Priestley Does The Double!

DENNIS PRIESTLEY claimed a second tournament win in a week with a 6-3 victory over Andy Hamilton in the final of the PDC US Open.

Priestley followed up last Sunday's Canadian Players Championship triumph by taking the $12,000 title in Atlanta.

The 59-year-old was in top form throughout the day, restricting each of his six opponents to three legs or less in each match.

Following early wins over Stephen Panuncialman and Kevin McDine, he saw off both Andy Jenkins and Peter Manley 6-1, before overcoming Alan Tabern 6-2 in the semis, pulling clear from 3-2 to progress to the final.

There, he defeated Hamilton 6-3 to take the title, taking advantage of missed doubles to win the opening leg and then breaking throw to lead 2-0.

Hamilton took the third but was left waiting on a double in the next as Priestley took a 3-1 lead, which was extended further when he also won the fifth leg.

Stoke ace Hamilton took the next two to reduce the gap to one leg, but crucially was denied a dart at a double in the next after the pair traded maximums, with a 38 checkout putting Priestley a leg away from the title.

He then wrapped up the win after Hamilton twice missed his chances to keep the game alive to take the $12,000 winner's cheque and add yet another title to his roll of honour.

Hamilton's run took him to a third final of the year, and although he remains without a title in 2009 he takes home $6,000.

His victims on the day included Saturday's Atlanta Players Championship winner Colin Lloyd, who took him to a deciding leg, as well as in-form Wes Newton and Robert Thornton.

Newton, the runner-up to Priestley in Canada last week, reached the semis in continuing his bid to return to the world's top 32.

Former World Championship runner-up Kirk Shepherd's run to the quarter-finals was his best performance of 2009, as he included Jelle Klaasen amongst his victims.

World number two James Wade was a second round loser to Colin Monk, while recent Australian Open Players Championship winner Paul Nicholson went out at the first round stage to Mark Webster.

Co Stompe withdrew during his first round game after his son was taken ill.

PDC US Open
Preliminary Round

Ken MacNeil 6-0 Bill Penn
Scotty Burnett 6-0 Peter Schaumann
Chuck Pankow 6-2 Ron Peppers
Dan Lauby 6-2 Joseph Chaney
Jason Brandon 6-4 Joe Slivan
Bob Sinnaeve 6-0 Andries Sterk
Mark Webster 6-2 John Liggett
Ray Carver 6-3 Dennis Sayre Jnr
Peter Wright 6-1 Par Riihonen
Wayne Budgen 6-1 Keith Graham
Mark Venable 6-3 Jeff Todd
Brian Stamey 6-4 Joseph Swick
Ed DeBehnke 6-0 Leo J Ennis Jnr
Donnie Joe 6-0 Jared Gurman
Mark Nielsen 6-2 Adrian W Lewis
Daniel J Lauby II 6-4 Tom Jackowski
David Fatum 6-4 Co Stompe Jnr
Darin Young 6-3 Jim Newman
Bill Davis 6-4 Robert Watson-Lang
Dave Switzer 6-2 Chris Lawson
Steve Hine 6-4 Larry Butler
Dan Zimmerman 6-2 Tom Sheets

First Round
James Wade (1) 6-2 Ken MacNeil
Colin Monk (32) 6-5 Scotty Burnett
Jelle Klaasen (16) 6-2 Joe DaVanti
Kirk Shepherd (17) 6-4 Chuck Pankow
Colin Osborne (8) 6-3 Bryan de Hoog
Steve Beaton (25) 6-1 Dan Lauby
Mark Walsh (9) 6-4 Robert Sharpless
Wes Newton (24) 6-4 Jason Brandon
Colin Lloyd (5) 6-5 Bob Sinnaeve
Mark Webster 6-4 Paul Nicholson (28)
Andy Hamilton (12) 6-3 Gordon Dixon
Barrie Bates (21) 6-4 Ray Carver
Ronnie Baxter (4) 6-5 Peter Wright
Steve Maish (29) 6-2 Wayne Budgeon
Robert Thornton (13) 6-1 Dave Thibault
Tony Eccles (20) 6-0 Mark Venable
John Part (2) 6-1 Brian Stamey
Dennis Smith (31) 6-0 Ed DeBehnke
Peter Manley (15) 6-0 Greg Evans
Donny Joe Bye (Co Stompe (18) withdrew)
Dennis Priestley (7) 6-2 Stephen Panuncialman
Kevin McDine (26) 6-3 Mark Nielsen
Wayne Mardle (10) 6-1 John Steinhoffer
Andy Jenkins (23) 6-3 Daniel J Lauby II
Alan Tabern (6) 6-4 David Fatum
Matt Clark (27) 6-4 Darin Young
Kevin Painter (11) 6-3 Isen Veljic
Jamie Caven (22) 6-0 Bill Davis
Terry Jenkins (3) 6-4 Dave Switzer
Steve Hine 6-1 Gary Mawson (30)
Denis Ovens (14) 6-0 David Whitt
Roland Scholten (19) 6-2 Dan Zimmerman
Losers $200

Second Round
Colin Monk 6-2 James Wade
Kirk Shepherd 6-3 Jelle Klaasen
Steve Beaton 6-2 Colin Osborne
Wes Newton 6-5 Mark Walsh
Colin Lloyd 6-3 Mark Webster
Andy Hamilton 6-3 Barrie Bates
Steve Maish 6-5 Ronnie Baxter
Robert Thornton 6-5 Tony Eccles
Dennis Smith 6-4 John Part
Peter Manley 6-1 Donny Joe
Dennis Priestley 6-3 Kevin McDine
Andy Jenkins 6-2 Wayne Mardle
Alan Tabern 6-4 Matt Clark
Jamie Caven 6-1 Kevin Painter
Terry Jenkins 6-2 Steve Hine
Denis Ovens 6-4 Roland Scholten
Losers $400

Third Round
Kirk Shepherd 6-2 Colin Monk
Wes Newton 6-2 Steve Beaton
Andy Hamilton 6-5 Colin Lloyd
Robert Thornton 6-2 Steve Maish
Peter Manley 6-1 Dennis Smith
Dennis Priestley 6-1 Andy Jenkins
Alan Tabern 6-5 Jamie Caven
Terry Jenkins 6-3 Denis Ovens
Losers $800

Quarter-Finals
Wes Newton 6-2 Kirk Shepherd
Andy Hamilton 6-1 Robert Thornton
Dennis Priestley 6-1 Peter Manley
Alan Tabern 6-0 Terry Jenkins
Losers $1,600

Semi-Finals
Andy Hamilton 6-2 Wes Newton
Dennis Priestley 6-2 Alan Tabern
Losers $3,200

Final
Dennis Priestley 6-3 Andy Hamilton
Winner $12,000
Runner-Up $6,000