ONE of the bonuses, that comes with having a daily national newspaper as an event sponsor, is the coverage of the event swells and includes items that might not otherwise make the grade. Prior to this year’s Grand Slam of Darts, it is superb to see reports of the qualifiers reaching the Daily Mirror:
“Former airline cabin manager Mark Hylton is on cloud nine after qualifying for the Daily Mirror Grand Slam of Darts.
Hylton, nicknamed ‘Mile High’ because of his previous incarnation, beat two-time world champion Dennis Priestley 4-2 to earn a wild card entry in Wolverhampton next weekend.
Wes Newton, Justin Pipe and John Henderson also came through a qualifying field of 269 at the Barnsley Metrodome, while Dutch whizzkid Michael Van Gerwen and Arron Monk booked their Grand Slam places as finalists in the PDC World Under-21 championship.
Those six names complete the 32-player field chasing the £400,000 Grand Slam prize fund from November 13 to 21.
Hylton said: “To qualify for the Grand Slam is special, but to beat someone as respected as Dennis to get there is the icing on the cake. I only became a full-time professional this year, and it’s already beginning to pay off.”
Taunton-based tree surgeon Pipe and Henderson, from Huntly, Aberdeenshire, were the other dark horses to emerge.
Newton, who came through the Grand Slam qualifier for the second time in three years, completed a fine weekend’s work by winning his third Players’ Championship title with a 6-3 win over former world No.1 Colin Lloyd.
The players will be split into eight groups of four, with the top two going to the knockout stages.”
The qualifier in Barnselt was a gripping event that didn’t finish until close to midnight and witnessed some superb performances. John Henderson was in superb order and it was perhaps this event that led to his decision to join the PDC.
John Magowan also produced a superb run to what was in effect the semifinal, at the age of 69. Those willing to look further back will see a breakthrough for Ian White and a PDC debut for youngster Adam Smith-Neale.
It was however Hylton who stole the headlines, his defeat of Priestley reversing the result from a Players Championship event in August where the former World Champion had bested him 6-3 in the final. The former airline cabin manager has picked up momentum since that final and will also make his World Championship debut at the Alexandra Palace in December.
—–ENDS—–
Images: PDC
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