MICHAEL van Gerwen fell to a shock defeat to an Irish care worker in front of his home crowd.
Michael Flynn 32, defied the odds to beat the three-time world champion 6-5 in Monday’s first round of the third Players Championship.
Van Gerwen was beaten on home soil in Rosmalen, the Netherlands.
Flynn’s average of 92.41 in the match was lower than Van Gerwen’s 97.01 but he held his nerve at the crucial moments.
He works in social care in County Limerick in his day job and was only added to the PDC event’s entry list on Sunday morning.
His inclusion came after several late withdrawals from the tournament.
The last-minute phone call meant a three-hour dash by car from his home on the West coast of Ireland to Dublin airport.
Flynn told the BBC: “MVG wasn’t the name you want to see as your first opponent – you’d hope for an easier game.
“I knew my form was good coming into the tournament but to beat a three-time world champion is a massive moment in my career.”
Flynn – nicknamed ‘the Flyer’ – is ranked 11th on the Challenge Tour, which is used as a reserve list for Players Championship events.
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