Raymond Smith has secured his place at the 2027 World Darts Championship after a convincing 10-2 victory over Tim Pusey in the ANZ Premier League final on Saturday. The 46-year-old Australian, known as 'The Guru', also earned 30,000 Australian dollars and places at both the Grand Slam of Darts and the World Darts Championship at Alexandra Palace.
The triumph at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre was especially sweet for Smith, who lost last year's final to Simon Whitlock 10-7. This time, in front of his home crowd, he made sure the title did not slip away. Despite falling behind early as Pusey broke his throw twice, Smith turned the match around by winning nine legs in a row. He sealed the victory with eight maximums and an average of 87.28, while Pusey averaged 74.32.
An overjoyed Smith said: "This is beyond my wildest dreams. I hope to represent my club at Inala. I hope to be a representative player, I wanted to play my zone and now I'm here doing things I never ever dreamt of. It's been amazing." He also praised his opponent: "Tim's a class player and then every time I dropped off he just took the punishment for the shot. I stepped up and then the crowd came on my side and I just kicked to another level."
Pusey, who had won their previous four meetings, was gracious in defeat. "It wasn't great but he's relentless, so if you don't rock up you lose," admitted the 34-year-old. "I can't wait to go again next year, well hopefully! But no, we'll get there and it's great and I wish Raymond all the best in the Grand Slam and the Ally Pally. Hopefully he knocks it out the park."
Smith's path to the final was far from straightforward. In the semi-finals, he trailed New Zealander Jonny Tata 4-2, with Tata breaking throw twice and hitting a 108 checkout. Tata had chances to extend his lead but failed to take them, and Smith seized the reprieve by winning five legs in a row to eventually triumph 8-5. In the other semi-final, Pusey defeated defending champion Simon Whitlock 8-4, despite Whitlock making an immediate break and later fighting back from 6-2 down.
The final featured two of the season's standout players: Smith had already won nights in Canberra and Auckland, while Pusey had claimed titles in Melbourne and Newcastle and reached the final in Adelaide. Smith's victory means he is set to make his fourth appearance at the PDC World Darts Championship, returning after five years away. At his previous appearance in the 2021/22 edition, he made a surprise run to the fourth round, where he was knocked out by Mervyn King.
Smith joins Brody Klinge, Mal Cuming and Ben Robb, who have also qualified for the World Championship through Oceania's qualifying routes. The World Darts Championship will be held at Alexandra Palace in London from 11 December to 3 January, where Smith will once again have the chance to showcase his game on the biggest stage in darts.
