Michael van Gerwen followed a sensational nine-dart finish with a third Ladbrokes UK Open title in a glorious Sunday at the Butlin’s Minehead Resort as he defeated Gerwyn Price 11-9 in the final.

Van Gerwen had endured three months without a tournament win since claiming November’s Players Championship Finals title in Minehead with a comeback defeat of Price. He had also landed a nine-darter during that event, and repeated the feat with a perfect leg during his 11-3 semi-final romp against Daryl Gurney.

Van Gerwen opened the final with a 180 as a 13-darter gave him the lead, only for Price to clinically storm into a 5-1 lead, with his accuracy on tops including checkouts of 105 and 97 as he moved clear.

Van Gerwen punished missed doubles from the Welshman in three of the next four legs as he pulled back to 6-4, and after a 13-darter from Price the world number one capitalised on four further misses to reduce the gap to 7-6.

A tense 14th leg saw another four misses allow Van Gerwen a let-off as the Dutchman levelled on double two, and when a further two darts at double went astray from the Welshman, he saw his rival edge 8-7 up.

Checkouts of 136 and 97 moved Van Gerwen to the brink of victory at 10-7, and though Price replied with finishes of 94 and 80 the Welshman was unable to keep his hopes alive as a missed bull allowed his rival to take out 66 for glory.

Sunday March 8th

QUARTER FINALS (19)
(102.38) Dimitri Van den Bergh 5-10 Gerwyn Price (102.15)
(110.81) Michael van Gerwen 10-4 Rob Cross (95.12)
(95.26) Daryl Gurney 10-9 Jelle Klaasen (94.62)
(90.57) Jamie Hughes 9-10 Jonny Clayton (91.38)

SEMI FINALS (21)
(102.39) Gerwyn Price 11-4 Jonny Clayton (90.64)
(110.32) Michael van Gerwen 11-3 Daryl Gurney (96.76)
‘9 Darter MvG’

FINAL (21)
(99.16) Gerwyn Price 9-11 Michael van Gerwen (101.42)

Prize Fund:

Winner – £100,000
Runner-Up – £40,000
Semi-Finalists – £20,000
Quarter-Finalists – £12,500
Sixth Round Losers – £7,500
Fifth Round Losers – £4,000
Fourth Round Losers – £2,000
Third Round Losers – £1,000
Total – £450,000

6TH ROUND (19)
Gerwyn Price 10-9 Gabriel Clemens
James Wade 4-10 Michael van Gerwen
Jelle Klaasen 10-9 Gary Anderson
Peter Wright 6-10 Daryl Gurney
Chris Dobey 8-10 Jonny Clayton ‘9 Darter Clayton’
Jamie Hughes 10-5 Mensur Suljovic
Dimitri Van den Bergh 10-8 Kyle McKinstry
Rob Cross 10-8 Stephen Bunting

5TH ROUND (19)
Chris Dobey 10-5 Simon Whitlock
Michael van Gerwen 10-9 Jason Lowe
Peter Wright 10-6 Ian White
Michael Smith 9-10 Rob Cross
Daryl Gurney 10-9 William O’Connor
Gerwyn Price 10-3 Ricky Evans
James Wade 10-1 Kim Huybrechts
Gary Anderson 10-5 Simon Stevenson
Jonny Clayton 10-4 Joe Cullen
Mensur Suljovic 10-7 Dirk van Duijvenbode
Stephen Bunting 10-2 Alan Tabern
Dimitri Van den Bergh 10-4 Matthew Edgar
Jamie Hughes 10-7 Martin Atkins
Jelle Klaasen 10-1 Steve West
Kyle McKinstry 10-5 Martin Schindler
Gabriel Clemens 10-6 Andy Boulton

4TH ROUND (19)
Gerwyn Price 10-3 Danny Noppert
Peter Wright 10-8 Glen Durrant
Michael van Gerwen 10-8 Nathan Aspinall
Gary Anderson 10-7 Steve Beaton
Dimitri Van den Bergh 10-5 Rhys Hayden
William O’Connor 10-8 Dave Chisnall
Stephen Bunting 10-9 Vincent van der Voort
Chris Dobey 10-9 Krzysztof Ratajski
Ian White 10-6 Harry Ward
Mensur Suljovic 10-4 Jamie Lewis
Gabriel Clemens 10-9 Ryan Joyce
Michael Smith 10-4 James Wilson
Kim Huybrechts 10-8 Ryan Searle
Alan Tabern 10-6 Richard North
Dirk van Duijvenbode 10-9 Jermaine Wattimena
Simon Whitlock 10-7 Jeffrey de Zwaan
Kyle McKinstry 10-8 Bradley Brooks
Rob Cross 10-7 Niels Zonneveld
Joe Cullen 10-7 Mervyn King
Jason Lowe 10-4 Adrian Lewis
Jelle Klaasen 10-5 William Borland
Ricky Evans 10-4 Joe Murnan
Simon Stevenson 10-9 Darren Webster
Jonny Clayton 10-7 Scott Waites
Andy Boulton 10-8 Luke Humphries
Steve West 10-9 Lewis Williams
Matthew Edgar 10-5 Josh Payne
James Wade 10-5 John Henderson
Daryl Gurney 10-9 Keegan Brown
Martin Schindler 10-2 Justin Pipe
Jamie Hughes 10-9 Brendan Dolan
Bye – Martin Atkins

1ST, 2ND and 3RD ROUND (11)
Mike De Decker 6-2 Lisa Ashton (R1)
Scott Waites 6-4 Damon Heta (R1)
Kyle McKinstry 6-1 Fallon Sherrock (R1)
Mark McGeeney 6-5 Scott Baker (R2)
John Michael 6-5 Jeff Smith (R2)
Kevin Doets 6-3 David Pallett (R2)
Jason Heaver 4-6 Kyle McKinstry (R2)
Luke Humphries 6-5 Kyle Anderson (R3)
Kim Huybrechts 6-1 Robert Thornton (R3)
Josh Payne 6-4 Luke Woodhouse (R3)
Cody Harris 6-5 Scott Taylor (R1)
Kai Fan Leung 6-3 Kelvin Self (R1)
Karel Sedlacek 6-0 Adam Hunt (R1)
Alan Tabern 6-2 Keane Barry (R1)
Andy Hamilton 6-3 Patrick Lynskey (R1)
Dirk van Duijvenbode 6-0 Marko Kantele (R2)
Scott Waites 6-1 Geert Nentjes (R2)
Mike De Decker 6-5 Daniel Larsson (R2)
Bradley Brooks 6-2 Nick Kenny (R2)
Ryan Searle 6-5 Cristo Reyes (R3)
William O’Connor 6-2 Jan Dekker (R3)
Vincent van der Voort 6-4 John Michael (R3)
William Borland 6-5 Mike De Decker (R3)
Steffen Siepmann 6-4 Krzysztof Kciuk (R1)
Peter Jacques 6-4 Ciaran Teehan (R1)
Steve Brown 6-5 Michael Barnard (R1)
Daniel Larsson 6-5 Ryan Meikle (R1)
Harry Ward 6-5 Gavin Carlin (R2)
Kai Fan Leung 6-2 Kirk Shepherd (R2)
Karel Sedlacek 6-2 Barrie Bates (R2)
Rhys Hayden 6-4 James Richardson (R2)
Richard North 6-4 Ron Meulenkamp (R3)
Conan Whitehead 2-6 Steve West (R3)
Devon Petersen 4-6 Bradley Brooks (R3)
Wesley Harms 5-6 Martin Atkins (R3)
Stephen Burton 2-6 Kyle McKinstry (R3)
Jason Askew 6-4 Greg Ritchie (R1)
Jason Heaver 6-0 Jesus Noguera (R1)
Adam Smith-Neale 6-4 Ben Cheeseman (R1)
Nathan Rafferty 6-3 Darren Beveridge (R1)
Andy Boulton 6-2 Reece Robinson (R2)
Maik Kuivenhoven 6-3 Nathan Derry (R2)
Wesley Harms 6-5 Justin Smith (R2)
Madars Razma 6-4 Derk Telnekes (R2)
Jamie Lewis 6-5 Ross Smith (R3)
Steve Lennon 4-6 Alan Tabern (R3)
Ted Evetts 4-5 James Wilson (R3)
Mickey Mansell 2-6 Niels Zonneveld (R3)
Stephen Burton 6-1 Adam Huckvale (R1)
Rhys Hayden 6-5 James Clark (R1)
Bradley Brooks 6-5 Cameron Menzies (R1)
Harald Leitinger 6-1 Kevin Burness (R1)
Jonathan Worsley 6-4 Matt Clark (R2)
Steffen Siepmann 6-2 Carl Wilkinson (R2)
Ted Evetts 6-1 Berry van Peer (R2)
Alan Tabern 6-3 Steve Brown (R2)
Justin Pipe 6-3 Kai Fan Leung (R3)
Ryan Joyce 6-2 Yordi Meeuwisse (R3)
Jose De Sousa 4-6 Lewis Williams (R3)
Nathan Rafferty 2-6 Jamie Hughes (R3)
Wesley Harms 6-3 Aaron Beeney (R1)
Danny van Trijp 6-4 Boris Koltsov (R1)
William Borland 6-2 Andrew Davidson (R1)
Lewis Williams 6-5 Robert Owen (R1)
Jason Lowe 6-1 Cody Harris (R2)
Martin Atkins 6-2 Christian Bunse (R2)
Nathan Rafferty 6-1 Mike van Duivenbode (R2)
Niels Zonneveld 6-4 Andy Hamilton (R2)
Gabriel Clemens 6-3 Maik Kuivenhoven (R3)
Dirk van Duijvenbode 6-3 Darius Labanauskas (R3)
Rhys Hayden 6-2 Toni Alcinas (R3)
Matthew Edgar 6-3 Callan Rydz (R3)
Martin Atkins 6-5 Ryan Murray (R1)
Callan Rydz 6-5 Shane McGuirk (R1)
Wayne Jones 6-1 Gary Blades (R1)
Berry van Peer 6-3 Owen Roelofs (R1)
Jason Askew 6-5 Rowby-John Rodriguez (R2)
Yordi Meeuwisse 6-3 Peter Jacques (R2)
Lewis Williams 6-3 Adrian Gray (R2)
Joe Murnan 6-3 Harald Leitinger (R2)
Martin Schindler 6-4 Benito van de Pas (R3)
Andy Boulton 6-4 Mark McGeeney (R3)
Jonathan Worsley 3-6 Jason Lowe (R3)
Madars Razma 2-6 Scott Waites (R3)
Justin Smith 6-3 Andy Jenkins (R1)
Derk Telnekes 6-3 Martijn Kleermaker (R1)
James Richardson 6-4 Darren Penhall (R1)
Kevin Doets 6-1 Alfie Thompson (R1)
Stephen Burton 6-4 Vincent van der Meer (R2)
Conan Whitehead 6-3 Wayne Jones (R2)
William Borland 6-0 Danny van Trijp (R2)
Callan Rydz 6-3 Adam Smith-Neale (R2)
Jelle Klaasen 6-4 Jason Askew (R3)
Harry Ward 6-3 Steffen Siepmann (R3)
Joe Murnan 6-3 Karel Sedlacek (R3)
Kevin Doets 5-6 Simon Stevenson (R3)