Lincoln youngster Leighton Bennett will compete on the PDC Tour in 2024-25 after winning the penultimate day of UK Q School; Fallon Sherrock knocked out early and has a final chance to qualify on Sunday; New WDF champion Andy Baetens through in Germany to PDC for first time
Saturday 13 January 2024 21:17, UK
Eighteen-year-old Leighton Bennett secured a PDC Tour card for the first time after winning the penultimate day of UK Q School.
Bennett, the 2019 BDO World Youth champion from Lincoln who played in the following year's equivalent senior event, beat Thomas Cromwell in Saturday's final in Milton Keynes.
But Fallon Sherrock's hopes of earning herself a place on the 2024-25 tour are hanging by a thread after another early exit in Milton Keynes, losing 6-4 to Justin Hood.
She now realistically needs to win the final day of qualifying, or at least reach the final, to either progress directly through or secure a top-10 placing on the UK Order of Merit, where she currently sits 55th with one point.
In the European Q School in Germany, recently-crowned WDF World Darts champion Andy Baetens secured his place in the PDC after edging a thrilling final against Radek Szaganski in a deciding frame, winning 6-5.
For Bennett though, Saturday's triumph means the PDC has another teenage starlet on the tour as the darts and wider sporting world continues to reverberate from 16-year-old Luke Littler's stunning debut surge to the World Championship final earlier this month.
In Saturday's UK final, Bennett recovered from a sluggish start to overcome Cromwell, winning four consecutive legs from 3-2 down to take the win.
Bennett opened Saturday with a 6-1 success against Poland's Kamil Janowicz, before then beating Brandon Jones and Carl Wilson.
He averaged 101 in his last-16 win against Scott Winder before overcoming Brett Claydon and Kieron Bridgwater in the latter stages of the campaign.
Three-time world champion and Sky Sports pundit John Part, meanwhile, also requires a storming Sunday to have a chance of regaining his card after losing in the day's first round 6-0 to Scott Mitchell.
In the Orders of Merit, the other route for players to qualify, James Hurrell and William Borland are first and second respectively in the UK on seven points, while in Germany points leaders Haupai Puha and Jules van Dongen are already assured of their places.
Premier League Darts returns to Sky Sports on Thursday February 1 as Cardiff kicks off the 17-week extravaganza all the way through to the Play-Offs on Thursday May 23. Stream Sky Sports Darts without a contract through NOW
