Gilding earned £25,000 on the Pro Tour Order of Merit during 2014 to be the highest non-qualified player for the 2015 World Championship. He made his debut in the event against Robert Thornton and could only win two legs during the match in a 3–0 loss. His good year saw him start 2015 ranked world number 38, an increase of 40 places from 12 month ago. A semi-final defeat in the fourth qualifier saw Gilding enter the UK Open at the third round stage and he whitewashed Kevin Painter 9–0. Further victories over Jelle Klaasen (9–5) and James Wade (9–6) followed as he reached the quarter-finals of a major event for the first time in his career. Gilding faced Austria's Mensur Suljović and beat him 10–8 to set up a semi-final with world number one Michael van Gerwen. Gilding played the match of his career to date as he averaged 108.37, hit 10 180s and a 10 darter, but it wasn't quite enough to progress to the final as his tournament ended with a 10–8 loss. The £17,000 in prize money he earned saw him achieve his year's goal of breaking into the top 32 on the Order of Merit.