ARRON MONK, George Killington and Tytus Kanik were the three PDC Tour Card winners on Day Three of the 2018 PDC Qualifying Schools on Saturday.

Former World Youth Champion Monk won back his PDC Tour Card following a two-year gap as he defeated Gloucestershire's Lee Evans 5-2 in their final.

The 27-year-old from Basingstoke followed up some solid form on the opening two days of the UK Qualifying School by going all the way to claim seven wins on Saturday.

Early wins over Callum Loose, Mark Pritchard and Antony Darlow were followed by a win over Scottish ace Cameron Menzies, before Monk edged out Matthew Edgar in a deciding leg at the last 16 stage.

He then whitewashed youngster Lewis Pride in the last eight before overcoming Evans for the loss of just two legs to secure his ProTour return.

"I'm pretty relieved and happy," said Monk. "

"I've seen the opportunities in the game now and the levels of prize money going up, and I've seen some of the players that I was beating in my youth doing really well.

"I knew I had to take it more seriously and I've concentrated more. It's a fresh start for me now - Arron Monk Mark Two; it's a different Arron with a different attitude.

"I'm more calm and taking the game much more seriously. I've not set any goals yet but I believe in myself and I'll back myself 100 percent."

Londoner George Killington, 21, was the day's other Tour Card winner from the UK Qualifying School as he defeated Gary Eastwood 5-3 in their decider.

Killington was a PDC Unicorn Development Tour event winner in 2014 as a teenager, but will now step onto the PDC ProTour for the first time following an emotional success in Wigan.

The youngster began his day with a 5-3 win over two-time TV event winner Colin Lloyd, and also overcame former Lakeside Championship finalist Dean Winstanley, Craig Quinn and Trevor Burkhill to reach the last 16.

There, Killington dropped just one leg in defeating Canadian youngster Dawson Murschell, before battling past Scotland's Darren Beveridge to reach the decider, where he proved too strong for Eastwood.

"It's an emotional moment but I'm so happy," said Killington. "I knew I had the ability and I showed that when I won the Development Tour event and reached a couple of other finals at a young age.

"Then my mother was taken ill and I put my family first to help bring up my brother and sister. I had to learn how to grow up as a man and it's been a long road.

"I still believed that I could make it in the game and to win my Tour Card today is a dream come true. I knew I was capable and I tried my hardest and made it happen - I'm speechless.

"I've got two years now and it's a chance to establish myself. I practice with Diogo Portela and with him and my dad behind me I've got some great support."

Evans and Eastwood were both one game short of winning a PDC Tour Card for the first time, but improved their chances of progressing either automatically on Sunday or by claiming a spot from the Q School Order of Merit.

Pride and Beveridge were joined in the last eight by Kent's Ross Smith and Blackpool youngster Scott Dale, while Japan's Haruki Muramatsu and former Tour Card holders David Pallett, Ryan Meikle and Matthew Edgar lost out in the last 16.

Kanik, meanwhile, became the first player from Poland to win a PDC Tour Card, after defeating Spain's Jose Justicia in the Day Three final at the European Qualifying School.

Former World Cup of Darts representative Kanik had won through to the semi-finals of Friday's Day Two in Hildesheim before Mario Robbe denied him a spot on the PDC ProTour.

However, the 33-year-old from Poznan bounced back to win through the field on Saturday and secure his coveted Tour Card.

Kanik overcame Christopher Haensch in his opening fixture before then defeating Stefan Nilles in a deciding leg, and saw off Ryan De Vreede and Ricardo Pietreczko on his way to the quarter-finals.

There, he whitewashed Rene Berndt and then overcame Belgium's Davy Van Baelen 5-3 before repeating that scoreline in the final against Justicia.

"Today was fantastic," said Kanik. "Yesterday I lost in the semi-final but today I played very well.

"I thought I had a little chance to win a Tour Card, ten percent, but I'm very happy."

Spanish ace Justicia was looking to follow compatriots Cristo Reyes and Antonio Alcinas onto the PDC ProTour, but will need to wait at least one more day before he can secure a Tour Card following Saturday's loss.

Justicia was a 5-4 winner over top young Belgian talent Mike De Decker in their opener before overcoming Fabian Herz, Robert Marijanovic, Dick van Dick, Tobias Hoentsch and Rusty-Jake Rodriguez on his way to the final.

Semi-finalists Rodriguez and Van Baelen joined Justicia in collecting vital ranking points for the European Qualifying School Order of Merit, from which six further Tour Cards will be allocated on Sunday evening following Day Four.

While Kanik enjoyed success on Saturday, the more favoured Polish ace Krzysztof Ratajski - the 2017 World Masters winner and a recent World Championship competitor - was knocked out 5-4 in the last 64 by Van Dijk.

There was disappointment again for former Lakeside Championship finalist Danny Noppert, who was defeated by Van Baelen in the last 16, where Brazil's Diogo Portela and teenage German Nico Blum also exited.

Sunday's final day of the 2018 PDC Qualifying Schools will see a further two automatic Tour Cards secured in Wigan and one in Hildesheim from the fourth day of play.

A total of 15 players will then secure Tour Cards from the UK Qualifying School Order of Merit, with six more on offer for the European Qualifying School Order of Merit.