Danny Jansen and Keane Barry were the opening event winners as the 2024 Winmau Development Tour got underway in Milton Keynes on Friday.

A record number of entrants are due to take part in the opening weekend, with two events taking place on both Friday and Saturday and a fifth event on Sunday.

Among those in action are Beau Greaves, the former World Championship and Grand Slam of Darts entrant that has broken countless records in the Women’s Series in the past couple of years, and last year’s Development Tour Order of Merit winner and beaten World Youth finalist Gian van Veen.

The Mullet Claims Event One

Danny Jansen was the Event One winner. Credit: PDC

Former Players Championship event winner Danny Jansen was the winner of the opening event of the weekend, continuing on with the good form that has taken him to the top of the Challenge Tour standings.

The Dutchman defeated Travis Baur and Kieran Thompson in his opening couple of matches, losing just a leg in each before beating Patrik Williams 4-2 with an impressive average of over 102.

A Last 32 clash with Cam Crabtree was next, Jansen recovering from 3-0 down to win 4-3, back to back maximums setting up a nerveless 11 dart break in the decider.

Victories over Dylan Dowling, Paul Krohne and Daniel Perry followed, setting up a final with compatriot Owen Roelofs.

A break of throw in the opening leg gave Roelofs the perfect start and he held throw until throwing for the match at 4-3, missing multiple match darts and allowing Jansen to break and throw for the match himself, an opportunity he didn’t pass up.

Barry Beats Van Veen To Event 2 Title

Keane Barry was victorious in Event Two.

Ireland’s Keane Barry backed up a solid run to the quarter finals in Event One by beating Gian van Veen to claim the Event Two honours.

Barry, a former UK Open semi finalist, beat the Dutch duo of Jeffrey Keen and Jamai van den Herik in the opening rounds before seeing off Owen Maiden in the Last 64.

A high quality encounter with German Niko Springer saw Barry come out a 4-3 victor as both players averaged around the 100 mark and that was stepped up to almost 104 in a whitewash win over Cam Crabtree in the Last 16.

Czech player Ondrej Frystacky couldn’t lay a glove on Barry in the quarter finals, Barry again advancing without dropping a leg before Bailey White, who had seen off the challenge of Beau Greaves in the previous round, was beaten in the semi finals 5-1.

That set up a final with 2023 OoM winner Van Veen, Barry firing in a maximum in the opening leg en route to a 13 dart hold. A comfortable hold for Van Veen followed before Keane checked out 120 for 2-1 with the Dutch youngster waiting on tops after 12 darts.

Van Veen saw more chances to break come and go in the next two legs on Barry’s throw, a scruffy eventual 23 dart hold in leg 5 and in the leg 7 where Van Veen left himself 41 after 8 but missed two darts at double 16.

Another comfortable Van Veen hold set up a decider for the title but he couldn’t force another break opportunity and Keane closed out the win with a 124 checkout in 15 darts, to end the opening day top of the OoM standings.

Nine Darter

Owen Bates hit a nine darter in his win over Dylan Slevin

Owen Bates fired in the first perfect leg of the Development Tour season, achieving the feat in his 4-2 win over Dylan Slevin in Event Two. It also helped him towards the highest average of the day, of just over 107.

Results

2024 Winmau Development Tour

Marshall Arena, Milton Keynes

Friday February 23

Event One

Quarter-Finals

Daniel Perry 5-3 Rusty-Jake Rodriguez

Danny Jansen 5-2 Paul Krohne

Owen Roelofs 5-4 Nathan Rafferty

James Beeton 5-3 Keane Barry

Semi-Finals

Danny Jansen 5-3 Daniel Perry

Owen Roelofs 5-2 James Beeton

Final

Danny Jansen 5-4 Owen Roelofs

Event Two

Quarter-Finals

Llew Bevan 5-1 Dylan Dowling

Gian van Veen 5-2 Dominik Gruellich

Keane Barry 5-0 Ondrej Frystacky

Bailey White 5-4 Beau Greaves

Semi-Finals

Gian van Veen 5-1 Llew Bevan

Keane Barry 5-1 Bailey White

Final

Keane Barry 5-4 Gian van Veen