RAYMOND VAN BARNEVELD hit a nine-dart finish on his way to winning Saturday's Speedy Services UK Open Qualifier Five at the Barnsley Metrodome, where he defeated Andy Smith 6-3.
The Dutchman secured his first ProTour victory since last September by claiming the £6,000 title, and also earned a £400 bonus for his nine-dart finish, which sealed a third round win over Michael Barnard.
He had also defeated Jack Hill and Mareno Michels before that triumph, and went on to see off both Simon Whitlock and Brendan Dolan 6-5 to reach the semi-finals.
There, he was a 6-4 winner against Terry Jenkins before going on to see off Smith 6-3 in the decider.
Smith had opened the final with a 180 and took the opening leg, but van Barneveld won four of the next five to take command, with only an 11-dart finish from the Englishman stemming the tide as the five-time World Champion hit three 180s, a 12-darter and a trio of 14-dart finishes.
Smith almost paid the price for opting against throwing for the bull on a 161 finish in the seventh leg, missing six darts at double 16 and eight only to be allowed back in by two misses from van Barneveld to reduce the gap to 4-3.
However, van Barneveld took out double four for a 13-darter in the next and then finished 117 on tops to seal the triumph.
"I'm very happy with the win," said the Dutchman. "It was a tough day and it was a good final against Andy.
"I had some tough games but I believed in myself today and I'm really pleased. I was 3-0 down against Simon Whitlock and came back to win, I had a marvellous game with Brendan Dolan and I was 4-3 down against Terry Jenkins and won.
"In January I said I was going to play more tournaments on the floor and these tournaments are really hard to win so I'm happy today."
Van Barneveld's nine-darter saw a perfect leg hit for the sixth successive PDC ProTour event, and was the Dutchman's ninth since joining the PDC in 2006.
He added: "It was a good game against Michael Barnard - he'd beaten Colin Lloyd and Ronnie Baxter in our group - but I'm really pleased with the nine-darter. I'm working hard and it's paying off."
Smith had won a Players Championship in Barnsley last June but fell one win short of another title as he settled for the £3,000 runner-up prize.
The Studley ace defeated World Champion Adrian Lewis, world number six Wes Newton and Under-21 World Champion Arron Monk on the day, and also hit two 161 checkouts in his victory over Mark Jones in the fourth round.
Smith was a 6-4 winner against Jamie Caven in their semi-final, with the Derby player reaching the last four for the first time since last October with his success.
Caven picked up wins over Justin Pipe, Kevin Painter and Dennis Smith - the runner-up in Qualifier Four last month - in a confidence-boosting run.
Jenkins' run to the semis saw him reach that stage for the first time since last May with a fine day of darts, which began with a victory over world number three James Wade and also included 6-5 defeats of Mark Walsh, Robert Thornton and James Richardson.
The sixth Speedy Services UK Open Qualifier will be played a the Barnsley Metrodome on Sunday as the players return to battle for another £35,000 in prize money and places in June's UK Open televised finals in Bolton.
Speedy Services UK Open Qualifier Five
Preliminary Round
Wayne Jones 6-3 Steven Pearson
Richie Howson 6-4 Andrew Hibbert
Connie Finnan 6-2 Craig Pope
Brian Woods 6-4 John Scott
Peter Wright 6-3 Lee Whitworth
Wes Newton 6-5 Dyson Parody
Ken Dobson 6-3 Jamie Guilfoyle
Andy Smith 6-2 Kevin McDine
Ian Joping 6-5 Reece Robinson
Mark Webster 6-5 Steve Farmer
Alex Roy 6-1 Darren Whittingham
Adrian Lewis 6-0 Steve Maish
John Bowles 6-5 Andy Brown
Devon Petersen 6-5 Barrie Bates
Daniel Bunker 6-5 Martin Whatmough
Scott Rand 6-1 Nathan Richards
Co Stompe 6-1 Les Wallace
John Henderson 6-2 Darren Williams
Joe Murnan 6-2 Andy Pearce
Philip Wathen 6-3 Matthew Dicken
Andy Hamilton 6-0 Dennis Priestley
Jamie Lewis 6-4 Aden Kirk
Darren Webster 6-3 Tom Jones
Shaun Griffiths 6-0 Norman Fletcher
Paul Barham 6-5 Mick Todd
Mark Hylton 6-5 Bernd Roith
Steve Grubb 6-5 Nigel Heydon
Jamie Caven 6-4 Dennis Smith
Mark Frost 6-4 Dave Smith
Steven Barrow 6-1 Nick Fullwell
Peter Hudson 6-0 Ian Lever
Michael van Gerwen 6-5 Adam Smith-Neale
Kevin Painter 6-3 Ian Moss
Adrian Gray 6-4 James Thompson
Steve Beaton 6-1 Brandon Walsh
Sam Hill 6-5 Andy Hodges
Dean Winstanley 6-3 Gareth Pass
Gary Anderson 6-2 Lewis Venes
Dave Ladley 6-2 Daniel Starkey
James Richardson 6-1 Mike Veitch
Andy Relf 6-2 Carlos Rodriguez
Toon Greebe 6-5 Patrick Pace
Michael Mansell 6-0 Peter Manley
Joe Cullen 6-4 Kurt Van De Rijck
Terry Jenkins 6-3 James Wade
Dave Honey 6-4 Johnny Haines
Prakash Jiwa 6-2 James Young
Steven Clews 6-1 Andrew Gilding
Ian White 6-1 Paddy Meaney
James Hubbard 6-1 Ashley Holgate
Chris Aubrey 6-1 David Nelson
Keith Stephen 6-5 Michael Smith
Josh Jones 6-2 Matthew Tedstone
Denis Ovens 6-2 Neville Roberts
Alan Tabern 6-5 Damien Sherwood
Mark Stephenson 6-5 Peter Evison
Michael Barnard 6-5 Colin Lloyd
Ted Hankey 6-0 John Walton
Ronnie Baxter 6-1 Mark Dudbridge
Kim Huybrechts 6-1 Peter Hughes
Steve Evans 6-1 Steve Hine
Andrew Johnson 6-1 Fred Smith
Terry Temple 6-1 Andy Firth
Steve Brown 6-2 Adrian Bolitho
Jelle Klaasen 6-4 Darren Latham
Dylan Duo 6-1 Michael Peel
Brendan Dolan 6-3 Stuart Kellett
First Round
Martin Perring 6-4 Gaz Cousins
Mark Jones 6-2 Wayne Jones
Richie Howson 6-5 Connie Finnan
Peter Wright 6-3 Brian Woods
Paul Nicholson 6-3 Paul Rowley
Arron Monk 6-1 Magnus Caris
Wes Newton 6-0 Ken Dobson
Andy Smith 6-2 Ian Jopling
Antonio Alcinas 6-3 Christopher Dale
Jim Walker 6-1 Dave Chisnall
Alex Roy 6-5 Mark Webster
Adrian Lewis 6-1 John Bowles
Matt Clark 6-2 Matt Jackson
Ross Smith 6-3 Jimmy Mann
Devon Petersen 6-0 Daniel Bunker
Co Stompe 6-5 Scott Rand
Vincent van der Voort 6-0 Simon Burt
John Henderson 6-3 Darrell Claydon
Joe Murnan 6-3 Philip Wathen
Andy Hamilton 6-3 Jamie Lewis
Aaron Turner 6-1 Tony Tasker
Justin Pipe 6-1 Stefanie Luck
Shaun Griffiths 6-2 Darren Webster
Mark Hylton 6-1 Paul Barham
Joey Palfreyman 6-3 Tony West
William O'Connor 6-5 Liam Kelly
Jamie Caven 6-4 Steve Grubb
Steven Barrow 6-2 Mark Frost
Matt Padgett 6-3 Jason Crawley
Anthony Littleton 6-1 Joe Thompson
Michael van Gerwen 6-2 Peter Hudson
Kevin Painter 6-5 Adrian Gray
Stuart White 6-3 Jerry Hendriks
Steve Beaton 6-2 Nigel Birch
Sam Hill 6-3 Dean Winstanley
Gary Anderson 6-2 Dave Ladley
Roland Scholten 6-1 Karl Forrington
John Part 6-3 Matthew Edgar
James Richardson 6-2 Andy Relf
Michael Mansell 6-1 Toon Greebe
Stephen Hardy 6-3 Gary Butcher
Mark Walsh 6-5 Mick McGowan
Terry Jenkins 6-3 Joe Cullen
Prakash Jiwa 6-3 Dave Honey
Gino Vos 6-4 Daniel Day
Robert Thornton 6-3 Richie Burnett
Ian White 6-1 Steven Clews
James Hubbard 6-5 Chris Aubrey
John Turnbull 6-4 Andy Turnbull
Simon Whitlock 6-3 Colin Osborne
Josh Jones 6-4 Keith Stephen
Denis Ovens 6-2 Alan Tabern
Mareno Michels 6-1 Rocco Maes
Raymond van Barneveld 6-2 Jack Hill
Michael Barnard 6-1 Mark Stephenson
Ronnie Baxter 6-5 Ted Hankey
Darren Johnson 6-0 Matthew Waddoups
Mark Lawrence 6-5 Adam Hunt
Kim Huybrechts 6-3 Steve Evans
Terry Temple 6-3 Andrew Johnson
Kevin Dowling 6-5 Mervyn King
Lee White 6-4 Geoff Whitworth
Jelle Klaasen 6-4 Steve Brown
Brendan Dolan 6-1 Dylan Duo
Second Round
Mark Jones 6-1 Martin Perring
Peter Wright 6-4 Richie Howson
Arron Monk 6-4 Paul Nicholson
Andy Smith 6-4 Wes Newton
Jim Walker 6-4 Antonio Alcinas
Adrian Lewis 6-3 Alex Roy
Matt Clark 6-1 Ross Smith
Co Stompe 6-5 Devon Petersen
John Henderson 6-3 Vincent van der Voort
Andy Hamilton 6-4 Joe Murnan
Justin Pipe 6-1 Aaron Turner
Shaun Griffiths 6-2 Mark Hylton
Joey Palfreyman 6-4 William O'Connor
Jamie Caven 6-2 Steven Barrow
Anthony Littleton 6-4 Matt Padgett
Kevin Painter 6-2 Michael van Gerwen
Stuart White 6-5 Steve Beaton
Gary Anderson 6-4 Sam Hill
John Part 6-2 Roland Scholten
James Richardson 6-3 Michael Mansell
Mark Walsh 6-3 Stephen Hardy
Terry Jenkins 6-2 Prakash Jiwa
Robert Thornton 6-3 Gino Vos
James Hubbard 6-5 Ian White
Simon Whitlock 6-0 John Turnbull
Denis Ovens 6-2 Josh Jones
Raymond van Barneveld 6-1 Mareno Michels
Michael Barnard 6-4 Ronnie Baxter
Darren Johnson 6-3 Mark Lawrence
Kim Huybrechts 6-4 Terry Temple
Kevin Dowling 6-2 Lee White
Brendan Dolan 6-2 Jelle Klaasen
Losers £200
Third Round
Mark Jones 6-2 Peter Wright
Andy Smith 6-3 Arron Monk
Adrian Lewis 6-3 Jim Walker
Co Stompe 6-4 Matt Clark
Andy Hamilton 6-2 John Henderson
Justin Pipe 6-3 Shaun Griffiths
Jamie Caven 6-1 Joey Palfreyman
Kevin Painter 6-4 Anthony Littleton
Gary Anderson 6-4 Stuart White
James Richardson 6-3 John Part
Terry Jenkins 6-5 Mark Walsh
Robert Thornton 6-5 James Hubbard
Simon Whitlock 6-3 Denis Ovens
Raymond van Barneveld 6-2 Michael Barnard - Raymond van Barneveld hits nine-dart finish.
Darren Johnson 6-2 Kim Huybrechts
Brendan Dolan 6-2 Kevin Dowling
Losers £400
Fourth Round
Andy Smith 6-3 Mark Jones
Adrian Lewis 6-5 Co Stompe
Justin Pipe 6-3 Andy Hamilton
Jamie Caven 6-3 Kevin Painter
James Richardson 6-0 Gary Anderson
Terry Jenkins 6-5 Robert Thornton
Raymond van Barneveld 6-5 Simon Whitlock
Brendan Dolan 6-5 Darren Johnson
Losers £600
Quarter-Finals
Andy Smith 6-1 Adrian Lewis
Jamie Caven 6-5 Justin Pipe
Terry Jenkins 6-5 James Richardson
Raymond van Barneveld 6-5 Brendan Dolan
Losers £1,000
Semi-Finals
Andy Smith 6-4 Jamie Caven
Raymond van Barneveld 6-4 Terry Jenkins
Losers £2,000
Final
Raymond van Barneveld 6-3 Andy Smith
Winner £6,000
Runner-Up £3,000
Final - Leg-By-Leg
0-0 - Andy Smith wins the bull and will throw first
1-0 - Smith opens the final with a 180 and finishes 64 on double four to win the first leg.
1-1 - van Barneveld scores 140, 140 180 and lands double 16 to level with a 12-darter.
1-2 - van Barneveld lands another maximum and finishes 64 for a 14-dart leg to break throw.
1-3 - van Barneveld kicks off the leg 140, 180 and finishes double ten to move two legs clear with another 14-darter.
2-3 - Smith this time opens 140, 180 and adds another 140 before finishing double 16 for an 11-darter.
2-4 - Smith hits a 180 to leave 40 but can only watch on as van Barneveld takes out 92 in two darts for another 14-dart finish.
3-4 - Smith opts not to throw for the bull on a 161 finish but misses six darts at double 16 and eight to win the leg, only for van Barneveld to miss two darts of his own at double eight and allow the Englishman back to win a potentially key leg.
3-5 - van Barneveld misses double eight for a 136 checkout but returns to post double four for a 13-dart finish.
3-6 - van Barneveld takes out 117 to secure his first title of 2012.
Final Match Averages: Andy Smith 93.30, Raymond van Barneveld 102.74