Mitchell Lawrie’s rise has already moved well beyond quiet promise. At just 15, the Scottish teenager has become one of the most talked-about young players outside the PDC system, with his Lakeside breakthrough and growing reputation placing him firmly among the sport’s most intriguing prospects. Now, Lawrie is already looking towards the next steps: a potential PDC Winmau World Masters invite, more success at Lakeside, and eventually a PDC Tour Card.
Speaking on the Love the Darts Podcast, Lawrie made clear that Gary Anderson was not just a player he admired growing up. He was the reason darts became the sport he wanted to pursue. “I’ve always said Gary Anderson’s been my biggest idol,” Lawrie told the podcast. “Just seeing him play, I just think he’s got the most natural throw in the world. He’s obviously Scottish. He’s won two world titles. And so, I just really look to re-emphasise his career. He’s been the reason I want to play darts, watching him on the telly.”
The teenager says watching Anderson brought a different level of attachment compared to other players on television. “It’s when you watch the darts, you know, obviously you would maybe want some other person to win. When I watched Gary Anderson, all I wanted was him to win.” Lawrie has since had the chance to meet Anderson away from the television cameras. “I met him in an exhibition once, and I’ve also met his son Tai, who’s also a really good player,” Lawrie explained. “And we were talking away to Tai and his wife, and yeah, they’ve been brilliant with me. Gary was great at the exhibition. He was just good, laughing. He just felt like a normal person to be around, instead of this big Gary Anderson person. He just felt normal, which kind of brings you back to reality, and it felt really nice.”
Lawrie is currently in a strong position on the Advanced Tour, where a top-four finish would earn him a PDC World Masters invite. “Well, I know if I come in top four in the Advanced Tour, I’m getting a PDC World Masters invite, and I’m currently sitting first in that,” he added. “So that would be another thing on the hit list. Go there in January and hopefully do well in that. Get on to the stage. That would be my first professional tournament.” Lawrie is also aiming high at Lakeside: “Win the Lakeside men’s and retain my title in the youths,” he said. “Get my Tour Card, hopefully do well on the ProTour and stuff, and we’ll see where it takes me.”
