Adam Gawlas celebrated his maiden PDC Winmau Development Tour title in Germany on Sunday, edging out Ireland’s Dylan Slevin in a fiercely-contested Event 15 final in Hildesheim.
Gawlas will represent Czech Republic alongside Karel Sedlacek at next week’s World Cup of Darts, and he enjoyed the perfect preparation by scooping the £2,500 top prize at Halle 39.
The UK Open semi-finalist survived a scare in his opener against Moreno Blom, recovering from 3-2 down to progress, producing legs of 12 and 15 darts to come through a last-leg shoot-out.
Gawlas recorded a trio of 4-1 wins to advance to the last 16, posting a ton-plus average to dispatch Jack Male before winning through another decider against Jacob Gwynne.
The 21-year-old also saw off Germany’s David Schlichting in the quarter-finals, before fighting back from 4-1 down to dump out Jurjen van der Velde in a dramatic last four tie.
This set up a showdown against Slevin, and after the opening eight legs went with throw, Gawlas kicked off the decider with back-to-back 180s en route to wrapping up victory with a 14-dart break.
Event Two winner Slevin impressed in reaching his second final of the weekend, storming through to the last 16 for the loss of just three legs.
The 20-year-old averaged 96 and 97 in wins over Jurre Begard and Cam Crabtree, before following up a whitewash win over Danny Jansen with a 5-3 success against Rusty-Jake Rodriguez in the last eight.
Slevin sealed his spot in Sunday’s showpiece with another emphatic victory, averaging over 96 to account for Dutchman Levy Frauenfelder, who also made the Event 14 semi-finals on Saturday.
Frauenfelder defeated Pascal Rupprecht and Bradley Brooks in his run to the last four, while his compatriot Van der Velde dumped out Event 14 winner Jarred Cole and Nathan Rafferty to reach the same stage.
Former World Youth Champion Brooks was among the quarter-finalists in Hildesheim, with Rodriguez, Schlichting and Rafferty also featuring in the last eight.
Gian van Veen retains top spot on the Development Tour Order of Merit with £12,300, ahead of 16-year-old Luke Littler [£10,175] and Wessel Nijman [£8,925].
The top two players from the final 2023 Development Tour Order of Merit will win a PDC Tour Card for 2024-25 and a place in the 2023/24 World Darts Championship.
The 2023 Winmau Development Tour season continues next month, with Events 16-20 taking place at Leicester’s Morningside Arena from July 14-16.
The event draws and results are listed in the Match Centre.
Click here for match stats through DartConnect.
2023 Winmau Development Tour
Sunday June 11
Halle 39, Hildesheim
Event 15
Quarter-Finals
Adam Gawlas 5-2 David Schlichting
Jurjen van der Velde 5-2 Nathan Rafferty
Levy Frauenfelder 5-4 Bradley Brooks
Dylan Slevin 5-3 Rusty-Jake Rodriguez
Semi-Finals
Adam Gawlas 5-4 Jurjen van der Velde
Dylan Slevin 5-2 Levy Frauenfelder
Final
Adam Gawlas 5-4 Dylan Slevin