Aberdeen darts player Shaun McDonald does not feel under any pressure as he prepares to take the stage at the UK Open.
McDonald will take on fellow Scot Jamie Clark in the first round at Minehead and reckons if he can recapture some of his form from Q School, results will soon follow.
The UK Open is the start of a busy run of tournaments for McDonald, who will then fly out to Hungary to compete in the Budapest Classic and Masters before heading to Lakeside for the WDF World Championships at the start of April.
He has been practising with fellow Aberdonian Scott Campbell ahead of his entry into the PDC event and has not set any targets for himself, against a packed field.
McDonald said: “I’m not looking any further than the first leg of the first game. I’m well aware of how difficult it’s going to be – I’ll just play as well as I can and see what happens.
Can’t wait for this! I play second match on Stage 8 against Jamie Clark https://t.co/qqPCKUKtYe pic.twitter.com/FSC2fn05rX
— Shaun McDonald (@Shaunymac04) February 28, 2022
“If my form can click into gear at the right time then it could be a really good spell. I’m looking it as an opportunity and I’m not putting myself under pressure.
“If I keep putting in good performances then results will follow. I can only affect what I do, not anyone else.”
Should McDonald, who is finance director at Xeretec, come through in round one, he will face Martin Lukeman with Adam Hunt waiting in round three.
He last played in the UK Open in 2007 in his early days on the circuit, before taking an extended break from the sport.
But his performances on the Pro Tour in 2021, including victory in the Irish Classic, saw him finish second in their rankings and earned him a spot at Minehead.
McDonald added: “I’ve never attempted to qualify for it since 2007. I lost in the second round in 2006 and 2007 so hopefully I manage to get a bit further.
“I don’t think I’ve changed much as a player, just got more mature as a human. It’s tough after such a gap and having not played at this level for so long.
“If it goes my way then fantastic. If it doesn’t I’ll just keep going. I’m not going to get too up or down.”
Huntly’s John Henderson will also be in action at the UK Open.
The Highlander enters the tournament at the second round stage and will face the winner of the tie between James Wilson and Shaun Wilkinson in the sixth game on the main stage tomorrow afternoon.
Henderson, who won the World Cup of Darts alongside Peter Wright last year, is looking for a good run to kickstart his season.
The UK Open will be televised by ITV4, with selected matches screened live. Play starts at 11am on Friday with PDCTV also showing games.
- McDonald is looking for additional sponsors. Any interested parties should contact him on Twitter at @Shaunymac04.
