Michael Unterbuchner and Jurjen van der Velde shared the spoils as the final weekend of 2025 Winmau Challenge Tour action began in Wigan on Saturday.
Saturday’s double-header saw over 140 players battling it out at the Robin Park Leisure Centre, and it was Unterbuchner who kicked off proceedings with Event 21 success.
The German defeated Peter Burgoyne 5-3 to scoop the £2,500 top prize, overturning an early deficit to boost his hopes of qualifying for this year’s Paddy Power World Darts Championship.
Unterbuchner was rarely troubled on his way to glory, with a 5-2 victory against his compatriot Daniel Klose sandwiched between five-leg demolitions of James Howard Hughes and Kevin Burness.
Following successive 5-2 wins against Shane McGuirk and Sam Spivey, Unterbuchner then averaged 101.86 to complete a deciding-leg victory over rising star Charlie Manby, which he sealed with a superb 12-dart hold.
World Youth Championship runner-up Van der Velde then took centre stage in Event 22, landing a nine-darter on his way to a third Challenge Tour crown.
The talented Dutchman produced perfection in his semi-final success against Germany’s Klose, before averaging 99.97 to topple former European Tour winner Jamie Hughes in an entertaining final.
Earlier in the event, Van der Velde edged out Scotland’s former World Cup winner John Henderson, while also seeing off Steve West, Carl Wilson and Jack Tweddell to celebrate his first Challenge Tour title since September 2022.
Former World Youth Champion Ted Evetts also produced perfection on a thrilling day of action, landing a nine-darter in the last 16 of his Event 22 tussle against Christopher Wickenden.
Attention now turns to a decisive double-header on Sunday, as the 2025 Winmau Challenge Tour season culminates with Events 23 and 24 at the Robin Park Leisure Centre.
The top two players from the final Challenge Tour rankings will secure a PDC Tour Card for 2026/27, with the top three players earning qualification for the 2025/26 Paddy Power World Darts Championship.
Lithuania's Darius Labanauskas currently boasts a £950 lead over Switzerland's Stefan Bellmont at the top of the Challenge Tour rankings, with Evetts a further £400 adrift in third spot.
Dutchman Jamai van den Herik - who has already confirmed his World Championship qualification - occupies fourth position, ahead of Mervyn King and Unterbuchner in fifth and sixth respectively.
Click here to view Event Draws & Results.
Match stats from all events are available through DartConnect.
2025 Winmau Challenge Tour
Saturday October 25
Robin Park Leisure Centre, Wigan
Event 21
Quarter-Finals
Peter Burgoyne 5-1 Scott Campbell
Jamie Hughes 5-2 Oliver Mitchell
Michael Unterbuchner 5-2 Sam Spivey
Charlie Manby 5-3 David Davies
Semi-Finals
Peter Burgoyne 5-2 Jamie Hughes
Michael Unterbuchner 5-4 Charlie Manby
Final
Michael Unterbuchner 5-2 Peter Burgoyne
Event 22
Quarter-Finals
Jurjen van der Velde 5-2 Jack Tweddell
Daniel Klose 5-0 Ted Evetts
David Pallett 5-2 Daniel Astbury
Jamie Hughes 5-1 Nathan Potter
Semi-Finals
Jurjen van der Velde 5-2 Daniel Klose
Jamie Hughes 5-3 David Pallett
Final
Jurjen van der Velde 5-2 Jamie Hughes
Nine-Darters!
Ted Evetts hit a nine-darter in his last 16 tie against Christopher Wickenden in Event 22.
Jurjen van der Velde hit a nine-darter in his semi-final tie against Daniel Klose in Event 22.