Kirk Shepherd
Kirk Shepherd ( born October 5, 1986 in Ramsgate, Kent ) is an English darts player of the Professional Darts Corporation. In darts he used the nickname " The Karate Kid".
Shepherd lost on 1 January 2008 against John Part in the final of the Darts World Championship in London earlier this year took the 2nd place and secured 50,000 pounds. By this success he achieved in the Order of Merit of the leap to number 22
Shepherd was led by his father to the game of darts zoom at the age of nine years. On his ninth birthday he was given by his sister, a set of arrows. These arrows he plays to this day, these days though as a replica by the company Unicorn Darts, who sponsor him now.
Sporting successes
Shepherd was 2003 winner of the Winmau World Youth Masters, won the British Teenage Singles Champion in 2004 and 2006 and was elected twice to the British Darts Organisation Young Player of the Year (2005 /2006). At just 18, he reached the final of the BDO Gold Cup in 2005. 2006 he made it to the quarterfinals of England Open, before he moved from the BDO to the PDC in November 2006.
His first year in the PDC, however, was initially not very successful: he only achieved some placements in the top 32 for smaller Pro Tour tournaments and only place 142 in the Darts World Ranking.
Shepherd then managed to play in the qualifying tournament for the World Championship into the last 8, and thus qualify for the World Cup 2008.
In the 2008 World Cup it then get some spectacular successes. He beat Terry Jenkins in the first round, then Mick McGowan, Barrie Bates and finally the former three -time world finalist Peter Manley, reaching the semi-finals. There he won against the " Phil Taylor Vanquisher" Wayne Mardle 6-4 and met in the finals to John Part, against whom he lost with 2-7.
In 2009, he did not, however, beyond the round of 64 and lost here against Jan van der Rassel 2-3.
In the PDC World Darts Championship 2010, however, he moved into the second round, after he had beaten in the first round Scott Burnett from the USA and 3-0 in the second round of the Canadian John Part 4-1. In the second round, however, he was defeated by eventual semi-finalists Mark Webster from Wales 1-4.
For the World Cup 2011 Shepherd was not really qualified, but could still participate, as the Australian qualifier Rob Modra received a visa and thus could not participate. As Kirk Shepherd held the next higher place in the Order of Merit at this time, he was set for the first round. He lost, however, with 1-3 against Wayne Jones.
Outside of darts
Shepherd was at the time of World Cup Final 2008, no full-time professional and worked in a factory as a metal worker on the tape, which he earned £ 8,000 a year. At the press conference after the World Cup final 2008 he was known, however, in the future to pursue the sport of darts as a professional. In addition to the darts Shepherd still the 2nd Dan in Karate and has already fought here for the British Championship.