Suffolk's Andrew Gilding on winning his first major darts title at the Cazoo UK Open on Sunday night

Andrew Gilding believes it was his nerveless approach that helped him to win his first major title at the Cazoo UK Open on Sunday night.

The 52-year-old, who lives in Bungay, near Harleston, went into the tournament known as ‘The FA Cup of Darts’ as a 200/1 outsider, but upset the odds to land the £110,000 top prize at the weekend.

The man nicknamed ‘Goldfinger’ beat world number three Michael van Gerwen 11-10 in the final, held at Butlin’s Minehead Resort and screened live on ITV, to win his first title on the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) circuit.

It was the former Walsham-le-Willows Sports Club thrower’s first appearance in a televised final, with a 13-dart leg against throw in the decider completing a memorable win which has moved him up to number 25 in the world rankings.

“It’s starting to sink in I suppose,” Gilding said.

“I’m trying my best not to get too excited about it, but people keep reminding me!

“When I lost in the final of the Euro Tour last year I said I’ll win the next one. I didn’t think I would.

“I honestly thought I’d have to go through the initiation process of missing a couple of match darts for a major like other players do, but somehow it went in.

“One of the keys to darts is to not think and just get up there and do it and play your game.

“You do all your hard work in practice to get ready for it and then you’ve just got to let them go.

“Obviously you’ve got to keep your head on for counting and stuff, but don’t think too much about the crowd or get nervous.

“I don’t know how to do it. It’s just experience I think. I was unbelievably calm (in the final).

“I’ve been up there before when my stomach’s turning over and you’ve got butterflies, but this time there wasn’t any.

“Even though the crowd was roaring and I could hear that I didn’t get that fluttery feeling any more.

“You’d expect it going for a winning dart for a major. You’d expect to get the wobbles a little bit, but it didn’t happen. Thanks!”

Gilding won back his tour card onto the PDC circuit at the start of 2021 and has enjoyed a meteoric rise over the last 12 months.

He reached three ranking finals, including a first on the European Tour, in the Belgian Darts Open, and finished last season with his first appearance back in the Cazoo World Darts Championship for six years.

‘Goldfinger’ came through a field of 158 players at the weekend to win not only his first major title, but a maiden tournament victory of any kind in the professional ranks, having lost in five previous finals on tour.

In front of a capacity crowd of 5,000 fans, van Gerwen went into the final as a heavy 1/12 favourite and started strongly, checking out 135 on the bull to take an early 2-0 lead.

But Gilding hit back and won four consecutive legs to edge in front, only for his Dutch opponent to return the favour with a similar run to open up a 6-4 advantage at the second interval.

From 9-7 behind, ‘Goldfinger’ claimed back-to-back legs to level up the final at 9-9, before the three-time world champion responded with a 170 finish to move a leg away at 10-9.

However, Gilding was unperturbed, pinning double 12 to force a last-leg decider, where he conjured up a brilliant five-visit leg on tops to seal a famous victory, after van Gerwen had missed double 16 for a match-winning 102 checkout for the title.