Irish amateur Michael Flynn pulled off a huge upset by sending three-time world champion Michael van Gerwen home from the Players Championship 3 in Rosmalen.
The Limerick native, himself a social care worker, had minimal preparation as a series of withdrawals saw him belatedly added to the tournament on Sunday, February 16.
Regardless, he managed to stay composed and swipe MVG to one side in the first round.
Flynn came through with a 6-5 win in the best of 11 format before eventually bowing out in the last 64 against Tytus Kanik of Poland.
It was a memorable moment for the 32-year-old, who admitted he had been in good form coming into the match.
Flynn told BBC: "MVG wasn’t the name you want to see as your first opponent – you’d hope for an easier game.
"I knew my form was good coming into the tournament but to beat a three-time world champion is a massive moment in my career."
Flynn added: "When you are playing someone like Van Gerwen you have to tune in from the get-go. It kind of opened my eyes to the professional circuit, the standard you have to be at from the off if you want to get a win.
"It will give me confidence moving forward and shows me my game is there if I can continue it and take it back to the Challenge Tour."
Van Gerwen last won the World Darts Championship in 2019, while the most recent edition saw him lose out in the final against teen sensation Luke Littler.
*This article was originally published on Extra.ie.
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