PETER WRIGHT won’t appear at the Grand Slam of Darts for the first time in 13 YEARS after being thrashed 5-0 in qualifying.
‘Snakebite’ has been a constant on the darts circuit over the last two decades and is one of the most popular names in the sport.
The 55-year-old is known for his colourful Mohican hairstyles on the oche but he won’t be seen at this year’s Grand Slam of Darts in Wolverhampton.
Wright was handed a heavy defeat by Connor Scutt in his opening qualifying match.
The two-time world champion was blown away at the Tour Card Holder event in Wigan after being given a bye into round two.
Wright was whitewashed as he managed an average of 85.91, while his opponent’s was above 95.
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He would have needed three wins to secure his place at the tournament but fell well short as he appeared low on confidence.
Scutt, on the other hand, claimed the three wins he needed to appear at the major after going on to beat Adam Hunt and Mike de Decker.
For Wright, it ends one of the longest runs of consecutive appearances at a darts tournament.
He previously made the last 12 editions of the Grand Slam of Darts – stretching back to 2012.
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Wright reached three finals in that time but has never won the event, finishing as runner up in 2017, 2019 and 2021.
He won world championships in 2020 and 2022, while he also clinched the European Championship as recently as 2023.
His mixed performances in the last couple of years have suggested a decline, however.
This weekend he suffered a first-round defeat at Players Championship 34 to Tytus Kanik, who was world number 137.
He has also suffered opening round defeats in October at the European Championship, Players Championship 30 and 31 – as well as the World Grand Prix.
However, Wright insisted earlier last month he “felt like he was 21 again” after a dramatic body transformation.
He has lost three stone after embarking on a new fitness regime, while eating just one meal a day to cut the calories.
He said: “I’m training better than ever before. I put a few pounds back on, I don’t know why, that’s the way it goes.
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“But I’m training better than I ever have at the moment. Even at my absolute peak, I wasn’t training as well as I am at the moment.
“I’m convinced I haven’t reached my peak in training yet. I may already be 55 years old, but I still feel like I’m 21 in this body!”
