Dirk van Duijvenbode suffered a frustrating exit at the Players Championship Finals in Minehead, where a disputed call over one of his final darts added confusion to his first-round defeat.
The Dutch player, already trailing 5-3 to Latvia’s Madars Razma, saw his last throw of the leg ruled invalid by the referee, moments before the match slipped away from him.
The incident occurred as Van Duijvenbode attempted to rescue the leg after missing two darts at double 10 to finish 20.
He followed those misses with a single 10 and a single five, leaving no immediate checkout but keeping slim hopes alive if Razma missed his shot at eight.
Instead of finishing conventionally, Van Duijvenbode’s final dart landed in treble eight.
Referee Charlie Corstorphine stepped in immediately, ruling that the dart would not count.
Approaching the board, he announced: “15 [scored]. That last dart does not count.”
Dirk van Duijvenbode was livid his throw didn't count
|PDCDARTS
Instead of finishing conventionally, Van Duijvenbode’s final dart landed in treble eight.
Referee Charlie Corstorphine stepped in immediately, ruling that the dart would not count.
Approaching the board, he announced: “15 [scored]. That last dart does not count.”
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Officials later clarified that Van Duijvenbode appeared to throw the dart sideways, a movement typically interpreted by referees as abandoning the turn rather than trying to add to the score.
The decision visibly unsettled the 33-year-old, who turned toward Corstorphine in disbelief and discussed the ruling with him and board official Scott Gibling.
Although no evidence suggested misconduct, Van Duijvenbode clearly disagreed with the interpretation, pointing at the referee and shaking his head as he left the oche.
Razma maintained his composure throughout the interruption and soon sealed a 6-3 victory by hitting double four.
Dirk van Duijvenbode pictured at last year's World Darts Championship
|PA
Van Duijvenbode did return to the officials after the match, speaking animatedly while seeking clarification, before exchanging what appeared to be courteous parting gestures with them.
Statistically, the Dutchman’s disappointment was compounded by the narrow margins of the match.
Despite losing, he actually posted a higher average of 89.51 compared with Razma’s figure.
However, the Latvian’s finishing proved far more efficient: he landed 54.55 per cent of his doubles, compared with Van Duijvenbode’s 37.5 per cent.
Razma’s highest checkout was just 32, but accuracy rather than scoring power proved decisive.
Van Duijvenbode leaves Minehead with an early exit and one of the tournament’s most talked-about moments, while Razma progresses after a steady if unspectacular display.