CHARLES LOSPER has won the Emperors Palace PDC South African Open - earning himself a place in the PartyBets.com Grand Slam of Darts and Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship.
Losper came out on top in the richest ever tournament staged in South Africa, winning himself a minimum £8,000 in prize money for qualifying for the two major championships later this year.
He was the last man standing from a 155-player field at the Emperors Palace Casino in Johannesburg, with the tournament played in two stages.
Players intially threw for three hours to achieve a leg of 501 in the fewest number of darts, with Roshan Sivraman's 13-darter the best leg posted.
12 players played off for places in the last 16, before the knockout phase continued with the quarter-finals onwards being played on stage.
Wynand Havenga, the 2006 champion who reached the third round of the World Championship last Christmas, missed out on a place in the knockout stage after only being able to post a 17-dart leg on the day.
Losper had hit a 15-dart leg during stage one, and then overcame Sivraman 3-0 in the last 16, Malcolm Moses 3-1 in the quarter-finals and highly-fancied Paul Meyer by the same scoreline in the semis.
He then whitewashed Lodewyk Marais 4-0 in the final, punishing misses from his opponent in winning the first two legs to take command.
A 15-darter, including a neat 76 finish, put him to within a leg of the title, and he completed the victory in style with a 108 finish - hitting treble four, treble 20 and double 18.
Losper, Marais, Meyer and Mike Ryder all now progress to compete in Sunday's Emperors Palace South African Masters against the PDC's top four players.
Losper has drawn defending World Champion Raymond van Barneveld, while Ryder will take on Phil Taylor, Meyer faces Terry Jenkins and Marais will come up against Stan James World Matchplay champion James Wade.
Coverage is live on SuperSport in South Africa and Challenge TV in the UK from 8pm local time (7pm BST)
Emperors Palace South African Masters Draw & Bracket
Phil Taylor (1) v Mike Ryder
Terry Jenkins (4) v Paul Meyer
Raymond van Barneveld (2) v Charles Losper
James Wade (3) v Lodewyk Marais
Emperors Palace PDC SA Open
Stage One Leaderboard
| 13 | Roshan Sivraman |
| 14 | Gawie Roesstorff |
| Johan Spies | |
| Harry Theron | |
| Buks Vanstaden | |
| Francois de Villiers | |
| 15 | Jacques Coetzee |
| Lodewyk Marais | |
| Charles Losper | |
| Philip Eybers | |
| Lennasen Moodley | |
| Malcolm Moses | |
| Mike Ryder | |
| 16 | Angel Morgan |
| Tony Fisher | |
| Victor Smidt | |
| Paul Meyer | |
| Waleed Clayton | |
| Robbie Gertenbach | |
| Shawn Hogan | |
| Sean Smith | |
| Russell Mains | |
| Nolan Arendse | |
| Mark McMahon | |
| Clinton Prime |
Stage Two Results
Last 16 Play-Off
Round One
Clinton Prime 3-2 Mark McMahon
Victor Smidt 3-1 Robbie Gertenbach
Tony Fisher 3-2 Waleed Clayton
Paul Meyer 3-1 Nolan Arendse
Angel Morgan 3-2 Sean Smith
Shawn Hogan 3-0 Russell Mains
Round Two
Victor Smidt 3-2 Clinton Prime
Paul Meyer 3-2 Tony Fisher
Shawn Hogan 3-2 Angel Morgan
Last 16
Buks Vanstaden 3-0 Lennasen Moodley
Lodewyk Marais 3-0 Philip Eybers
Francois de Villiers 3-2 Jacques Coetzee
Mike Ryder 3-2 Gawie Roesstorff
Malcolm Moses 3-2 Victor Smidt
Charles Losper 3-0 Roshan Sivraman
Shawn Hogan 3-2 Johan Spies
Paul Meyer 3-0 Harry Theron
Losers R3,000
Quarter-Finals
Lodewyk Marais 3-2 Buks Vanstaden
Mike Ryder 3-1 Francois de Villiers
Charles Losper 3-1 Malcolm Moses
Paul Meyer 3-0 Shawn Hogan
Losers R5,000
Semi-Finals
Lodewyk Marais 3-2 Mike Ryder
Charles Losper 3-1 Paul Meyer
Losers R7,500
Final
Charles Losper 4-0 Lodewyk Marais
Winner receives place in PartyBets.com Grand Slam of Darts, plus place in Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship (each worth min. £4,000) plus flights & accommodation
Loser R15,000