MICHAEL VAN GERWEN and Arron Monk will contest the final of the PDC Unicorn Under-21 World Championship after winning through Saturday's qualifying stages in Barnsley.
Dutchman van Gerwen, the 21-year-old who burst onto the scene as a 16-year-old by winning a host of senior tournaments, will challenge 20-year-old Monk at Alexandra Palace on stage during the Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship in the New Year for the £10,000 title.
The pair also qualify to compete in the Daily Mirror Grand Slam of Darts, which begins at the Wolverhampton Civic Hall next weekend, and are guaranteed a PDC ProTour card in 2011.
While van Gerwen has plenty of experience on the big stage, Monk's only previous appearances in front of the television cameras have come at the UK Open and in the New Kids On The Oche programme in 2008, which he won to earn a place on the PDC ProTour the following year.
Monk has since risen to 83rd in the PDC Order of Merit, earning him the number three seeding for the Under-21 World Championship.
He defeated Nick Kenny in his first game before then repeating the scoreline against Hull's prospect Leon Bailey, and overcame Curtis Bagley 4-1 to reach the last eight.
There, he whitewashed Cardiff's Daniel McGivney before defeating London's Lewis Venes 4-2 in the semis.
Venes shared the opening four legs to be tied at two-all, but Monk responded to missing five darts to win the fourth by hitting a 13-dart finish for a 3-2 lead, and then took out 116 for the match.
"That was probably the biggest game of my career and I pulled through," said Monk afterwards. "My scoring wasn't quite there but my doubles, apart from one leg, shone through for me.
"I can't believe it. I've come up through the Andover darts academy and got a sponsorship with Unicorn through that and they've played a part in getting me where I am now.
"I'll look forward to playing Michael. I've played him three times and he's beaten me once but it will be different at Alexandra Palace.
"I know I'm good enough, but I just need to take my chances."
Monk, the son of veteran professional Colin, was narrowly defeated in last year's ITV Wildcard Qualifier to win a place in the Grand Slam of Darts, but will finally have his chance in Wolverhampton next week.
"I lost in the final of the ITV Wildcard Qualifier last year to Steve Maish and was gutted about that, but now I'm there," he added. "I'll be on TV three times in the round-robin and hopefully more, and I can't wait.
"I don't want to be just another qualifier who plays and loses in the group, I want to win my group and do well."
Van Gerwen, meanwhile, defeated fellow Dutchman Benito van de Pas in his semi-final game with a 4-1 win, having earlier defeated Manchester's top young talent Shaun Griffiths in a deciding leg in the quarter-finals.
Van Gerwen also defeated Keegan Brown, Adam Hunt and Michael Bushby in the event as he ensured a second appearance on the Alexandra Palace stage, with qualification for the Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship already assured through his top 32 ranking.
Van de Pas, who won a PDC Europe Qualifier in Germany recently to book a spot in Barnsley, was impressive in his displays, notably overcoming the number four seed Michael Smith 4-2 in the quarter-finals.
Bradford's Joe Cullen, the number three seed, let a 3-1 lead slip in his defeat to Venes in the last 16, missing five darts to take victory as the Londoner sneaked through.
Swindon's Aubrey impressed in his run to the quarter-finals, where he came from 2-0 down to level against Venes before going down in a deciding leg.
Griffiths was the other losing quarter-finalist, having edged past Ireland's Martin Heneghan in a tight last 16 game and missed double 18 for a nine-dart finish in his preliminary round win over Josh Payne.
St Helens' Smith also went close to a nine-darter, missing double 12 for the feat during his first round whitewash of Scott Johnson.
The PDC Unicorn Under-21 World Championship saw the leading eight PDPA members aged between 16 and 21 seeded and joined by a series of international qualifiers and 50 players who won through free-to-enter knockouts held in Rileys Darts Zones across the UK.
Canada's Bryce Book reached the last 16 before losing to McGivney, but there was disappointment for Australia's former Oceanic Masters champion Mitchell Clegg, who lost 4-2 to Ryan Hitchens in round one.
PDC Unicorn Under-21 World Championship
Preliminary Round
Shaun Griffiths 4-1 Josh Payne
Dan Dean 4-3 Jack Marriner
First Round
Michael van Gerwen (1) 4-2 Keegan Brown
Adam Hunt 4-2 Damien Smith
Dirk van Duijvenbode 4-0 Liam Showell
Michael Bushby 4-0 David Coyne
Graeme Orr 4-0 Sean White (8)
Martin Heneghan 4-3 Thomas Humphrey
Matthew Dicken 4-1 Jamie McNair
Shaun Griffiths 4-1 Alex Harrison
Tom Martin (5) 4-0 Teemu Harju
Curtis Hammond 4-3 Brandon Walsh
Ash Khayat 4-2 Sam Hamilton
Benito van de Pas 4-1 Rico Dera
Michael Smith (4) 4-0 Scott Johnson
Sean East 4-1 Matthew Wright
Dale Quince 4-3 Aaron Bateman
Ryan Hitchens 4-2 Mitchell Clegg
Joe Cullen (2) 4-0 Stuart Keith
David Harnick 4-2 Harry Miles
Liam Deveries 4-2 Kevin Hodgin
Lewis Venes 4-3 Adam Smith-Neale
David Pallett 4-1 Tony Clark (7)
John Smith 4-3 Kirk De Ruyter
Chris Aubrey 4-0 Dean Lockyer
Dan Dean 4-2 Luke Johnson
Daniel McGivney 4-0 Ryan Herrington (6)
Callum Nesbit 4-1 Ryan McCarthy
Jamie Landon 4-0 Michael Wood
Bryce Book 4-0 David Williams
Arron Monk (3) 4-2 Nick Kenny
Leon Bailey 4-2 Daniel Ovens
Jack Hill 4-3 Jamie Phillips
Curtis Bagley 4-2 Ryan Hogarth
Second Round
Michael van Gerwen 4-3 Adam Hunt
Michael Bushby 4-3 Dirk van Duijvenbode
Martin Heneghan 4-2 Graeme Orr
Shaun Griffiths 4-3 Matthew Dicken
Curtis Hammond 4-1 Tom Martin
Benito van de Pas 4-0 Ash Khayat
Michael Smith 4-1 Sean East
Ryan Hitchens 4-2 Dale Quince
Joe Cullen 4-1 David Harnick
Lewis Venes 4-3 Liam Deveries
John Smith 4-2 David Pallett
Chris Aubrey 4-0 Dan Dean
Daniel McGivney 4-0 Callum Nesbit
Bryce Book 4-3 Jamie Landon
Arron Monk 4-2 Leon Bailey
Curtis Bagley 4-1 Jack Hill
Third Round
Michael van Gerwen 4-0 Michael Bushby
Shaun Griffiths 4-3 Martin Heneghan
Benito van de Pas 4-3 Curtis Hammond
Michael Smith 4-1 Ryan Hitchens
Lewis Venes 4-3 Joe Cullen
Chris Aubrey 4-2 John Smith
Daniel McGivney 4-0 Bryce Book
Arron Monk 4-1 Curtis Bagley
Losers £625
Quarter-Finals
Michael van Gerwen 4-3 Shaun Griffiths
Benito van de Pas 4-2 Michael Smith
Lewis Venes 4-3 Chris Aubrey
Arron Monk 4-0 Daniel McGivney
Losers £1,250
Semi-Finals
Michael van Gerwen 4-1 Benito van de Pas
Arron Monk 4-2 Lewis Venes
Losers £2,500
Final
Michael van Gerwen v Arron Monk
To be played on stage at Alexandra Palace during Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship
Both players also invited to compete in Daily Mirror Grand Slam of Darts & offered PDC ProTour Card
Winner £10,000
Runner-Up £5,000