CLAYTON OUT TO CEMENT WORLD SERIES SPOT

JONNY CLAYTON is looking to prove he is a mainstay on the World Series circuit. 

‘The Ferret’ survived two match darts as he edged Darius Labanauskas 6-5 at the Nordic Masters to enter the quarter-final on Saturday. 

The Welshman hit a brilliant 170 checkout and averaged 97.36 to beat ‘Lucky D’. 

World No. 5 Clayton marked a return to the tour after a two-year absence.  

Four-times major winner Clayton reflected on his return to the global stage and the motivation driving him this season. 

He said: “Yeah it’s brilliant and nice to be back apart of world darts.  

“I felt as if I had to prove to everyone again that I can play darts and this year seems to be going okay.  

“You’re sat at home one minute watching other dart players playing the game that you love. 

“All of a sudden you get a phone call to say you are back in so I need to prove what I am worth.” 

Clayton has been in stellar form and boasts the second the second-highest checkout percentage (44.05 %) on tour this year.

The 50-year-old clinched his third European Tour crown last month at the Dutch Darts Championship.  

It capped off a red-hot run for Clayton who also scooped the Players Championship 14 in Rosmalen in April.