Bennett & Baetens Break New Ground To Secure Tour Cards

Teenage star Leighton Bennett and recently crowned WDF World Champion Andy Baetens were the latest players to secure their tour cards on the penultimate day of Q School action in Milton Keynes and Kalkar.

Brilliant Bennett Bags Card

Recently turned 18 year old Leighton Bennett is a PDC Tour Card holder for the first time after a string of solid performances on Saturday.

‘Boom Boom’ shot to prominence in 2020 when he featured in the BDO World Championships as a 14 year old, taking a set off former champion Scott Mitchell in the process.

Having been unfortunate to draw Day One winner Steve Lennon in the opening round on Thursday, Bennett got to the Last 16 on Friday before falling to Matt Dennant.

He opened up with a 6-1 thumping of Poland’s Kamil Janowicz, averaging 97 in the process. He then cruised past Brandon Jones to set up a last 32 clash with Carl Wilson, Bennett reeling off four consecutive legs from 4-2 down to run out a 6-4 victor.

Bennett’s last 16 tie against Scott Winder saw him record a 101.4 average, his highest of the day,  during a 6-3 win before seeing off Brett Claydon by the same scoreline to secure a spot in the semi finals.

Keiron Bridgwater was his opponent and two separate runs of three consecutive legs saw Bennett emerge victorious by 6 legs to 2 before Thomas Cromwell was beaten 6-3 in the final with Bennett averaging in the high 80s, as he had done in his semi final win.

Baetens Shows Class To Claim Card

WDF World Champion Andy Baetens put a disappointing couple of days behind him, emphatically bouncing back to claim his Tour Card but not without a scare along the way.

Belgian Baetens had won just one game in the opening two days of action in Kalkar and had a tricky looking opener on paper against Jeffrey de Graaf, the Swede having recently reached the third round at 2024 PDC World Darts Championships. De Graaf couldn’t recapure that form however, averaging just 73 as Baetens swept him aside without dropping a leg.

A last 64 clash with Michael Unterbuchner beckoned, the man who had put Baetens out on Friday. History looked to be repeating itself when the German raced into a 4-0 lead, missing darts to make 5. Baetens didn’t look back, taking that leg and the next four to lead 5-4. Unterbuchner stopped the rot to force a decider but Baetens stood strong, taking out 36 for a 13 darter with his opponent waiting on tops.

Fellow Belgian Born Van Put was swept aside next for the loss of just one leg before Alexander Masek of the Czech Republic and German Paul Krohne were beaten by the same 6-3 scoreline.

The Lakeside champion stepped it up in the semi finals, averaging almost 103 while beating Masek’s compatriot Vitezslav Sedlak, to set up a final with another player that featured at Ally Pally in Radek Szaganski.

Baetens raced into a 4-1 lead with some high quality darts, Szaganski’s winning leg of 15 darts the longest of the opening five. Having shared the next two, the Pole won three on the spin to force a decider but Baetens was too strong, leaving 16 after 12 darts before winning it in 16.

Order of Merit Update

In the UK, no players are guaranteed a spot through the Order of Merit as of yet although James Hurrell and Willie Borland are currently on 7 points and almost assured of tour cards, while Matt Dennant and George Killington are on 6 points and would need an unfortunate turn of events to not get theirs.

In Europe, New Zealand’s Huapai Puha and American Jules van Dongen are guaranteed their cards after their performances over the opening 3 days while today’s beaten finalist Radek Szaganski is assured of his card if he chooses not to play on Sunday but could lose it if he chooses to play, although extremely unlikely.

Results

UK Q School Final Stage

Day Three

Last 16

Kieron Bridgwater 6-4 Keelan Kay

Joshua Richardson 6-2 Mike Warburton

Brett Claydon 6-1 Jim McEwan

Leighton Bennett 6-3 Scott Winder

Darren Webster 6-4 James Huthwaite

Thomas Cromwell 6-3 George Killington

Rhys Griffin 6-3 Lee Cocks

James Beeton 6-2 James Hurrell

Quarter-Finals

Kieron Bridgwater 6-3 Joshua Richardson

Leighton Bennett 6-3 Brett Claydon

Thomas Cromwell 6-4 Darren Webster

Rhys Griffin 6-3 James Beeton

Semi-Finals

Leighton Bennett 6-2 Kieron Bridgwater

Thomas Cromwell 6-4 Rhys Griffin

Final

Leighton Bennett 6-3 Thomas Cromwell

European Q School Final Stage

Day Three

Last 16

Andy Baetens 6-3 Alexander Masek

Paul Krohne 6-3 Jani Keskinarkaus

Dominik Gruellich 6-2 Marko Kantele

Vitezslav Sedlak 6-3 Jules van Dongen

Patrick Geeraets 6-5 Damian Mol

Radek Szaganski 6-2 Arno Merk

Haupai Puha 6-1 Angelo Balsamo

Stefaan Henderyck 6-4 Liam Maendl-Lawrance

Quarter-Finals

Andy Baetens 6-3 Paul Krohne

Vitezslav Sedlak 6-2 Dominik Gruellich

Radek Szaganski 6-0 Patrick Geeraets

Haupai Puha 6-3 Stefaan Henderyck

Semi-Finals

Andy Baetens 6-3 Vitezslav Sedlak

Radek Szaganski 6-4 Haupai Puha

Final

Andy Baetens 6-5 Radek Szaganski