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After hitting the perfect nine in the very first event, Noel Malicdem finally got his first win on the Asian Tour in Japan. Professional Darts Asia
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MANILA--After receiving opening round byes, Royden Lam and Noel Malicdem brushed aside their respective foes to win the PDC Asian Tour events as it made its midpoint in Kobe, Japan this past weekend.
Lam's 5-3 win over hometown bet Seigo Asada in event five made him the new Order of Merit leader with the absence of Lourence Ilagan benefited the top darter from Hong Kong, with the trio already assured of their spots in the Shanghai Darts Masters next month.
The Wolf averaged 87 for the day, including a 91.4 in the final over The Ninja and threw two maximums in the process to pick up his second US$3,600 cheque, overtaking the Gunner by US$980 on top of the money list.
Malicdem missed out on the incentive to play in one of the World Series of Darts events by just US$300 after he was ousted by Kazuki Higane the last 16 on Saturday, but the nine-dart hitting Gentle Giant will not be denied the following day, whitewashing Daisuke Akamatsu by five legs to none to tighten his grip on the fourth and final spot in the prestigious World Championship.
He had to survive a last-leg decider against the darts from Tsz-on Yu in the third round before going on a rampage at the oche, conceding a total of four legs the rest of the way to get his first win on the tour and become the second Filipino to win a PDC event after Ilagan did the Macau double last April.
The PDC Asian Tour makes its next stop in Malaysia by August and Taiwan the following month before concluding the inaugural circuit with an October doubleheader at the Crowne Plaza Galleria in Pasig.
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