Michael van Gerwen took matters into his own hands after being frustrated with a refereeing decision in the UK Open qualifiers.
The heated incident took place when the Dutchman faced off against Darren Webster in the final of the competition’s second qualifying event in 2018.
Michael van Gerwen is a three-time PDC world championGettyWith the score at 2-2, Webster threw what looked to be a 140, only for one of his darts to fall from the board as he went to collect them.
It was initially unclear whether the Englishman had dropped his dart after having it in his hand, or if it had fallen from the board beforehand.
The latter outcome would have meant that Webster’s throw was invalid, therefore reducing his outcome to 80.
Given that this would have made a significant difference to the score in a tight game, Van Gerwen immediately questioned the decision.
Footage shows ‘Mighty Mike’ staring at the match official with a curious look on his face, appearing to suggest he should reconsider his call.
And it wasn’t just the darts star who seemed unconvinced here, with the commentator also acknowledging the controversial moment.
They can be heard saying: “Now that fell out the board, and there’s a quizzical look from Michael van Gerwen.
“Does that register as a score? Did he have the darts in his hand?
“Now you have to retrieve your darts from the board for the score to count.”
Despite this, the referee refused to change his mind, who explained to Van Gerwen: “”Michael, he had the darts in his hand as he’s pulled it out.”
Credit: YouTube: @michaelvangerwen8953 Darren Webster threw a 140, but then found himself picking up one of his darts off the floor[/caption] Credit: YouTube: @michaelvangerwen8953 Van Gerwen then questioned whether Webster’s initial score should still stand[/caption] Credit: YouTube: @michaelvangerwen8953 The referee was forced to defend his decision, with the Dutchman unconvinced[/caption]But Van Gerwen disagreed, gesturing in frustration before snapping back: “He didn’t have the three darts in his hand.”
The scorer continued to overrule the player, as he insisted: “Michael, he had a hand on his darts.”
This wasn’t enough to convince Van Gerwen, who refused to let the potentially game-changing call go, leading to the tournament director becoming involved.
As a result, play was briefly suspended, before the director ultimately allowed the referee’s initial decision to stand.
However, none of this managed to effect Van Gerwen, who later went on to break throw with an 86 checkout to take a 4-2 lead.
Webster managed to get one more leg on the board, but could do little to stop his world number one-ranked opponent, who went on to seal a 6-3 victory with a brilliant 106 checkout.
GettyDarren Webster is a two-time PDC World Championship quarter-finalist[/caption]The result saw Van Gerwen claim his second UK Open qualifier crown in a row, while it also marked his 100th PDC career singles title.
This rounded off a dominant campaign for the three-time world champion, who beat the likes of Dimitri Van den Bergh and long-time rival Peter Wright to set up his final victory in Wigan.
But Van Gerwen would not add any further titles to his collection in his next qualifier appearance, before suffering disappointment in the UK Open itself.
He exited the tournament in the third round after losing 8-10 to Jeffrey de Zwaan, ending his bid for a third title.
Despite this, Van Gerwen still enjoyed plenty more success in 2018, going on to win a fourth Premier League title later in May, before triumphing at the World Grand Prix in October.
And the Dutch star would finally get his hands on a third UK Open title in 2020, beating Gerwyn Price 11-9 in a thrilling final.
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