The Norwich thrower had entered the final ProTour weekend before the cut-off for qualification for the BetVictor World Matchplay in a precarious position in his bid to secure a spot in Blackpool later this month.

However, he rose to the challenge to take the £10,000 title and seal his World Matchplay place as well as claim a maiden Players Championship title – and his first ranking victory since the Open Oust Nederland in 2005.

Webster – a semi-finalist in last November’s Players Championship Finals – began Saturday’s event with a narrow 6-5 win over Wes Newton before claiming 6-3 wins over Jonathan Worsley and Ron Meulenkamp.

He then overcame another Dutchman, Jeffrey de Graaf, 6-4 at the last 16 stage and overcame Alan Norris for the loss of only two legs to book his place in the semi-finals. There, he raced into leads of 3-0 and 5-1 against Kyle Anderson only for the Australian to punish six missed match darts from his opponent to pull level.

However, Anderson crucially missed a dart at the bull to snatch victory in leg 11 as Webster returned to land tops for a spot in the final. There, he shared the opening two legs with Gurney before pulling clear with some fine darts, breaking throw in leg four to lead 3-1 before taking out 60 and 87 to move to the brink of the title, which he sealed with tops for a 13-darter.

Gurney had been bidding to win his second Players Championship of 2017 as he overcame Brendan Dolan, Zoran Lerchbacher, Harry Robinson, Robert Thornton, Dimitri Van den Bergh and Justin Pipe on the day.

The run saw Gurney reach his fourth Players Championship final of the year, but he was unable to halt Webster’s charge in the decider. Pipe’s run to the semi-finals was his best performance of the year, and came at a timely moment to move him into the provisional qualifying places for the World Matchplay.

Pipe – who defeated Martin Schindler, Max Hopp, Joe Cullen, Ryan Searle and John Henderson on Saturday – now sits £750 ahead of Chris Dobey and Jonny Clayton going into Sunday’s Players Championship.

Clayton improved his chances of winning a World Matchplay debut by reaching the quarter-finals in Barnsley, overcoming in-form Rob Cross and South African ace Devon Petersen on his way to the last eight. Kyle Anderson ended Clayton’s hopes in the quarter-finals before narrowly missing his chance to reach the final against Webster, while Norris and Henderson were joined in the last eight by Belgian youngster Van den Bergh.

Mervyn King followed up last week’s run to a European Tour final by reaching the last 16, alongside former World Grand Prix winner Robert Thornton, Petersen, Searle, De Graaf, Mickey Mansell, Steve Lennon and Maik Langendorf. Sunday’s Players Championship will be the final ranking event before the cut-off for the World Matchplay, with the top 16 from the PDC Order of Merit joined in qualifying by the leading 16 players from the ProTour Order of Merit.

The £75,000 tournament will feature a field of PDC Tour Card Holders and PDPA Associate Members competing from 12pm BST. For ‘The Race to the WMP Table‘ CLICK HERE (This will be updated following todays event)

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PDC Players Championship 15

Saturday 8th July – Barnsley Metrodome

First Round

Simon Whitlock 6|1 Vincent Kamphuis
Steve Hine 6|4 Luke Woodhouse
Mickey Mansell 6|4 James Richardson
Andy Jenkins 6|2 Jamie Caven
Steve Beaton 6|1 Simon Stevenson
Robert Owen 6|3 Craig Gilchrist
Kyle Anderson 6|5 Lee Bryant
Andy Boulton 6|3 Dennis Smith
Mick McGowan 6|1 Ian White
Devon Petersen 6|3 Richie Burnett
Ronny Huybrechts 6|5 Jamie Bain
Rowby-John Rodriguez 6|5 Jim Brown
Rob Cross 6|3 Ritchie Edhouse
Aden Kirk 6|1 Paul Harvey
Jonny Clayton 6|3 Callum Loose
Kirk Shepherd 6|4 Madars Razma
Michael Barnard 6|4 Jelle Klaasen
Jeffrey de Graaf 6|3 Diogo Portela
Robbie Green 6|5 Jim Walker
Paul Rowley 6|4 Dirk van Duijvenbode
Ron Meulenkamp 6|4 Cristo Reyes
Matt Clark 6|1 Ross Twell
Darren Webster 6|5 Wes Newton
Jonathan Worsley 6|4 Ryan Palmer
Alan Norris 6|2 Callan Rydz
Jeffrey de Zwaan 6|3 Ryan Harrington
Mark Webster 6|5 Tony Newell
Mike De Decker 6|5 Yordi Meeuwisse
Stephen Bunting 6|3 Nathan Aspinall
Joe Murnan 6|5 Martin Lukeman
Steve Lennon 6|1 Christian Kist
Kevin Painter 6|3 Adam Hunt
Michael Smith 6|5 Matthew Edgar
Terry Roach 6|1 Simon Preston
Stuart Kellett 6|5 Jan Dekker
Maik Langendorf 6|3 Ricky Evans
Steve West 6|1 Ray Campbell
Richard North 6|3 Paul Nicholson
John Henderson 6|3 Ryan Meikle
Chris Quantock 6|2 Jamie Lewis
Matthew Dennant 6|5 Benito van de Pas
Kevin McDine 6|3 Ronnie Baxter
Mark Walsh 6|4 Vincent van der Voort
Ryan Searle 6|4 Peter Jacques
Joe Cullen 6|5 Antonio Alcinas
Stephen Burton 6|4 John Michael
Justin Pipe 6|4 Martin Schindler
Max Hopp 6|2 Terry Temple
Kim Huybrechts 6|1 Mick Todd
Josh Payne 6|3 Bryan de Hoog
Dimitri Van den Bergh 6|2 Andy Hamilton
William O’Connor 6|3 Keegan Brown
Mervyn King 6|4 Peter Hudson
Ted Evetts 6|3 Sven Groen
Chris Dobey 6|1 Darren Johnson
John Bowles 6|2 Barrie Bates
Daryl Gurney 6|2 Brendan Dolan
Zoran Lerchbacher 6|1 Brian Woods
Harry Robinson 6|2 Jermaine Wattimena
Andrew Gilding 6|5 Mark Barilli
David Pallett 6|5 James Wilson
Wayne Jones 6|3 Berry van Peer
Robert Thornton 6|2 Jimmy Hendriks
Richie Corner 6|2 Scott Taylor

Second Round

Steve Hine 6|3 Simon Whitlock
Mickey Mansell 6|5 Andy Jenkins
Steve Beaton 6|4 Robert Owen
Kyle Anderson 6|3 Andy Boulton
Devon Petersen 6|3 Mick McGowan
Rowby-John Rodriguez 6|5 Ronny Huybrechts
Rob Cross 6|3 Aden Kirk
Jonny Clayton 6|0 Kirk Shepherd
Jeffrey de Graaf 6|5 Michael Barnard
Robbie Green 6|3 Paul Rowley
Ron Meulenkamp 6|3 Matt Clark
Darren Webster 6|3 Jonathan Worsley
Alan Norris 6|2 Jeffrey de Zwaan
Mark Webster 6|2 Mike De Decker
Joe Murnan 6|1 Stephen Bunting
Steve Lennon 6|4 Kevin Painter
Michael Smith 6|2 Terry Roach
Maik Langendorf 6|2 Stuart Kellett
Richard North 6|3 Steve West
John Henderson 6|2 Chris Quantock
Kevin McDine 6|1 Matthew Dennant
Ryan Searle 6|4 Mark Walsh
Joe Cullen 6|4 Stephen Burton
Justin Pipe 6|4 Max Hopp
Kim Huybrechts 6|3 Josh Payne
Dimitri Van den Bergh 6|1 William O’Connor
Mervyn King 6|1 Ted Evetts
Chris Dobey 6|5 John Bowles
Daryl Gurney 6|4 Zoran Lerchbacher
Harry Robinson 6|5 Andrew Gilding
David Pallett 6|3 Wayne Jones
Robert Thornton 6|1 Richie Corner
Losers £500

Third Round

Mickey Mansell 6|4 Steve Hine
Kyle Anderson 6|2 Steve Beaton
Devon Petersen 6|5 Rowby-John Rodriguez
Jonny Clayton 6|4 Rob Cross
Jeffrey de Graaf 6|1 Robbie Green
Darren Webster 6|3 Ron Meulenkamp
Alan Norris 6|5 Mark Webster
Steve Lennon 6|1 Joe Murnan
Maik Langendorf 6|5 Michael Smith
John Henderson 6|4 Richard North
Ryan Searle 6|3 Kevin McDine
Joe Cullen 6|2 Justin Pipe
Dimitri Van den Bergh 6|5 Kim Huybrechts
Mervyn King 6|5 Chris Dobey
Daryl Gurney 6|1 Harry Robinson
Robert Thornton 6|3 David Pallett
Losers £1,000

Last 16

Mickey Mansell 3|6 Kyle Anderson
Jonny Clayton 6|3 Devon Petersen
Jeffrey de Graaf 4|6 Darren Webster
Alan Norris 6|5 Steve Lennon
Maik Langendorf 5|6 John Henderson
Ryan Searle 1|6 Justin Pipe
Dimitri Van den Bergh 6|2 Mervyn King
Daryl Gurney 6|3 Robert Thornton
Losers £1,500

Quarter-Finals

Kyle Anderson 6|2 Jonny Clayton
Darren Webster 6|2 Alan Norris
John Henderson 5|6 Justin Pipe
Dimitri Van den Bergh 2|6 Daryl Gurney
Losers £2,250

Semi-Finals

Kyle Anderson 5|6 Darren Webster 
Justin Pipe 3|6 Daryl Gurney
Losers £3,000

Final

Darren Webster 6|1 Daryl Gurney
Winner £10,000
Runner-Up £6,000