ROB OWEN fought back tears of joy after successfully maintaining his tour card with a thrilling comeback win over Ricky Evans.

The 40-year-old Welsh player rallied from a 2-1 deficit to triumph over Rapid Ricky with a score of 4-2, paving the way for an upcoming match against Callan Rydz.

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This victory also confirmed his place on the PDC Tour for the 2025 season.

Owen has been juggling his darts career while working as a delivery driver for Iceland since last year.

Ranked as world No.77 and known by the nickname Stack Attack, Owen is making his mark at Ally Pally.

He is now just four victories away from clinching the world title and the opportunity to compete for a £500,000 prize pot.

Having reached the fourth round, he has already secured £35,000, and the emotion was evident following his win over Evans.

Owen remarked: “The last match felt like the most significant of my life, but this one truly is! Ricky is such a wonderful person and an exceptional player…

“Can I say it now? I have RETAINED MY TOUR CARD! LET’S GO.”

He also noted that he is expected back at work on Monday but intends to take some time off.

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Owen continued: “This is monumental for me and my family – retaining my Tour card is incredibly significant and gives me great relief.

“Now I can take a deep breath, enjoy myself, and when I’m relaxed, I play my finest darts.”

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“I’m supposed to be back at work at 12:30 tomorrow, but I hope my bosses understand that I won’t be coming in.

“I don’t think they have much of a choice, but they are very encouraging about my darts career.”

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