PDC Media Release - Wizard Claims Title Hat-Trick
COLIN OSBORNE won his third tournament of 2009 with a 6-4 defeat of Michael van Gerwen in the final of Sunday^s Players Championship at the Magnum Centre in Irvine.
Osborne added to his wins in a Players Championship in Barnsley and last month^s Championship League Darts with the £6,000 title in Scotland.
The Derby ace produced a consistent display throughout the tournament, overcoming youngsters Joe Cullen and Kevin McDine 6-1 and whitewashing Louis Blundell to reach the quarter-finals.
There, a ten-dart leg sealed a 6-2 win over Brendan Dolan, and he overcame Mark Walsh 6-4 in the semis, before repeating the scoreline against van Gerwen in the final.
Osborne took what proved to be a crucial break of throw in the final^s opening leg, on double 12, before hitting scores of 140 and 180 in doubling his advantage.
He also opened the third with a 171 score and should have moved 3-0 up, but four missed doubles allowed van Gerwen to take out 118 to get off the mark.
The two traded 180s in the fourth, which Osborne took, while a 116 checkout saw van Gerwen win the next to pull back to 3-2.
Leg six, through, summed up van Gerwen^s occasional inconsistency in scoring, as he hit 43, 180, 26 and 174, only for Osborne to take out double 16 for a 4-2 lead.
The Dutchman then hit two 180s to open leg seven, missing out on a possible nine-darter but landing double 16 for the leg - only to then be punished for one miss at double top to level, as Osborne took out double one to move 5-3 up.
Tops did give van Gerwen a fourth leg, but Osborne kicked off the next with a 180, and also added a 140 to punish slow scoring from the youngster, before landing double top for a 13-darter and the victory.
"I^m very pleased and it^s nice to win again," said Osborne. "I was pretty solid in the final and hit some important doubles at the right time.
"I thought I played well in Saturday^s event but didn^t take my chances, and today I hit my doubles and that proved crucial.
"It^s good to be playing well and with the Grand Slam of Darts coming up next week I^ll hopefully take this form into that tournament."
Van Gerwen^s display saw him reach a second Players Championship final of the year, and featured a high-quality 6-3 win over in-form Steve Beaton in the semi-finals.
He also defeated Anastasia Dobromyslova, Ray Farrell, Andy Hamilton, Adrian Gray and Steve Grubb on the day in claiming the £3,000 runners-up cheque.
Beaton followed up his runs to the final of the European Championship and Saturday^s Players Championship with a semi-final appearance, taking his prize money since the start of September to over £40,000.
Walsh^s run to the last four means he finishes third in the 2009 Players Championship Order of Merit, with Sunday^s event being the final Players Championship of the year.
Brendan Dolan^s quarter-final appearance and a last 16 finish for Steve Hine secured their places in the top 32 of the Players Championship Order of Merit, and with it spots in January^s Players Championship Finals event at the Circus Tavern in Purfleet.
The Players Championship Order of Merit will also provide 16 qualifiers for the Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship, which begins on December 18 at Alexandra Palace.
They will be confirmed following the German Darts Championship on November 28 and 29 in Halle, with £100,000 up for grabs in that tournament.
Players Championship (Sunday)
First Round
Mark Walsh (1) Bye
Chris Loudon 6-4 Steve Musson
Roland Scholten (32) 6-1 Tony Ayres
Dave Ladley 6-4 Alex Roy
Paul Nicholson (16) 6-2 Mark Stephenson
Darren Johnson 6-2 Stephen Hardy
Mark Dudbridge (17) 6-3 Par Riihonen
Danny Pinhorne 6-1 Jon Archer
Ronnie Baxter (8) Bye
Bryan de Hoog 6-0 Carl Minter
Peter Wright (25) 6-1 Chris Jackson
John Part 6-2 Billy Meakins
Dennis Priestley (9) Bye
Mark Lawrence 6-2 Toon Greebe
Peter Manley (24) 6-0 Steve Watts
Steve Evans 6-5 Arron Monk
Wes Newton (5) Bye
Tom Martin 6-0 Norman Fletcher
Brendan Dolan (28) 6-5 John Quantock
Ken Dobson 6-4 Geoff Wylie
Wayne Jones (12) 6-3 Rick Lowther
Trevor Frost 6-1 Ian MacFarlane
Colin McGarry 6-4 Denis Ovens (21)
Rocco Maes 6-4 Jan van der Rassel
Colin Osborne (4) v Bye
Joe Cullen 6-4 Alex Tinsley
Kevin McDine (29) 6-2 Paul Gudgeon
Mark Webster 6-5 Andy Callaby
Vincent van der Voort (13) 6-4 Justin Pipe
James Barton 6-3 Geoff Whitworth
Kevin Painter (20) 6-5 Richie Burnett
Louis Blundell 6-5 Barrie Bates
Adrian Lewis (2) Bye
Martyn Turner 6-3 Jacko Barry
Adrian Gray 6-5 Matt Clark (31)
Lee Williams 6-4 Shane O^Connor
Andy Hamilton (15) 6-0 Kevin Harris
Wayne Atwood 6-4 Andy Relf
Michael van Gerwen (18) 6-2 Anastasia Dobromyslova
Ray Farrell 6-3 Mark Frost
Robert Thornton (7) Bye
John MaGowan 6-1 Stuart Holden
Tony Eccles (26) 6-2 Stuart Bousfield
Steve Grubb 6-2 Michael Barnard
Alan Tabern (10) Bye
Colin Monk 6-2 Jason Clark
Andy Jenkins (23) 6-5 Darren Latham
Mark Carter 6-4 Nigel Birch
Colin Lloyd (6) Bye
Andy Fulton 6-5 Jim Leighton
Steve Hine (27) 6-0 Dave Ansell
Andy Pearson 6-5 Mark Jodrill
Jamie Caven (11) Bye
Dave Smith 6-3 Dylan Duo
Jelle Klaasen (22) 6-4 Gary Mawson
Nick Fullwell 6-4 Mick McGowan
Steve Beaton (3) Bye
Chris Allen 6-3 Gary Welding
Steve Brown (30) 6-5 Dennis Smith
Matt Padgett 6-3 Matt Jackson
Kirk Shepherd 6-5 Andy Smith (14)
Michael Smith 6-2 Ian Lever
Mervyn King (19) 6-2 Dave Honey
Steve Maish 6-3 Simon Whitlock
Second Round
Mark Walsh 6-3 Chris Loudon
Roland Scholten 6-3 Dave Ladley
Paul Nicholson 6-5 Darren Johnson
Mark Dudbridge 6-1 Danny Pinhorne
Ronnie Baxter 6-3 Bryan de Hoog
Peter Wright 6-4 John Part
Dennis Priestley 6-2 Mark Lawrence
Peter Manley 6-2 Steve Evans
Wes Newton 6-0 Tom Martin
Brendan Dolan 6-1 Ken Dobson
Wayne Jones 6-3 Trevor Frost
Colin McGarry 6-2 Rocco Maes
Colin Osborne 6-1 Joe Cullen
Kevin McDine 6-4 Mark Webster
James Barton 6-3 Vincent van der Voort
Louis Blundell 6-2 Kevin Painter
Martyn Turner 6-4 Adrian Lewis
Adrian Gray 6-4 Lee Williams
Andy Hamilton 6-3 Wayne Atwood
Michael van Gerwen 6-1 Ray Farrell
John MaGowan 6-3 Robert Thornton
Steve Grubb 6-5 Tony Eccles
Colin Monk 6-3 Alan Tabern
Andy Jenkins 6-4 Mark Carter
Colin Lloyd 6-0 Andy Fulton
Steve Hine 6-1 Andy Pearson
Dave Smith 6-4 Jamie Caven
Nick Fullwell 6-3 Jelle Klaasen
Steve Beaton 6-3 Chris Allen
Matt Padgett 6-5 Steve Brown
Kirk Shepherd 6-4 Michael Smith
Steve Maish 6-2 Mervyn King
Losers £200
Third Round
Mark Walsh 6-1 Roland Scholten
Mark Dudbridge 6-2 Paul Nicholson
Peter Wright 6-5 Ronnie Baxter
Dennis Priestley 6-1 Peter Manley
Brendan Dolan 6-1 Wes Newton
Wayne Jones 6-1 Colin McGarry
Colin Osborne 6-1 Kevin McDine
Louis Blundell 6-2 James Barton
Adrian Gray 6-5 Martyn Turner
Michael van Gerwen 6-5 Andy Hamilton
Steve Grubb 6-2 John MaGowan
Colin Monk 6-1 Andy Jenkins
Steve Hine 6-5 Colin Lloyd
Dave Smith 6-3 Nick Fullwell
Steve Beaton 6-2 Matt Padgett
Kirk Shepherd 6-5 Steve Maish
Losers £300
Fourth Round
Mark Walsh 6-4 Mark Dudbridge
Dennis Priestley 6-4 Peter Wright
Brendan Dolan 6-4 Wayne Jones
Colin Osborne 6-0 Louis Blundell
Michael van Gerwen 6-2 Adrian Gray
Steve Grubb 6-2 Colin Monk
Dave Smith 6-5 Steve Hine
Steve Beaton 6-5 Kirk Shepherd
Losers £400
Quarter-Finals
Mark Walsh 6-1 Dennis Priestley
Colin Osborne 6-2 Brendan Dolan
Michael van Gerwen 6-4 Steve Grubb
Steve Beaton 6-3 Dave Smith
Losers £800
Semi-Finals
Colin Osborne 6-4 Mark Walsh
Michael van Gerwen 6-3 Steve Beaton
Losers £1,500
Final
Colin Osborne 6-4 Michael van Gerwen
Winner £6,000
Runner-Up £3,000