Dyer & Milford's Challenge Tour Wins

Winmau Challenge Tour

AARON DYER and Paul Milford shared victories on the opening day of the 2017 PDC Unicorn Challenge Tour in Milton Keynes.

THE PDC Unicorn Challenge Tour is the PDC's second-tier tour for players who do not hold a PDC Tour Card.

A series of 20 tournaments will be held during 2019, each offering £10,000 in prize money.

Tournaments are held across five double-header weekends, with two events per day on each weekend.

STEPHEN BURTON and Shaun Carroll claimed maiden PDC titles on the opening day of the 2019 PDC Unicorn Challenge Tour in Wigan.

World Championship competitor Burton narrowly missed out on regaining his Tour Card last weekend, but bounced back in style to claim his first Challenge Tour crown.

Burton began Event Two with wins over Egor Tvorogov, Chris White, Scott Darbyshire and Mike De Decker to make the last 16, where an impressive 103 average saw off Russia's Boris Koltsov.

The Ipswich thrower backed up that display with triumphs over Michael Rasztovits and Jason Wilson, before holding his nerve in the deciding leg of the final to claim a 5-4 victory over Nathan Rafferty.

Earlier in the day, Carroll tasted success in just his third Challenge Tour event, becoming the first Challenge Tour winner of the year with a 5-1 victory over Patrick Lynskey in the final of Event One.

Despite failing to win a match at last weekend's UK Qualifying School, the Walsall thrower returned to form with defeats of Wesley van Trijp, Vince Tipple, Dean Norman and Steve Hine to reach the last 16.

There, he saw off Lukas Wenig, before wins over experienced duo Ritchie Edhouse and Mick Todd saw him reach the final where he triumphed over Lynskey.

Elsewhere, Event Two also saw former World Championship finalist Andy Hamilton reach the last 16, former UK Open semi-finalist Andrew Gilding enjoyed a run to the quarter-finals, while Brazil's World Cup of Darts star Diogo Portela secured a semi-final berth.

Unicorn Challenge Tour Event One
Quarter-Finals

Patrick Lynskey 5-4 William Borland
Brett Claydon 5-3 Andrew Foster
Mick Todd 5-4 Ricky Williams
Shaun Carroll 5-2 Ritchie Edhouse

Semi-Finals
Patrick Lynskey 5-2 Brett Claydon
Shaun Carroll 5-4 Mick Todd

Final
Shaun Carroll 5-1 Patrick Lynskey

Unicorn Challenge Tour Event Two
Quarter-Finals

Diogo Portela 5-0 Mick Todd
Nathan Rafferty 5-2 Darren Herewini
Stephen Burton 5-2 Michael Rasztovits
Jason Wilson 5-4 Andrew Gilding

Semi-Finals
Nathan Rafferty 5-3 Diogo Portela
Stephen Burton 5-3 Jason Wilson

Final
Stephen Burton 5-4 Nathan Rafferty