Jamie Caven moved up into the qualifying places for this year’s Unibet European Championship after winning his first round match in the Austrian Darts Open tonight.
The 40-year-old thrashed Justin Pipe 6-1 at the Multiversum Schwechat in Vienna earlier this evening, and will now face Dave Chisnall in the last 32 tomorrow.
The win also propelled Caven provisionally into the top 32 of the order of merit for October’s European Championship, with qualification for this year’s tournament based solely on prize money won in the 10 European Tour events during the season.
Brendan Dolan currently holds the 32nd and last qualifying place, but following his 6-3 defeat to Jermaine Wattimena in Austria this afternoon it is expected he will finish the weekend out of the top 32.
Dimitri Van den Bergh and Steve Beaton were among the players to push themselves closer to the top 32 today, while Phil Taylor will look to make plenty of ground this weekend in what is his first appearance in the European Tour for two years.
The 16-time world champion gets his Austrian Darts Open campaign started tomorrow against Steve West, with the likes of Michael van Gerwen, Peter Wright and Michael Smith also set to begin their campaigns in Vienna tomorrow.
Race to qualify for the 2016 Unibet European Championship
up to and including 10.06.2016
Key: players in BOLD are still in the Austrian Darts Open
| Position | Name | Prize money |
| 1 | Michael van Gerwen | £81,500 |
| 2 | James Wade | £30,500 |
| 3 | Dave Chisnall | £27,000 |
| 4 | Peter Wright | £22,000 |
| 5 | Daryl Gurney | £15,000 |
| = | Mensur Suljovic | £15,000 |
| 7 | Ian White | £13,000 |
| 8 | Benito van de Pas | £12,500 |
| = | Michael Smith | £12,500 |
| 10 | Kim Huybrechts | £11,000 |
| 11 | Gary Anderson | £10,500 |
| = | Jelle Klaasen | £10,500 |
| 13 | Mervyn King | £9,500 |
| 14 | Simon Whitlock | £8,500 |
| = | Terry Jenkins | £8,500 |
| 16 | Adrian Lewis | £7,500 |
| = | Joe Cullen | £7,500 |
| 18 | Chris Dobey | £6,500 |
| = | James Richardson | £6,500 |
| = | Robert Thornton | £6,500 |
| 21 | Justin Pipe | £6,000 |
| = | Stephen Bunting | £6,000 |
| 23 | Alan Norris | £5,500 |
| = | Jermaine Wattimena | £5,500 |
| = | Kevin Painter | £5,500 |
| = | Max Hopp | £5,500 |
| = | Rowby-John Rodriguez | £5,500 |
| 28 | John Henderson | £5,000 |
| 29 | Devon Petersen | £4,500 |
| = | Gerwyn Price | £4,500 |
| = | Jamie Caven | £4,500 |
| 32 | Brendan Dolan | £4,000 |
| = | Cristo Reyes | £4,000 |
| 34 | Dimitri Van den Bergh | £3,500 |
| = | Dyson Parody | £3,500 |
| = | Steve Beaton | £3,500 |
| 37 | James Wilson | £3,000 |
| = | Joe Murnan | £3,000 |
| = | Jonny Clayton | £3,000 |
| = | Remco van Eijden | £3,000 |
| = | Rene Eidams | £3,000 |
| = | Ron Meulenkamp | £3,000 |
| = | Steve West | £3,000 |
| = | Vincent van der Voort | £3,000 |
| 45 | Christian Kist | £2,500 |
| = | Jamie Lewis | £2,500 |
| = | Jeffrey de Graaf | £2,500 |
| = | Josh Payne | £2,500 |
| = | Kyle Anderson | £2,500 |
| = | Mark Walsh | £2,500 |
| = | Mark Webster | £2,500 |
| = | Mike De Decker | £2,500 |
| = | Zoran Lerchbacher | £2,500 |
| 54 | Andree Welge | £2,000 |
| = | Andrew Gilding | £2,000 |
| = | Darren Johnson | £2,000 |
| = | Dave Pallett | £2,000 |
| = | Dirk van Duijvenbode | £2,000 |
| = | John Michael | £2,000 |
| = | Jyhan Artut | £2,000 |
| = | Mike Zuydwijk | £2,000 |
| = | Ritchie Edhouse | £2,000 |
| = | Ross Smith | £2,000 |
| = | Stuart Kellett | £2,000 |
| = | Wayne Jones | £2,000 |
| = | Willie O’Connor | £2,000 |
| 67 | Antonio Alcinas | £1,500 |
| = | Darren Webster | £1,500 |
| = | John Bowles | £1,500 |
| = | Kevin Thomas | £1,500 |
| = | Magnus Caris | £1,500 |
| = | Maik Langendorf | £1,500 |
| = | Mark Frost | £1,500 |
| = | Michael Rasztovits | £1,500 |
| = | Nick Fullwell | £1,500 |
| = | Nigel Heydon | £1,500 |
| = | Phil Taylor | £1,500 |
| = | Ronny Huybrechts | £1,500 |
| = | Ryan Harrington | £1,500 |
| = | Simon Stevenson | £1,500 |
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