Bricklayer Ward aiming to cement his place among the PDC elite
Ward pictured after winning Players Championship 16 (credit:PDC)
Harry Ward believes he has what it takes to mix it with the big boys in the PDC after laying the foundations by winning his first ranking title.
Ward, who turns 22 on June 13, defeated Max Hopp 8-7 in a thrilling Players Championship final in Barnsley in May and has moved closer towards achieving his dream of becoming a full-time darts player.
Ward currently plies his trade as a bricklayer and was back on site less than 24 hours after his career-changing triumph which saw him climb ten places in the PDC Order of Merit.
“I’m obviously still buzzing about winning my first Pro title,” said Ward. “I then went straight after to my first European Tour and then been on holiday for a week. It’s a good time at the minute!
“I feel like I’ve made a breakthrough, that wasn’t expected this year to win a title. To have done that has changed my mindset completely, it feels like people notice you now.
“I’m still a bricklayer but in the future obviously the aim is to be full-time in darts. I still find the time to practice and I’m doing well at the moment just doing an hour or two every day.
“One day if I was able to pack up the bricklaying I think I’d get a lot better with even more practice.
“I’ve got great backing from Unicorn and management with MDA, I’ve got everything I could ask for for progressing.
“Now I’m playing the top players in the world every week I know I have to perform in every game and that’s helped me so much.”
Ward, a former BDO World Youth finalist, has revealed he was a hated pub player because he started winning games at just 11-years-old.
A decade on and ‘Big H’ has now just tasted victory with his first ProTour title just four months after joining the professional ranks.
That underlines his status as one of the hottest prospects in world darts, but he admits he got a tough start as a kid.
“My brother-in-law started me playing on a Tuesday night in his pub team when I was just 11-years-old,” he added.
“There were a few teams in the league that didn’t like it because I was quite good and beating some of the men and they weren’t happy!
“It just went from there really. It was a great start for me, ideal. To be honest since then I’ve not looked back at all.
“I think that’s why I can deal with things now even though I’m still young. I’ve had experience of playing for a decade which really helps.
“I’ve got a lot of darts under my belt considering my age. I played at Lakeside five years ago, a couple of times on the European tour and playing on the Pro Tour now I’ve got no fear really.
“I just love playing the best guys in the world, that brings out the best in me.”
The Swandlicote star was a shock Tour Card winner at Qualifying School in January and has already moved into contention to secure a debut spot in a number of upcoming TV majors this season.
He added: “Getting the Tour Card changed everything, it was more important than winning a title.
“I’d not practiced for Q School, I went there and just relaxed. I knew what I could perform like and it just went right that day. it’s the golden ticket and from that day on I’ve worked harder than ever before.
“I celebrated with a Nando’s with my manager Matt Ward and Jamie Hughes who also got his Tour Card that day.
“I have different targets now. I’ve got to be in the top 64 by the end of next year. But the way I’ve started this year I don’t see why I can’t push towards that before the end of 2019.
“I’m playing really well, I’ve got a place in the World Championships and Players Championship Finals so a good run in either of them would push my ranking up a bit more. I just want to cement my place in the top 64.”
