Atkins fails to land PDC Tour Card

Each day, the four sixth-round winners were handed a Tour Card, with the top eight best-performing players over the four days also gaining entry to the PDC Tour alongside the likes of Phil Taylor and Raymond van Barneveld.

Atkins, who reached the last 64 of the World Masters in October, was knocked out in the third round on days one and three of the four-day event in Wigan and bowed out in the second round on the other two days.

Fellow Leamington Superleague player Sam Poland, 18, meanwhile suffered four first-round exits.

All is not lost for the duo, however, with the players who missed out on winning a Tour Card retaining associate membership of the PDPA for 2013, meaning they can compete in all eight UK Open qualifiers alongside the European Tour qualifying events this year, as well as the World Championship PDPA qualifier in November.