Darts results: Josh Payne and Jeffrey de Zwaan secure PDC cards

By Sporting Life

Darts

Sat January 14, 2023 · 2y ago

Josh Payne and Jeffrey de Zwaan became the latest players to secure Tour Cards as the Final Stage of the 2023 PDC Qualifying Schools continued in Milton Keynes and Kalkar on Saturday.

Payne, a winner of two Players Championship titles, joined Arron Monk and Graham Usher in coming through UK Qualifying School to secure automatic Tour Cards as he took victory on Day Three in Milton Keynes.

The former UK Open quarter-finalist failed to pick up a solitary point on Thursday or Friday, but he returned to winning ways in sensational style at the Marshall Arena.

He came through gruelling early tussles against Mark Challenger and Andy Boulton to move through to round three, where he averaged 99 in a whitewash win over Ryan Furness to continue his charge.

The 29-year-old also accounted for Mark McGeeney and Conan Whitehead to book a last four clash against Graham Hall, where he produced some late fireworks to progress.

Payne was the last player to achieve perfection at Qualifying School 12 months ago, and he almost repeated the feat against Hall, missing double 12 for the nine-darter before wrapping up victory in 10 darts.

This set up a crunch clash against former Tour Card Holder Chris Quantock, and Payne underlined his battling qualities with a fine comeback win, recovering from 5-3 down to prevail with legs of 13 and 15 darts in the closing stages.

2012 World Championship runner-up Andy Hamilton and Women’s World Matchplay winner Fallon Sherrock both remain in contention following runs to the last 16 at the Marshall Arena.

Meanwhile, at European Qualifying School, former World Matchplay semi-finalist De Zwaan performed magnificently in Kalkar to secure an immediate return to the PDC circuit, having dropped out of the world's top 64 following the Cazoo World Darts Championship.

The Dutchman relinquished just 14 legs in his seven matches at Wunderland, defeating his compatriot Maik Kuivenhoven 6-3 in Saturday’s showpiece to seal the deal.

Ronny Huybrechts is poised to rejoin younger brother Kim on the PDC circuit after following up his run to Thursday’s final with another strong showing.