The first two players to secure their tour cards for the 2025 JDC Advanced Tour via Q-School are Ben Townley and Jack Courtney, who came through a strong field of almost 190 players to win events on a thrilling day of darts in Coventry.
Englishman Townley, 16, and Ireland’s Courtney, 15, have booked their spots on the tour with a day to spare after producing some excellent darts to win an event each.
With a starting field of 187 players, both players thoroughly deserve their spots on the Advanced Tour this year. Townley beat compatriot Tyler Rawlings in his final, with Courtney advancing in a thriller against England’s Kaya Baysal.
Eleven more spots remain up for grabs going into day two on Sunday, with tour cards going to both event winners and the nine next best players on the rolling order of merit.
Event 1
Townley, from St Helens, secured his place on the Advanced Tour with some excellent performances, notably in the semi-final, last 16 and last 32.
He produced his best average of the event (89.73) in a 4-0 last-16 win over Luke Oldham of Wales, the highlight being a 13-dart leg in which he opened with 100, 140 and 140. In the previous round, he had averaged 85.40 against George Booth of England, breaking for a 3-1 lead with a 180 followed by a 156 to leave 22.
In the semi-final, he beat India’s Aryaveer Chokhani – the player who travelled the furthest for Q-School – 4-1 with an average of 84.31. Townley produced four 140s, while Chokhani hit a 180.
In the final, Townley beat fellow Englishman Rawlings 4-1. After Townley won the opening leg on throw, Rawlings hit a 140 en route to drawing level in the next leg. But Townley settled quickest, gradually improving before sealing the win with a 17-dart leg.
Rawlings had shown plenty of character to win the final, coming through three deciding legs, including a 4-3 win over Callum Ryan in the semi-final, in which he was pegged back from 3-0 up before holding his own in the decider.
To underline the standard of players looking to secure an Advanced Tour card for 2025, the JDC’s world champion, Belgian star Lex Paeshuyse was beaten in the last 64 by Slovakia’s Dominik Kocik in a high-quality contest. Kocik took out 99 to seal a 4-2 victory, before losing 4-3 to Ryan in the last 16.
Event 2
Courtney, from Carlow, certainly earned his tour card after winning an epic final 4-3 against Burnley’s Baysal.
Baysal raced into a 2-0 lead, which included 13-darter, only for Courtney to reel off three legs in a row. Baysal held throw in the sixth leg to force a decider, which Courtney won on tops with Baysal waiting on 5.
Courtney also had to come through an epic semi-final against Paeshuyse to reach the final. The world champion led 2-1 but the Irishman stuck to his task, drawing level at 2-2 having been on a nine-darter after two visits. He broke throw to lead 3-2, only for Paeshuyse to break back, before breaking again to seal his place in the final.
Prior to those back-to-back seven-leg thrillers, Courtney had generally found things more straightforward, aside from a 4-3 win against Jake Shipley in the last 16, in which he had to fight back from 3-1 down.
Baysal, who had impressed in Event 1, losing to eventual winner Townley in the last eight, reached the final with a series of impressive performances.
He only once dropped more than one leg in a match on his way to the final – and that was in his opening encounter against Max Cranwell, which he won 4-2.
After that, Baysal enjoyed a series of comprehensive wins, impressing in back-to-back 4-1 wins over Rhys Butler and Leo Howard in the quarters and semis, respectively, while also throwing a 14-dart leg in a 4-0 win against Jack Steer.
He hit checkouts of 85 and 80 against Butler, before booking his spot in the final after fighting back from a leg down to see off Howard.
The two event winners will be able to relax on Sunday – but for the remaining players there is plenty at stake.
Results:
EVENT 1:
Final:
Ben Townley (Eng) 4-1 Tyler Rawlings (Eng)
Semi-finals:
Ben Townley (Eng) 4-1 Aryaveer Chokhani (Ind)
Tyler Rawlings (Eng) 4-3 Callum Ryan (Eng)
Quarter-finals:
Ben Townley (Eng) 4-2 Kaya Baysal (Eng)
Aryaveer Chokhani (Ind) 4-2 Adam Craik (Sco)
Tyler Rawlings (Eng) 4-1 Leo Howard (Eng)
Callum Ryan (Eng) 4-3 Jayden Walker (Eng)
EVENT 2:
Final:
Jack Courtney (Ire) 4-3 Kaya Baysal (Eng)
Semi-finals:
Kaya Baysal (Eng) 4-1 Leo Howard (Eng)
Jack Courtney (Ire) 4-3 Lex Paeshuyse (Bel)
Quarter-finals:
Jack Courtney (Ire) 4-1 Jamie French (Ire)
Lex Paeshuyse (Bel) 4-3 Addison Hefferon (Eng)
Leo Howard (Eng) 4-1 Jack Peet (Eng)
Kaya Baysal (Eng) 4-1 Rhys Butler (Eng)
ORDER OF MERIT:
Kaya Baysal (Eng) 8 points
Leo Howard (Eng) 7
Rhys Butler (Eng) 5
Tyler Rawlings (Eng) 5
Lex Paeshuyse (Bel) 4
Kyle Davidson (Sco) 4
Jack Peet (Eng) 4
Aryaveer Chokhani (Ind) 4
Callum Ryan (Eng) 4
Add comment
Comments