurt Parry WAL
Panagiotis Chrysospathis GRE
—–ENDS—–
Images: Red Dragon
