Phil Taylor defeated Joe Cullen 6-1 to win the sixth Speedy Hire UK Open Qualifier at the Barnsley Metrodome on Sunday.
First PDC ProTour win of the year for 'Power'
Phil Taylor defeated Joe Cullen 6-1 to win the sixth Speedy Hire UK Open Qualifier at the Barnsley Metrodome on Sunday.
Taylor claimed his first PDC ProTour win of the year, and a £6,000 first prize, with a comprehensive win in the final, going one better than he had in Saturday's event when he was defeated by Gary Anderson.
Bradford youngster Cullen had won through to his first professional final with some brilliant displays on home ground in Yorkshire, but saw Taylor gain revenge for a Players Championship defeat in Killarney last October in the decider.
Taylor had stared defeat in the face in the first round of Sunday's event, when Peter Hudson missed one match dart for a 6-3 win, before the world number one hit back to win 6-5.
Taylor then overcame youngster Darren Whittingham, veterans Richie Burnett and Dennis Smith and the Bristol pair of Mark Dudbridge and Steve Brown to reach the final.
There, he capitalised on a nervous opening from Cullen to take the opening leg with a brilliant 11-darter, land double top to win the second and break for a second time in the third on double four.
Cullen hit a 180 in the fourth, but Taylor replied in kind and punished a missed double 16 from the youngster for a 110 finish by taking out double four to lead 4-0.
Cullen then missed a dart at double top to win the fifth, and saw Taylor finish 110 to move a leg away from the victory before the Bradford ace landed tops to keep the game alive after his opponent missed four match darts.
However, Cullen was unable to save the game again in the next leg, seeing eight darts at double top, ten and five miss their intended target before Taylor posted double seven for victory.
Winning feeling
"I'm really pleased to have won," said Taylor. "I love the winning feeling and this is a great way to cap a good weekend."
Cullen had overcome Scottish duo Robert Thornton and Gary Anderson - Saturday's winner - in the latter stages in Barnsley, and also defeated Sweden's Magnus Caris on his way to the final.
Brown's bid to claim a second UK Open Qualifier win in Barnsley this year had seen him defeat Steve Beaton, Peter Wright, in-form Wes Newton and James Wade on his way to the semi-finals, before he came up against Taylor.
Thornton's return to form in recent months continued as he overcame former World Championship finalist Kirk Shepherd, Barrie Bates and Paul Nicholson on his way to the last four, while Dudbridge's run saw him reach his first quarter-final since last September, including a win over Simon Whitlock.
Wade came from 5-3 down to defeat Michael van Gerwen on his way to the quarter-finals, while Newton missed double 12 for a nine-dart finish in his bid to emulate the feat of Wayne Atwood and Dennis Priestley, who hit perfect legs on Saturday.
The final two Speedy Hire UK Open Qualifiers will be held at the Robin Park Tennis Centre in Wigan in a fortnight, after which the top 96 players, plus ties, from the UK Open Order of Merit progress to compete in the televised finals in June.
