‘Exhausted’ Bull set to wind down (From Worcester News)

‘Exhausted’ Bull set to wind down

1:00pm Sunday 6th January 2013 in Sport

WORLD ace Terry Jenkins will be hitting his very own bullseye later this year.

The Ledbury thrower turns 50 in September and says he will start to ‘wind down’ his darts career.

Jenkins reached the Professional Darts Corporation’s Ladbrokes World Championship third round before exiting 3-1 to Andy Hamilton.

But the travelling and sheer number of tournaments on the tour are beginning to wear down the player, nicknamed The Bull, who is nevertheless three years younger than the dominant Phil Taylor.

Jenkins admitted: “I shall start to wind my darts down this year. I am going to be 50 in September and can’t keep going on like I have been.

“The travelling feels like it’s killing me.

“I have been doing the circuit for quite a few years and have found it very exhausting in the last 12 months.

“I will cut down on competitions and concentrate on exhibitions and television tournaments.

“I will give it a good go in the television tournaments.”

Jenkins, who is still seeking that elusive first major tournament success, expects to slip from 10th to 17th in the PDC Order of Merit.

The Bull peaked at number four in the world rankings and has been runner-up in seven major PDC-televised finals.

“I feel like I have been playing well ,” said Jenkins, who defeated former winner John Part before crashing out to Hamilton in the world championship.

“I went into the tournament ranked at number 10 but could now go down to around 17th.

“But I know that if I continue to play like I have been, I will climb back up the rankings. I am not worried.”

He averaged 100.39 against Hamilton but his opponent’s finishing percentage of 52 far outstripped Jenkins’ 31 per cent.

“Andy usually averages about 90 but he needed an average of almost 100 to beat me,” said Jenkins.

“I would be a lot more disappointed if I had been playing badly and then knocked out.

“I am not worried about what’s happened — it’s frustrating more than anything else.”

Hamilton was then knocked out by Taylor who clinched the title for the 16th time.

Jenkins’ best display at the worlds was when he reached the semi-finals in 2011.

He has a host of exhibitions lined up for the year ahead.

The Herefordshire player added: “Exhibitions are a good way to practice — and I get paid at the same time.

“It’s much better than having to spend four or five hours practising darts.

“A lot of the top players have someone in their town or city to practise with. It’s more difficult for me because I have no-one in this area.”