Andy Boulton

Andrew Boulton (born 25 February 1973) is a Scottish professional darts player who competes in Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) events. Nicknamed "X-Factor", he has won four titles on the PDC Challenge Tour.

Andy Boulton
Personal information
Full name	Andrew Boulton
Nickname	"X-Factor"
Born	(1973-02-25) 25 February 1973 (age 52) Stoke-On-Trent, England
Home town	Ardrossan, Scotland
Darts information
Playing darts since	1991
Darts	23g Showtime
Laterality	Right-handed
Walk-on music	"Juicy Wiggle" by Redfoo
Organisation (see split in darts)
BDO	2004–2015
PDC	2015– (Tour Card: 2015–2017, 2019–2022, 2025–)
Current world ranking	(PDC) 104 1 (30 July 2025)[1]
WDF major events – best performances
World Championship	Last 16: 2008
World Masters	Last 16: 2006
Finder Masters	Group Stage: 2008
PDC premier events – best performances
World Championship	Last 64: 2016, 2021
UK Open	Last 16: 2011
Grand Slam	Group Stage: 2015
PC Finals	Last 32: 2020, 2021
Other tournament wins
ADC Championship Tour Finals 2024 Airdrie European Open 2010 Granite City Open 2009 North Lanarkshire Open 2008 PDC Challenge Tour (x4) 2023 (x2), 2024 (x2) Scotland National Championships 2011 Tyne & Wear Open 2011

Career

BDO, UK Open appearances

Boulton made his PDC major debut at the 2005 UK Open, starting in the preliminary round and reaching the third round. He was eliminated after a 5–1 loss to Colin Osborne.^[2] He made his BDO World Championship debut at the 2008 edition, eliminating 10th seed Martin Atkins in the first round.^[3] He lost to Ted Hankey in the second round. In March 2008, he won the North Lanarkshire Open by beating Robert Thornton 4–1 in the final.^[4]

Boulton qualified for the 2009 UK Open as a pub qualifier.^[5] He beat Darren Latham 6–5 in the first round but lost 6–4 to Wes Newton in the second round.^[6] Later that year, he claimed the Granite City Open title in Aberdeen by beating former world champion John Walton in the final.^[7]

Boulton suffered first-round defeats at the 2011 and 2012 BDO World Championships, losing to Robbie Green and Scott Waites.^[8][9] However, in the PDC, Boulton reached the last 16 of the 2011 UK Open.^[10]

PDC

After years of mainly playing in the BDO, Boulton officially crossed over to the PDC in 2015, winning a PDC Tour Card at Q-School by topping the Q-School Order of Merit.^[11] He qualified for the 2015 Grand Slam of Darts, getting through the PDC Qualifier that was held to fill the last eight spots.^[12] He was drawn into Group E with Gary Anderson, Raymond van Barneveld and Larry Butler, but failed to win a match.^[13] Boulton qualified for the 2016 PDC World Championship through the PDPA Qualifier, which saw him enter the preliminary round of the tournament.^[14] After beating Per Laursen to progress to the first round, he lost 3–0 to defending champion Gary Anderson.^[15]

He reached his first PDC European Tour semi-final at the 2018 European Darts Matchplay – defeating Cristo Reyes, Steve Beaton, Jelle Klaasen and Gerwyn Price en route. In his semi-final match, he lost 7–3 to William O'Connor.^[16]

After losing his Tour Card at the end of 2017, Boulton regained it at 2019 Q-School.^[17] He returned to Alexandra Palace at the 2020 PDC World Championship, but was defeated 3–2 by debutant Danny Baggish in the first round.^[18]

At the 2021 PDC World Championship, Boulton was drawn to play three-time women's world finalist Deta Hedman in the first round.^[19] He defeated Hedman 3–2, reaching the second round of the competition for the first time.^[20] He was eliminated after losing to Stephen Bunting. The same year, Boulton switched his allegiance from England to Scotland on residency grounds after previously living in England for many years.^[21]

After losing his Tour Card again at the end of 2022, Boulton saw success on the PDC Challenge Tour. He won two titles on the 2023 Challenge Tour at event 3 and event 23.^[22][23] On 16 March 2024, Boulton claimed two Challenge Tour titles on the same day, winning events 8 and 9.^[24]

Boulton won his Tour Card back at 2025 Q-School after finishing eighth on the UK Q-School Order of Merit.^[25]

World Championship performances

BDO

• 2008: Second round (lost to Ted Hankey 1–4)
• 2011: First round (lost to Robbie Green 0–3)
• 2012: First round (lost to Scott Waites 1–3)

PDC

• 2016: First round (lost to Gary Anderson 0–3)
• 2020: First round (lost to Danny Baggish 2–3)
• 2021: Second round (lost to Stephen Bunting 2–3)

Performance timeline

BDO

Tournament	2006	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014
BDO Ranked televised events
World Championship	DNP	2R	DNQ		1R	1R	DNQ
Winmau World Masters	5R	3R	4R	4R	4R	5R	4R	5R

PDC

Tournament	2005	2009	2011	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2019	2020	2021	2022	2024	2025
PDC Ranked televised events
World Championship	BDO						1R	DNQ		1R	2R	DNQ
World Masters	Not held			Did not qualify										Prel.
UK Open	3R	2R	5R	3R	3R	2R	3R	DNQ	3R	5R	4R	4R	1R	2R
Grand Slam	NH	Did not qualify				RR	Did not qualify
Players Championship Finals	NH	Did not qualify						1R	1R	2R	2R	DNQ
Career statistics
Year-end ranking (PDC)	-	-	-	-	-	72	58	62	81	51	56	82	112

PDC European Tour

Season	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13
2015	GDC 2R	GDT DNQ	GDM 1R	Did not qualify
2016	Did not qualify					EDO 2R	IDO 1R	EDT 1R	EDG 1R	GDC 1R
2017	Did not qualify									GDG 1R	IDO DNQ	EDT QF
2018	Did not qualify				EDG 1R	DDM DNQ	GDT 3R	DDO DNQ	EDM SF	GDC 1R	DDC 1R	IDO DNQ	EDT DNQ
2019	EDO DNQ	GDC 2R	Did not qualify				DDM 1R	Did not qualify				IDO 1R	GDT DNQ
2020	BDC 1R	Did not qualify
2022	IDO 1R	Did not qualify						DDC 1R	Did not qualify
2023	BSD DNQ	EDO 2R	IDO 1R	GDG 1R	ADO DNQ	DDC 1R	Did not qualify					HDT 1R	GDC DNQ

PDC Players Championships

Season	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	25	26	27	28	29	30	31	32	33	34
2015	BAR 1R	BAR 2R	BAR 1R	BAR 3R	BAR 1R	COV QF	COV 1R	COV 1R	CRA 2R	CRA 2R	BAR 3R	BAR 2R	DNP		BAR 1R	BAR 3R	DUB 4R	DUB 3R	COV 3R	COV 1R
2016	BAR 1R	BAR 1R	BAR 2R	BAR 1R	BAR 1R	BAR 1R	BAR 1R	COV 2R	COV 2R	BAR 3R	BAR 1R	BAR 1R	BAR 1R	BAR 2R	BAR 1R	BAR 1R	DUB 3R	DUB 1R	BAR 2R	BAR 1R
2017	BAR 2R	BAR 1R	BAR 1R	BAR 1R	MIL 1R	MIL 2R	BAR 3R	BAR 1R	WIG 1R	WIG 1R	MIL SF	MIL 3R	WIG 2R	WIG 1R	BAR 2R	BAR 3R	BAR 1R	BAR 2R	DUB 2R	DUB 1R	BAR 2R	BAR 2R
2018[nb 1]	Did not participate																	BAR 3R	DUB DNP	DUB 2R	DNP
2019	WIG 1R	WIG 2R	WIG 4R	WIG 2R	BAR 3R	BAR 2R	WIG 2R	WIG QF	BAR 1R	BAR 2R	BAR QF	BAR 1R	BAR 2R	BAR 1R	BAR 1R	BAR 2R	WIG 2R	WIG 4R	BAR 3R	BAR 1R	HIL 2R	HIL 3R	BAR 1R	BAR 1R	BAR 4R	BAR QF	DUB 2R	DUB 2R	BAR 1R	BAR 3R
2020	BAR 1R	BAR 1R	WIG 2R	WIG 1R	WIG 1R	WIG 1R	BAR 1R	BAR 1R	MIL 2R	MIL 2R	MIL 1R	MIL 2R	MIL 1R	NIE 2R	NIE 4R	NIE 2R	NIE 3R	NIE 2R	COV 3R	COV 2R	COV 3R	COV 1R	COV SF
2021	BOL 1R	BOL 3R	BOL 1R	BOL 2R	MIL 3R	MIL 2R	MIL 1R	MIL 1R	NIE 2R	NIE 2R	NIE SF	NIE 2R	MIL 1R	MIL 2R	MIL 1R	MIL 2R	COV 2R	COV 2R	COV 1R	COV 1R	BAR 2R	BAR 1R	BAR 3R	BAR 1R	BAR 1R	BAR 1R	BAR 1R	BAR 1R	BAR 3R	BAR 2R
2022	BAR 3R	BAR 2R	WIG 2R	WIG 2R	BAR 1R	BAR 1R	NIE 2R	NIE 1R	BAR 3R	BAR 2R	BAR 2R	BAR 2R	BAR 3R	WIG 2R	WIG 2R	NIE 1R	NIE 2R	BAR 3R	BAR 3R	BAR 4R	BAR 1R	BAR 1R	BAR 1R	BAR 1R	BAR 1R	BAR 2R	BAR 1R	BAR 1R	BAR 1R	BAR 2R
2023[nb 1]	DNP		BAR 2R	BAR 3R	BAR 1R	BAR 1R	HIL 2R	HIL 4R	WIG 3R	WIG 1R	DNP		HIL 2R	HIL 3R	LEI 1R	LEI 1R	HIL 1R	HIL 2R	BAR 2R	BAR 1R	BAR 1R	BAR 1R	BAR 3R	BAR 1R	BAR 2R	BAR 3R	BAR 3R	BAR 1R	BAR 1R	BAR 2R
2024[nb 1]	Did not participate						LEI 1R	LEI 1R	HIL 1R	HIL 1R	HIL 1R	HIL 3R	MIL SF	MIL 1R	MIL 1R	MIL 3R	MIL 2R	MIL 2R	MIL 1R	WIG 2R	WIG 2R	LEI 1R	LEI 3R	WIG 1R	WIG 2R	WIG 3R	WIG 1R	WIG 1R	LEI 1R	LEI 2R
2025	WIG 1R	WIG 1R	ROS 2R	ROS 3R	LEI 2R	LEI 1R	HIL 2R	HIL 1R	LEI 1R	LEI 3R	LEI 2R	LEI 1R	ROS 2R	ROS 2R	HIL 1R	HIL 2R	LEI 2R	LEI 1R	LEI 1R	HIL 3R	HIL 1R	MIL	MIL	MIL	HIL	HIL	LEI	LEI	LEI	WIG	WIG	WIG	WIG	WIG

1. Not a Tour card holder

Performance Table Legend
W	Won the tournament	F	Finalist	SF	Semifinalist	QF	Quarterfinalist	#R RR Prel.	Lost in # round Round-robin Preliminary round	DQ	Disqualified
DNQ	Did not qualify	DNP	Did not participate	WD	Withdrew	NH	Tournament not held			NYF	Not yet founded