World champion Phil Taylor recorded an incredible three-dart average of 116 in beating John Part 8-3 in the Premier League in Aberdeen.
Record three-dart average for the Premier League
World champion Phil Taylor recorded an incredible three-dart average of 116 in beating John Part 8-3 in the Premier League.
Taylor's victory in Aberdeen took him back up to the top of the table and ensured that the four play-off places have now been decided.
Taylor, James Wade, Mervyn King and Raymond Van Barneveld all qualify for the Wembley shoot-out, although the final standings - and the semi-final line-up - have yet to be finalised.
The 14-time world champion from Stoke laid down a marker with a 161 checkout in the first leg and Canadian Part - himself a three-time former world champion - simply could not live with 'The Power'.
Taylor's average is a record for the Premier League.
"Fantastic, I'm over the moon," Taylor told
Sky Sports. "John is a very difficult player to play but you need to get your thoughts together and ignore the rowdiness and everything else. I knew that if I won then I qualified and that's what I wanted.
"I've really enjoyed tonight."
Earlier, King and Terry Jenkins had battled out a 7-7 draw, King missing a dart at double 16 for the win at 7-6. Jenkins then hit a 25 checkout to secure a point, but the man from Hereford misses out on the play-offs.
Former world champion Raymond Van Barneveld beat his fellow Dutchman Jelle Klaasen 8-5 but needed 11 darts at a double to close out the match in the 13th leg.
The evening's opening contest was a challenge match between James Wade and Robert Thornton, who was standing in for Wayne Mardle.
World number two Wade had little trouble seeing off Thornton 7-2, averaging 105 and hitting seven maximums.
