Mitchell Lawrie is widely regarded as one of the brightest young talents in darts, and at just fifteen years old, the Scot already boasts several notable results. But for now, patience is the name of the game. Lawrie is eagerly counting down to his sixteenth birthday, when he can take the next step in his career.
Speaking to Oche180, Lawrie admitted the wait is getting tough. "It's been a big pain," he said. "I really just want to turn 16 and take your next step in darts, but, you know, you have to play it out. You're on your own journey at the end of the day. I've stuck to the WDF and stuff, so hopefully next year I'll go to Q School and see what happens."
In the meantime, Lawrie is far from idle. He continues to collect titles and has already produced a nine-darter. "Still doing really well. Just keeping in practice, really. Still doing all my advanced stuff, still doing all my WDF stuff. Now qualified for Lakeside, the men's and youth, so to the end of the year it's a bit more chilled. Not as many weekends away and stuff, but still playing darts, still playing competitive darts and just making sure I'm keeping my arm in."
Between tournaments, Lawrie recently stepped away from the oche for a holiday with friends and his father. It proved a welcome break, even if the trip wasn't entirely smooth. "Definitely worth it, except for my phone getting stolen," he laughed. "But except for that, no, it was definitely a great holiday. Out there with my pals and my dad, it was just a great holiday, probably one of the best ones I've been on. Just chillax for once, not worrying about darts, just out there having fun, being a boy."
From next year, the focus returns fully to the sport, with one clear goal: earn a Tour Card. If Q-School doesn't work out immediately, Lawrie has an alternative route mapped out. "Definitely a Development Tour, Challenge Tour, try and push myself on to the Pro Tour and stuff, the PDC circuit. I want to be a professional darts player at the end of the day. The WDF is great, but the next step is PDC. The WDF have been great with me and I love it there."
A failed attempt at Q-School wouldn't be a disaster, either. "I would not be disheartened. I definitely know if I don't get my Tour Card, I'm definitely wanting to do Lakeside again, whether or not the opportunity comes around."
Despite his young age, Lawrie regularly finds himself among big names in the darts world. Recently he ran into Phil Taylor and Adrian Lewis, and even for someone making a name for himself, that still feels special. "When Phil Taylor walks in, it's something that's just... it's mental. He's just talking to you like a normal person. Funny, same with Adrian Lewis. Just looking at them like, 'Why am I here? Why am I in the same room as you?' But, you know, hard work pays off at the end of the day and what can I say? It's been a surreal experience here."
Lewis was also one of the players Lawrie tried to imitate as a kid. "When I was growing up as a wee guy, I used to actually try and throw like Adrian Lewis when I was younger. I don't know why, I just loved him. He's got the best throw in the world, hasn't he? So I tried to copy his when I was younger and then I just ended up finding out my own thing. But obviously Gary Anderson was my hero growing up. Watching those three was definitely a surreal experience."
Anderson remains a special name for Lawrie. The two have met, and the young Scot describes his idol as "a great and genuine guy." A potential meeting on the PDC tour would be special, but Lawrie has no intention of conceding anything in advance. "I know I can hold my own against anybody in the world if I play well. It would be a very difficult game for sure, but anyone in that PDC circuit is. But especially a man like Gary Anderson, he's a different class, isn't he?"
If Lawrie does secure a Tour Card next year, he won't burden himself with huge targets right away. He sees his first spell among the professionals mainly as an investment in his development. "I'm really just going to enjoy it. I've got two years on the Pro Tour, I may as well make the most of it. 16 years of age at the end of the day. If I go and get my Tour Card, I'm going to play darts for 30-40 more years?"
That doesn't mean he'll accept losing. "The first two years are a learning experience, a learning curve, see how I do. I definitely want to do well. I'm not saying that I want to go in there and just be someone that people can run over and beat 6-0, 6-4 and 6-2. I want to go in there, I want to hold my own. But it's not that big of a deal what happens the first two years for me. It's all a learning curve and I'm still learning in this game. I'm still progressing and I just need to get used to that."
Inevitably, the name Luke Littler comes up, who conquered the darts world at a very young age. Lawrie sees his contemporary mainly as an inspiration, but is determined not to be a copy of him. "He's a big inspiration to all. I've always said, if I could do half the stuff he's done in his career, through my whole career, everybody would be happy. I think everybody in the world would be happy if they could do half the stuff he's done." Even so, Lawrie is intent on his own course. "I don't want to be him. I just want to be my own person and do my own path."
