Scottie Scheffler comments see Darts star James Wade tee off over 'easyJet vs private jet'
James Wade claimed darts players have it tougher than elite golfers as he brought up Scottie Scheffler's private jet and his use of budget airlines. Wade made the comments after continuing his pursuit of a second World Matchplay crown with a fine 11-5 win over Wessel Nijman.
The 2007 champion showed in victories over Joe Cullen (10-3) and then Nijman why he is a genuine contender for glory at Blackpool's Winter Gardens. Wade is one of darts' most thoughtful players, and after his win over Nijman, he struck a similar tone to Scheffler.
Before his recent Open Championship victory, he said about how there was more to life than his chosen profession.
Sharing his own priorities in life away from darts, Wade said: "There's more important things outside of this. I want to go and eat fish and chips with my wife after this. This isn't that important.
"I think people are too amplified on what you're achieving and what you're doing. I know I'm one of the best, probably top 10 in the world at the moment. Now I go home to see my wife, Arthur and Alfred [his children]. I'm winning. None of this is important. It's really not."
When made aware of Scheffler's comments, Wade went on a tangent about top golfers' luxury lifestyles compared to that of leading darts players. He added: "I'm not really interested in what another golf player says because golf players aren't even close to being on the pressure or the pedestal that darts players are put upon.
"You can't compare that. When he gets in his private jet... he doesn't have to get on an easyJet, he doesn't have to get on a happy bus, he doesn't have to do all those things.
"So it's not comparable really. It's quite amazing that darts players achieve when they don't have that. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to be on a private jet and use a backward [private] entrance at an airport. But I'm a darts player. I will use easyJet, Ryanair, because I am what I am.
"It's nothing about money, it's just how they travel. Would you travel 12 hours to get to a floor tournament?"
Before The Open, Scheffler delivered a surprisingly candid press conference where he confessed that golfing success didn't fulfil him and that he valued being a devoted husband and father above everything else.
However, after claiming the Claret Jug for the first time, he claimed his remarks had been misinterpreted and stressed he wasn't disrespecting the sport or diminishing his accomplishments.
He said: "I think it really underestimates what I was trying to communicate. Maybe I didn't do as effective a job as I hoped to in communicating that. At the end of the day, I have a tremendous amount of gratitude towards moments like these.
"I literally worked my entire life to become good at this game and play this game for a living. It's one of my greatest joys of my life to compete out here.
"To be able to win The Open Championship here at Portrush is a feeling that's really hard to describe. This is amazing to win the Open Championship, but at the end of the day, having success in life, whether it be in golf, work, whatever it is, that's not what fulfils the deepest desires of your heart.
"Am I grateful for it? Do I enjoy it? Oh, my gosh, yes, this is a cool feeling. It's just tough to describe when you haven't lived it."
Wade is set to face Gian van Veen, who dumped out defending champion Luke Humphries in the first round, in the Matchplay quarter-finals on Thursday.
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