Teemu Harju wins the first PDC Nordic and Baltic Championships as Oskar Lukasiak confirms World Championship debut

Teemu Harju came out on top in the first PDC Nordic and Baltic Championship, producing a dominant display in the final to fend off Edwin Torbjornsson 8-2. This result also has subsequent consequences for the World Championships later this year.

The top 24 darters in the PDC Nordic and Baltic rankings would lock horns in Copenhagen looking to make a name for themselves and take home a title in the process. There were big names at the event, with the likes of Cor Dekker, Darius Labanauskas, Marko Kantele, Andreas Harryson, and Daniel Larsson all targeting glory in the Danish capital.

The Finnish star began his campaign with an ominous 6-1 victory over Par Riihonen, before taking down recent Euro Tour finalist Dekker 6-4. He would back this up with a 7-6 win over Johan Engstrom. The Swede almost produced a mesmerising comeback, finding a brace of 12 darters and a 14 darter to obliterate a 6-3 deficit to force a last-leg decider, which Harju did not squander.

This set up a final showdown against Swede Torbjornsson, who had was involved in a lot of close battles. He overcame Neils Heinsoe (6-5), Valters Melderis (6-5), Anton Lostlund (6-5), and Larsson (7-6).

Harju fell behind in the first set, before going on the win five legs on the bounce and put his opponent under the kosh. Torbjonsson managed to get another leg on the board, but he was no match for the Finland's World Cup star, who wrapped up the match with checkouts of 80, 81, and 78 to become the inaugural winner of the event.

For a lot of the players, this was a golden opportunity to get themselves on the plane to Alexander Palace later this year, with the winner reaping that reward. However, with certain names already qualified, Oskar Lukasiak was waiting in the wings in case it fell his way.

On the oche, it did not go well, losing in his opening match to Mindaugas Barauskas 6-2. He would now have to rely on one of the top two in the Nordic and Baltic rankings to win the event, opening up a spot for him with the Swede sitting third in the standings.

Harryson and Harju were sat first and second, and despite averaging 99 and 98 in his two matches, Dirty Harry was dumped out of the competition in the quarter-finals, losing to a sublime Larsson who raked up a 103.36 average, the only ton+ average of the event.

Lukasiak's hopes were now on Harju, who would inevitably go on to win the competition. This means that Lukasiak will join his compatriots to Ally Pally in December for the very first time.