Dave Marland and Raymond O’Donnell will both return to the World Series of Darts stage this year as they respectively secured entries into the Queensland and NSW Darts Masters in the PDC 2022 World Series of Darts competition.
For O’Donnell he returns to the stage for the first time since Melbourne 2018 when he came within two legs of pulling off a shot defeat of Raymond van Barneveld. He qualified by defeating Team Rebel’s Stuart Coburn in the final of the Monday day event at the Warilla Bowls and Recreation Club.
“I am a bit shocked, to be honest I did not even realise that was the final. It will be amazing to get back on the stage once more. I played well today but this is a great bunch of people and such good players. I will keep doing what I have been doing and try to treat this like a normal competition. I will also try to use what I learnt last time to make the most of this opportunity.”
Marland’s victory was his second in the space of five days and means he will be on the stage twice in a week. He defeated Joe Comito in the final to make the Queensland Darts Masters field.
“I am a bit in shock with this one. I love playing at Warilla, it has been very good to me. I don’t have words for all the success this week. I can take from this I have the ability to win one competition and then refocus and take out another. I am going to make the most of these opportunities but this feeling is incredible.”
Both fields are almost full because as with Marland over the weekend Haupai Puha qualified in New Zealand for the Queensland and NSW Darts Masters, having taken victories over Jimmy Samuels (for NSW Darts Master position) and Ben Robb (for Queensland Darts Masters position.)
“The things that excites me the most about returning to the World Series stage would have to be to see if my game has improved after the amount of work I have put in. What better way to test this than against the best and on the world stage. It has been a few years since I have played in the World Series events in Australia but I can say since then I have learnt that preparation is the key. Damon Heta said to my on my recent trip to the UK it is better to be over prepared than under prepared so I will be at the venue early, give myself enough to relax and get comfortable being around the professionals and get through my practice routine.”
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