Gary Anderson wint zijn 15de PDC titel
Voor Gary Anderson is het Players Championship seizoen goed begonnen. De Schot won namelijk de finale van het eerste toernooi dat vandaag, zaterdag 15 maart in het Engelse Barnsley is gespeeld. Gary klopte in een 11 legs durende finale Andrew Gilding en daarmee kwam hij op een totaal van 15 gewonnen titels als speler bij de PDC. Voor dit seizoen zijn derde titel na het German Darts Championship en een kwalificatietoernooi voor het UK Open. Anderson die op een ruime overwinning leek af te stormen omdat hij na drie legs al 3-0 voor stond kreeg vanaf leg vier meer tegenstand van Gilding die na 8 legs 4-4 gelijk kwam. Anderson wist toch de leg erna de druk weer bij Gilding te leggen en kreeg een match dart in de 10de leg die niet wordt verzilverd en de heren weer gelijk komen.
Pas in de elfde en laatste leg met een 180 als openingsscore van Anderson wordt de partij winnend afgesloten. Adrian Lewis die strandde op Mervyn King in de kwartfinale liet in de tweede ronde een negen darter op zijn conto noteren in zijn partij tegen Joe Cullen. Het was geen beste dag voor de spelers uit Nederland en België bij de laatste 32 waren Michael van Gerwen, Jelle Klaasen, Ryan de Vreede en Kim Huybrechts nog in de race maar het werd ook voor alle vier de spelers hun eindstation voor vandaag.
Hieronder de uitslagen vanaf de eerste ronde:
| Laatste 128 | ronde 1 | ||||
| Pos | Player | Player | score | ||
| 1 | Michael van Gerwen (1) | – | James Richardson | 6 | 1 |
| 2 | Josh Payne | – | Mark Webster | 6 | 4 |
| 3 | Darren Webster (32) | – | Joey ten Berge | 6 | 1 |
| 4 | Michael Barnard | – | Marc Dewsbury | 6 | 3 |
| 5 | Brian Woods | – | John Part | 6 | 1 |
| 6 | Wayne Pepper | – | Nick Fullwell | 6 | 4 |
| 7 | Justin Pipe (17) | – | Andy Jenkins | 6 | 1 |
| 8 | Robert Owen | – | Jim Walker | 6 | 5 |
| 9 | Andrew Gilding | – | Jamie Caven | 6 | 4 |
| 10 | Mark Cox | – | Steve West | 6 | 3 |
| 11 | Jelle Klaasen (25) | – | John Newland | 6 | 1 |
| 12 | Andy Parsons | – | William O’Connor | 6 | 4 |
| 13 | Steve Beaton (9) | – | Matthew Edgar | 6 | 5 |
| 14 | Kevin Thomas | – | Rowby John Rodriguez | 6 | 5 |
| 15 | Michael Smith (24) | – | Stuart White | 6 | 3 |
| 16 | Stephen Bunting | – | Gerwyn Price | 6 | 3 |
| 17 | Peter Wright (5) | – | Mark Hylton | 6 | 3 |
| 18 | Johnny Haines | – | Steve Hine | 6 | 0 |
| 19 | Jamie Lewis (28) | – | Daryl Gurney | 6 | 1 |
| 20 | Ryan de Vreede | – | Kyle Anderson | 6 | 4 |
| 21 | Ian White (12) | – | Darron Brown | 6 | 2 |
| 22 | Ben Ward | – | Steve Grubb | 6 | 1 |
| 23 | Ronnie Baxter (21) | – | Ross Smith | 6 | 5 |
| 24 | Denis Ovens | – | Glenn Spearing | 6 | 1 |
| 25 | Kim Huybrechts (4) | – | Stuart Anderson | 6 | 3 |
| 26 | Mick Todd | – | Gino Vos | 6 | 3 |
| 27 | James Wade (29) | – | Jyhan Artut | 6 | 4 |
| 28 | Ronny Huybrechts | – | Arron Monk | 6 | 5 |
| 29 | Simon Whitlock (13) | – | Dave Ladley | 6 | 2 |
| 30 | Scott Rand | – | Kevin Voornhout | 6 | 3 |
| 31 | Stuart Kellett (20) | – | Matt Padgett | 6 | 2 |
| 32 | Pete Dyos | – | Joey Palfreyman | 6 | 4 |
| 33 | Joe Murnan | – | Dave Chisnall (2) | 6 | 4 |
| 34 | Chris Aubrey | – | Jason Hogg | 6 | 5 |
| 35 | Vincent van der Voort (31) | – | Mareno Michels | 6 | 2 |
| 36 | Dean Winstanley | – | Campbell Jackson | 6 | 3 |
| 37 | Andy Hamilton (15) | – | Jamie Bain | 6 | 3 |
| 38 | Dan Russell | – | Christian Kist | 6 | 5 |
| 39 | Paul Nicholson (18) | – | Martyn Turner | 6 | 2 |
| 40 | Tony Newell | – | Antonio Alcinas | 6 | 3 |
| 41 | Gary Anderson (7) | – | Gary Stone | 6 | 1 |
| 42 | John Henderson | – | Conan Whitehead | 6 | 0 |
| 43 | Terry Jenkins (26) | – | Dennis Priestley | 6 | 4 |
| 44 | James Hubbard | – | Keegan Brown | 6 | 5 |
| 45 | Wes Newton (10) | – | Kevin Dowling | 6 | 2 |
| 46 | John Bowles | – | Paul Amos | 6 | 4 |
| 47 | Raymond v Barneveld (23) | – | Michael Mansell | 6 | 3 |
| 48 | Nigel Heydon | – | Jerry Hendriks | 6 | 2 |
| 49 | Mark Walsh | – | Robert Thornton (6) | 6 | 4 |
| 50 | Mark Dubdridge | – | Steve Brown | 6 | 5 |
| 51 | David Pallett | – | Richie Burnett (27) | 6 | 3 |
| 52 | Colin Osborne | – | Adam Hunt | 6 | 2 |
| 53 | Mervyn King (11) | – | Darren Whittingham | 6 | 3 |
| 54 | Ron Meulenkamp | – | Benito van de Pas | 6 | 4 |
| 55 | Mark Barilli | – | Andy Smith (22) | 6 | 4 |
| 56 | David Dodds | – | Tomas Seyler | 6 | 3 |
| 57 | Brendan Dolan (3) | – | Kevin McDine | 6 | 2 |
| 58 | Ian Moss | – | Peter Hudson | 6 | 2 |
| 59 | Wayne Jones (30) | – | Zoran Lerchbacher | 6 | 4 |
| 60 | Darren Johnson | – | Colin Lloyd | 6 | 1 |
| 61 | Adrian Lewis (14) | – | Ryan Harrington | 6 | 0 |
| 62 | Joe Cullen | – | Terry Temple | 6 | 2 |
| 63 | Kevin Painter (19) | – | Ricky Evans | 6 | 3 |
| 64 | Dennis Smith | – | Kirk Shepherd | 6 | 5 |
| Laatste 64 | |||||
| Pos | Player | Player | score | ||
| 1 | Michael van Gerwen (1) | – | Josh Payne | 6 | 5 |
| 2 | Darren Webster (32) | – | Michael Barnard | 6 | 3 |
| 3 | Brian Woods | – | Wayne Pepper | 6 | 4 |
| 4 | Justin Pipe (17) | – | Robert Owen | 6 | 1 |
| 5 | Andrew Gilding | – | Mark Cox | 6 | 0 |
| 6 | Jelle Klaasen (25) | – | Andy Parsons | 6 | 2 |
| 7 | Steve Beaton (9) | – | Kevin Thomas | 6 | 5 |
| 8 | Michael Smith (24) | – | Stephen Bunting | 6 | 4 |
| 9 | Peter Wright (5) | – | Johnny Haines | 6 | 4 |
| 10 | Jamie Lewis (28) | – | Ryan de Vreede | 4 | 6 |
| 11 | Ian White (12) | – | Ben Ward | 6 | 4 |
| 12 | Ronnie Baxter (21) | – | Denis Ovens | 6 | 1 |
| 13 | Kim Huybrechts (4) | – | Mick Todd | 6 | 2 |
| 14 | James Wade (29) | – | Ronny Huybrechts | 6 | 3 |
| 15 | Simon Whitlock (13) | – | Scott Rand | 6 | 4 |
| 16 | Stuart Kellett (20) | – | Pete Dyos | 6 | 2 |
| 17 | Joe Murnan | – | Chris Aubrey | 6 | 3 |
| 18 | Vincent van der Voort (31) | – | Dean Winstanley | 5 | 6 |
| 19 | Andy Hamilton (15) | – | Dan Russell | 6 | 3 |
| 20 | Paul Nicholson (18) | – | Tony Newell | 3 | 6 |
| 21 | Gary Anderson (7) | – | John Henderson | 6 | 2 |
| 22 | Terry Jenkins (26) | – | James Hubbard | 4 | 6 |
| 23 | Wes Newton (10) | – | John Bowles | 6 | 0 |
| 24 | Raymond v Barneveld (23) | – | Nigel Heydon | 2 | 6 |
| 25 | Mark Walsh | – | Mark Dubdridge | 5 | 6 |
| 26 | David Pallett | – | Colin Osborne | 6 | 2 |
| 27 | Mervyn King (11) | – | Ron Meulenkamp | 6 | 4 |
| 28 | Mark Barilli | – | David Dodds | 6 | 2 |
| 29 | Brendan Dolan (3) | – | Ian Moss | 6 | 2 |
| 30 | Wayne Jones (30) | – | Darren Johnson | 6 | 3 |
| 31 | Adrian Lewis (14) | – | Joe Cullen | 6 | 2 |
| 32 | Kevin Painter (19) | – | Dennis Smith | 6 | 5 |
| Laatste 32 | |||||
| Pos | Player | Player | score | ||
| 1 | Michael van Gerwen (1) | – | Darren Webster (32) | 3 | 6 |
| 2 | Brian Woods | – | Justin Pipe (17) | 5 | 6 |
| 3 | Andrew Gilding | – | Jelle Klaasen (25) | 6 | 2 |
| 4 | Steve Beaton (9) | – | Michael Smith (24) | 4 | 6 |
| 5 | Peter Wright (5) | – | Ryan de Vreede | 6 | 3 |
| 6 | Ian White (12) | – | Ronnie Baxter (21) | 2 | 6 |
| 7 | Kim Huybrechts (4) | – | James Wade (29) | 0 | 6 |
| 8 | Simon Whitlock (13) | – | Stuart Kellett (20) | 5 | 6 |
| 9 | Joe Murnan | – | Dean Winstanley | 6 | 5 |
| 10 | Andy Hamilton (15) | – | Tony Newell | 6 | 0 |
| 11 | Gary Anderson (7) | – | James Hubbard | 6 | 4 |
| 12 | Wes Newton (10) | – | Nigel Heydon | 6 | 5 |
| 13 | Mark Dubdridge | – | David Pallett | 6 | 5 |
| 14 | Mervyn King (11) | – | Mark Barilli | 6 | 3 |
| 15 | Brendan Dolan (3) | – | Wayne Jones (30) | 6 | 2 |
| 16 | Adrian Lewis (14) | – | Kevin Painter (19) | 6 | 2 |
| Laatste 16 | |||||
| Pos | Player | Player | score | ||
| 1 | Darren Webster (32) | – | Justin Pipe (17) | 6 | 5 |
| 2 | Andrew Gilding | – | Michael Smith (24) | 6 | 3 |
| 3 | Peter Wright (5) | – | Ronnie Baxter (21) | 4 | 6 |
| 4 | James Wade (29) | – | Stuart Kellett (20) | 6 | 4 |
| 5 | Joe Murnan | – | Andy Hamilton (15) | 4 | 6 |
| 6 | Gary Anderson (7) | – | Wes Newton (10) | 6 | 3 |
| 7 | Mark Dubdridge | – | Mervyn King (11) | 4 | 6 |
| 8 | Brendan Dolan (3) | – | Adrian Lewis (14) | 2 | 6 |
| Laatste 8 | |||||
| Pos | Player | Player | score | ||
| 1 | Darren Webster (32) | – | Andrew Gilding | 2 | 6 |
| 2 | Ronnie Baxter (21) | – | James Wade (29) | 5 | 6 |
| 3 | Andy Hamilton (15) | – | Gary Anderson (7) | 3 | 6 |
| 4 | Mervyn King (11) | – | Adrian Lewis (14) | 6 | 4 |
| Halve finale | |||||
| Pos | Player | Player | score | ||
| 1 | Andrew Gilding | – | James Wade (29) | 6 | 3 |
| 2 | Gary Anderson (7) | – | Mervyn King (11) | 6 | 3 |
| – | |||||
| Finale | |||||
| Pos | Player | Player | score | ||
| 1 | Andrew Gilding | – | Gary Anderson (7) | 5 | 6 |