Geert Nentjes and Jason Heaver won PDC Tour Cards on Day Two of the PDC Qualifying Schools Final Stage on Monday as Raymond van Barneveld took a step closer to returning to the circuit.
The runner-up to Geert De Vos in Niedernhausen on Sunday, Dutch youngster Nentjes won back his Tour Card as he showed fighting spirit with five 6-5 victories from seven games in Monday's European Qualifying School action.
The 22-year-old battled back from behind against Franz Roetzsch, Patrick Tringler and Michael Unterbuchner, and overcame five-time World Champion Van Barneveld in 11 legs in the semi-finals.
Nentjes' final also went all the way as Russia's Boris Koltsov hit back from 4-2 down to level and then force a decider, only to miss his chance to take victory as the left-hander prevailed.
Geert Nentjes regains his TourCard! ??
— PDC Europe (@PDCEurope) February 15, 2021
After he already reached the final yesterday Geert Nentjes marched through to secure his TourCard today beating RvB in the semis and Boris Koltsov in the final match.
All results of the day: https://t.co/5KTZJGyujS pic.twitter.com/hHbkfNye4P
"It's a big relief, I'm very happy," said Nentjes. "Yesterday losing the final, I was a bit nervous today coming in [knowing that I] need a few points more so I'm happy to win it straight back."
Looking back on his semi-final win over Dutch icon Van Barneveld, he added: "I was playing him and thinking that I want to beat him now so that when I play him on the ProTour I know can beat him, so it's a bonus for me to win against him."
A two-time PDC Unicorn Development Tour event winner in 2019, Nentjes had lost his Tour Card at the end of last year but will make an immediate return to the circuit.
Berkshire's Heaver, meanwhile, will compete on the PDC ProTour for the first time after he came through the field in the UK Qualifying School to win a Tour Card on Day Two.
A production planner who has previously qualified twice for the UK Open as an amateur, Heaver hit back from 3-1 and 4-2 down in his final against Alan Soutar to win four straight legs in a 6-4 triumph.
Heaver edged out Lewis Williams 6-5 in their last four clash, averaged 100 in a win over Martin Lukeman and also defeated former Tour Card Holders Andrew Gilding and David Pallett on the day.
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— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) February 15, 2021
Dan Dawson brings us the final update of Day Two of the Final Phase, with Geert Nentjes and Jason Heaver successfully winning tour cards! https://t.co/aswcKb2qLr
"It feels absolutely amazing," said Heaver. "I never thought I was going to do this today but it felt brilliant.
"I'm over the moon. I never thought I was going to get here, playing in this, going through today is brilliant. I really am looking forward to it.
"I'm going to be a dad again in nine weeks, so let's see what the future holds!"
Monday's action also featured a nine-dart finish from Shane McGuirk, who achieved perfection to seal his 6-2 win over Lewis Pride in the last 64 at the UK Qualifying School.
Scotland's Soutar now sits at the top of the UK Qualifying School Final Stage Order of Merit on seven points following two of the four days of action, putting himself in pole position to win a Tour Card on Wednesday.
Lukeman sits second with six points alongside Sunday's runner-up Jack Main, with Eddie Lovely and Gavin Carlin on five points.
In Europe, Zoran Lerchbacher tops the Order of Merit with seven points from two days after following Sunday's quarter-final run with a semi-final appearance 24 hours later.
Van Barneveld sits on six points as he bids to mark his comeback by winning a Tour Card, with Koltsov joined on five points by Germany's Martin Schindler, who lost his professional status at the end of 2020.
Play in the 2021 PDC Qualifying Schools Final Stage continues on Tuesday with Day Three, with two further Tour Cards to be won outright.
CLICK HERE TO SEE THE PDC QUALIFYING SCHOOLS ORDERS OF MERIT
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UK Qualifying School Final Stage Match Centre
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European Qualifying School Final Stage Day Two
Last 16
Michal Smejda 6-1 Ryan De Vreede
Geert Nentjes 6-5 Michael Unterbuchner
Gino Vos 6-0 John Michael
Raymond van Barneveld 6-4 Lukas Wenig
Zoran Lerchbacher 6-1 Jose Justicia
Christian Bunse 6-5 Patrick van den Boogaard
Boris Koltsov 6-5 Matt Campbell
Davy Proosten 6-3 Niels Zonneveld
Quarter-Finals
Geert Nentjes 6-4 Michal Smejda
Raymond van Barneveld 6-5 Gino Vos
Zoran Lerchbacher 6-2 Christian Buns
Boris Koltsov 6-1 Davy Proosten
Semi-Finals
Geert Nentjes 6-5 Raymond van Barneveld
Boris Koltsov 6-1 Zoran Lerchbacher
Final
Geert Nentjes 6-5 Boris Koltsov
UK Qualifying School Final Stage Day Two
Last 16
Joe Murnan 6-3 David Wawrzewski
Alan Soutar 6-5 Jake Jones
Eddie Lovely 6-2 Sean Fisher
Mike Warburton 6-4 Kevin McDine
Chris Quantock 6-2 Gavin Carlin
Lewis Williams 6-3 John Brown
Jason Heaver 6-3 Martin Lukeman
Adam Mould 6-3 Andy Jenkins
Quarter-Finals
Alan Soutar 6-4 Joe Murnan
Eddie Lovely 6-4 Mike Warburton
Lewis Williams 6-3 Chris Quantock
Jason Heaver 6-1 Adam Mould
Semi-Finals
Alan Soutar 6-4 Eddie Lovely
Jason Heaver 6-5 Lewis Williams
Final
Jason Heaver 6-4 Alan Soutar
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— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) February 15, 2021
Here's how the Order of Merit shapes up after two days of the Final Stage of UK Q School 2021
Alan Soutar's run to today's final puts him top. pic.twitter.com/C1YaYZ5pyO