Coates and Dudeney Claim Maiden Titles

Tavis Dudeney and Henry Coates won their first Development Tour titles on Sunday, after winning Events 23 & 24 respectively, as the PDC’s Youth Tour season came to a close at the Robin Park Tennis Centre, Wigan.

Dudeney, a beaten finalist at Event 16 earlier in the year, went a step further in Event 23, as he reached the final firstly by recording victories against Jack Howarth, Leon Weber, Ciaran Forde, Viktor Tingstrom, Nathan Rafferty, Keane Barry and Llew Bevan, to set up a clash with Jurjen Van der Velde.

The finale saw Dudeney dominate the entirety of the tie, as he rattled off five successive legs in 18,15,19, 17 and 20 darts respectively to whitewash his Dutch opponent, 5-0, and seal his maiden PDC title as well as the £2,500 top prize.

In Event 24, Henry Coates was victorious, as he reached the final firstly by recording victories against Jack Male, Mason Whitlock, David Filder, Noah Roeschlein, Rusty-Jake Rodriguez, Anton Ostlund and Sebastian Bialecki, to set up a clash with Owen Roelofs.

Nothing separated the pair in the early stages of the finale, with four straight holds of throw, ending with Coates’ breaking his Dutch opponent’s throw in Leg Five with an 18 darter to move 3-2 ahead in a race to five. Roelofs immediately broke back in the following leg to square the tie up at 3apiece, before Coates won back-to-back legs in 14 and 18 darts respectively to seal a 5-3 victory and claim a maiden PDC title as well as the £2,500 top prize.

Elsewhere, the weekend also saw Niko Springer and Keane Barry secure spots at the 2024/25 PDC World Darts Championship, having finished 2^nd and 3^rd respectively on the Development Tour Order of Merit, with Order of Merit winner Wessel Nijman having already assured of his place via the Pro Tour Order of Merit.

German star Springer also sealed a two-year PDC Tour Card for 2025/26, with Poland’s Sebastian Bialecki also securing one, as the pair embark on joining the elite of the sport for the first time in their careers.