IN-FORM Ian White, veteran star Dennis Priestley and youngsters Michael Smith, Arron Monk and James Hubbard were amongst the 20 UK Qualifiers for the Dutch Darts Masters European Tour event in Holland later this month.
The UK Qualifier saw 62 players competing for spots in Nuland on Friday night at Dublin’s Citywest Hotel in the first of ten days of darts action at the venue. Stoke’s Ian White, St Helens’ Michael Smith and Yorkshireman Dean Winstanley all warmed up for their challenges in next week’s PartyPoker.com World Grand Prix by qualifying for the European Tour event.
European Tour Event Four runner-up White edged out Ted Hankey 6-5 to qualify, Winstanley saw off Kevin McDine and Paul Barham to maintain his record of qualifying for all five European Tour events this year, while Smith – who takes on Phil Taylor on Monday night in the World Grand Prix – was a 6-4 winner against Keith Stephen to earn his place in Holland. Two-time World Champion Priestley overcame youngster Adam Smith-Neale, Dennis Smith defeated Darren Whittingham and Joe Murnan to win through and Andy Jenkins was a 6-1 winner against Welsh prospect Jamie Lewis.PDC Unicorn World Youth Champion Hubbard – a quarter-finalist in the third European Tour event in Dusseldorf earlier this year – saw off Northern Ireland’s Michael Mansell and Norfolk rival Darren Webster to qualify.
Former World Youth Champion Monk, who currently heads this year’s Youth Tour Order of Merit ahead of Smith, defeated fellow youngsters Shaun Griffiths and Joe Cullen to win his place in Holland, sealing a 6-2 win over the latter with legs of ten and 12 darts.Tony West, a quarter-finalist in Stuttgart in the German Darts Masters event last month, saw off Yorkshire pair Darren Johnson and Reece Robinson, to qualify, with Jim Walker, Brian Woods, Scott Rand, Johnny Haines and Steve Hine also winning through.
Mark Jones saw off Michael Barnard and William O’Connor, Mick Todd won tough contests with Prakash Jiwa and John Scott, and further spots went to Peter Hudson, Ross Smith, Terry Temple and Dave Ladley.The top 32 players from the PDC Order of Merit who entered are placed directly into the first round draw, with the 20 UK Qualifiers joined by four players from a Home Nation Qualifier to be held on Rosmalen on Friday October 12 and eight players who will come from the European Qualifier in Bielefeld on Saturday October 13.
European Tour Event Five – Dutch Darts Masters UK Qualifier Friday October 5 2012, Citywest Hotel First Round Mark Jones 6-4 Michael Barnard Paul Barham 6-5 Mark Forman Dean Winstanley 6-5 Kevin McDine Stuart Kellett 6-1 Tony Littleton Johnny Haines 6-3 Mark Dudbridge Dennis Smith 6-5 Darren Whittingham Steve Hine 6-4 Steve Maish Kevin Dowling 6-5 John Henderson Reece Robinson 6-1 Gaz Cousins Tony West 6-3 Darren Johnson John Bowles 6-1 Stephen Hardy Scott Rand 6-4 James Richardson Arron Monk 6-3 Shaun Griffiths Joe Cullen 6-3 Alex Roy Brian Woods 6-1 Adrian Gray Richie Howson 6-4 Sam Hill Mick Todd 6-5 Prakash Jiwa John Scott 6-5 Paul Rowley James Hubbard 6-2 Michael Mansell Darren Webster 6-5 Scott Coleman Jim Walker 6-4 Steve Grubb Nigel Heydon 6-1 Brandon Walsh Second Round Dennis Priestley 6-3 Adam Smith-Neale Mark Jones 6-5 William O’Connor Dean Winstanley 6-3 Paul Barham Johnny Haines 6-4 Stuart Kellett Ian White 6-5 Ted Hankey Dennis Smith 6-0 Joe Murnan Steve Hine 6-5 Kevin Dowling Tony West 6-3 Reece Robinson Peter Hudson 6-4 Chris Aubrey Ross Smith 6-3 Barrie Bates Scott Rand 6-2 John Bowles Arron Monk 6-2 Joe Cullen Michael Smith 6-4 Keith Stephen Andy Jenkins 6-1 Jamie Lewis Brian Woods 6-4 Richie Howson Mick Todd 6-3 John Scott Terry Temple 6-2 Matthew Edgar Dave Ladley 6-5 Andrew Gilding James Hubbard 6-4 Darren Webster Jim Walker 6-3 Nigel Heydon UK Qualifiers Dennis Priestley Mark Jones Dean Winstanley Johnny Haines Ian White Dennis Smith Steve Hine Tony West Peter Hudson Ross Smith Scott Rand Arron Monk Michael Smith Andy Jenkins Brian Woods Mick Todd Terry Temple Dave Ladley James Hubbard Jim Walker