“I practice five to eight hours a day” – Connor Scutt reaping the rewards of hard work with Luke Littler up next in Wolverhampton
Connor Scutt arrived at the 2025 Grand Slam of Darts talking openly about his long hours on the practice board. By the end of a nervy 5-4 win over former major champion Daryl Gurney, those hours looked very well spent.
Group E’s opener swung from one extreme to the other, producing seven breaks of throw, a string of clinical mid-range checkouts and a finale that demanded every ounce of Scutt’s composure. Gurney averaged 93.8 to Scutt’s 91.46, both men throwing similar checkout percentages, but it was the Englishman’s ability to steady himself at the decisive moment that proved the difference.
Gurney started the stronger, cleaning up D8 for 1-0, but Scutt immediately levelled with a 64 finish before breaking for a 2-1 lead. The chaos truly began from there: Gurney broke straight back for 2-2, only for Scutt to land a superb 99 checkout as the pair traded a third consecutive break. Gurney’s response was equally sharp, pinning D16 for 3-3.
The Northern Irishman then moved one away from victory with tops for 4-3, but Scutt forced the decider by taking out 56 under pressure. With the match on the line, he produced the most composed leg of the night, completing a 25 finish to break again and seal a dramatic win.
“I feel like I got away with one”
Speaking afterwards, Scutt admitted he had survived a real battle. “I feel very good. I feel like I’ve got away with one, let’s be honest,” he said. “It was 5-4 in a very close game. I’m not sure what the averages were, I haven’t looked, but it felt like I got away with one. I tried my best.”
The 29-year-old explained that he had been forced to rip up his usual rhythm after noticing his quick practice pace wasn’t working on stage.
“I had to change my game plan a little bit. I’ve been playing with a lot of pace in practice, but I had to slow myself down because it wasn’t working up there. I’m not sure why, but hopefully it works next game.”
A season of “Scutt luck” but the numbers aren’t far off
This year has been a grind for Scutt, but he was keen to stress that the story isn’t as bleak as some results suggest.
“A lot of people have been having very good games against me. I’m not normally one of those ‘how’s your luck’ people, but my season has been very much Scutt luck,” he said. “My averages aren’t too dissimilar to last year. I’ve played some really good stuff but drawn some horrible first and second rounds.”
He pointed to an early-season clash with Josh Rock as the epitome of his fortunes. “I think I hit nine 180s, he had six or seven, and I still lost 6-4. I played a very good game of darts but didn’t get many chances. It’s been one of those seasons. I know I’m not playing badly. If I play like this again next season, it’ll probably go well.”
Hard work behind the scenes
If one quote defined the mood of Scutt’s session, it was his matter-of-fact explanation of his work ethic. “I practice an awful lot anyway. I do sort of five to eight hours a day,” he said. “Since I’ve moved house I’ve got a practice partner, so I’m playing competitive games day in and day out. It doesn’t affect me like it does others, and I’m lucky to say that because I have that work ethic.”
The only challenge, he says, is the long breaks between events when he doesn’t qualify for Euro Tours. “That’s a long gap without PDC ranking money coming in. Match-wise I’m fine; ranking-wise it can make things difficult.”
New setup, new confidence
Scutt also revealed he has only just changed his flights.“That was my first ever stage game using that setup. I think I’ve still got a couple of kinks to work out, but I’m coming into a decent bit of form toward the back end of the year.”
And with qualification for Alexandra Palace secured, plus a Grand Slam win already in the bag, he believes the hard graft is starting to show.
Next up: a showdown with the world champion
Scutt will return tomorrow for a far sterner test: world champion Luke Littler, who swept past Karol Sedláček 5-1 in ruthless fashion. Still, Scutt wasn’t biting on the idea of picking opponents.
“It’s just a game of darts. A lot of players here can average 110-plus. I can’t decide how someone else is going to play. What they do is up to them, what I do is up to me.”
For now, he leaves day one with the perfect start: a win, a renewed sense of form and the satisfaction of seeing those five-to-eight-hour practice days paying off exactly when he needed them most.
Scutt in action
