Team 360 Roundup - W/E 20th August 2023

A quartet of our Team360 members qualified for the World Youth Championship following the final batch of Development Tours. Riley Rees-Tucker, Keelan Kay, Connor Hopkins and Jurjen Van der Velde were among the 96 to reach the prestigious youth event in Milton Keynes. 

Rees-Tucker and Hopkins have both enjoyed successful seasons on the PDC Development Tour but weren’t able to round it off with a win, despite group stage losses in MK, it has been a fantastic season for the Welsh duo.

Kay was also on the end of two defeats in his group stage matches, tour card holder Adam Gawlas an Swedish qualifier, Viktor Tingstrom both produced high averages to see off Kay.

There was however some success for Jurjen van der Velde. The Dutch youngster averaged 100 in one of his two group stage wins, meaning he would reach the knockout stages. He would defeat Yorkshire’s Charlie Manby in the last 32 before eventually losing out to Jacob Gwynne in the last 16.

Cayden Smith was also in Buckinghamshire to round off his dev tour season, and produced some of his best runs of the season. Smith would average 81 in defeating Aaron Buckley as he reached the last 64 on two occasions throughout the weekend.  

There were mixed results for the trio of Rees-Tucker, Hopkins and Kay, but some more promising performances from Van der Velde, who troubled the last 32, and will look to take the positives back into his Pro Tour form.  

Away from the Development Tour, Adam Dee was getting his eye in on the ADC Vault scene. He produced a 97 average in reaching the final, but unfortunately ran out of steam in what has been a gruelling evening of action.