TOP Irish darts player Shane McGuirk has moved one step closer to gaining his professional PDC Tour Card after storming through the opening day of Q-School in the UK.
Monaghan man McGuirk, the 2024 WDF world champion, showed just why he is considered one of the best players in the game without a PDC tour card by qualifying for the final stages of Q-School with two days to spare.
The 30-year-old edged out another former world champion, veteran Steve Beaton (61), to claim his spot in the final stages from Thursday.
McGuirk's 5-4 victory over Beaton means he can now sit out the next two days of qualifying action in Milton Keynes.
His win over Beaton was one of five victories in total for McGuirk, who had earlier defeated Englishmen Michael Finch, Kevin McDine and Justin Bradshaw, as well as Mark Warburton of Wales, to claim one of the automatic qualifying spots for the final stages.
It was also a good day for McGuirk's fellow Irish players, Damien Grimes of Louth and Killian McCormack from Dublin.
Both also came within a whisker of securing their automatic spots in the final stages by winning four games each on the opening day.
Grimes, the reigning INDO Inter Counties champion, was in particularly good form, averaging an impressive 102.66 in a 5-3 victory over Scotland's Danny Trueman.
However he fell at the final hurdle for automatic qualification as he lost out to England's Simon Stevenson, with McCormack also losing out at the same stage to Derek Coulson of Wales.
Both will be confident of progressing to the final stages, however, as just another couple of wins for both over the next two days should see them finish high up the Q-School Order of Merit table.
Waterford's Paddy Quinn will also be hopeful of progressing after he made it to the last 64 today with three impressive wins. before he was defeated by an inspired Charlie Larges, who averaged just 103 in defeating him 5-3.
Elsewhere, Wexford's Jack Farragher, Kerry's Dale McCarthy, Carlow's Niall Culleton and Meath's Neilie Brouder and Keith Rooney are also sitting well on the Order of Merit table after picking up some big wins today.
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