Lisa Ashton made darting history by becoming the first woman to progress through Qualifying School and secure a PDC Tour Card, as two-time BDO world champion Scott Waites and former Premier League star Andy Hamilton also sealed spots on the PDC circuit on Sunday.
Continue reading “Ashton makes history to secure place on PDC circuit”
Three-time world champion John Part has revealed that he will compete at Qualifying School next week in a bid to regain his place on the PDC circuit.
Continue reading “John Part reveals Qualifying School return!”
Jamie Hughes and Harry Ward were the first two players to secure automatic PDC Tour Cards on a dramatic opening day at 2019 PDC Qualifying School on Thursday afternoon. Continue reading “2019 UK Qualifying School – Day One Report!”
The 2018 PDC Qualifying Schools came to a dramatic close in Wigan and Hildesheim on Sunday afternoon, after a gruelling four days of qualification. Nevertheless, whilst there was joy for many players, there were also a host of high-profile names who failed to secure coveted PDC Tour Cards. Continue reading “Several big names suffer Q-School disappointment!”
Arron Monk, George Killington and Tytus Kanik were the three players to secure automatic PDC Tour Cards on another dramatic day of Qualifying School action in Wigan and Hildesheim on Saturday afternoon. Continue reading “PDC Qualifying Schools 2018: Day Three Report!”
The list of high-profile stars departing the BDO in order to compete at this week’s PDC Qualifying School continues, with Jamie Hughes and Darryl Fitton joining the likes of Danny Noppert, Jeff Smith and Tony O’Shea in switching allegiances. Continue reading “Hughes, Fitton & O’Shea join growing list of BDO departures!”
Former BDO World Championship finalists Danny Noppert and Jeff Smith have both confirmed that they will be attempting to secure PDC Tour Cards at Q-School later this month. Continue reading “Noppert & Jeff Smith to compete at PDC Q-School!”
Ting Chi Royden Lam, Richard North, Ritchie Edhouse and Maik Langendorf became the latest four players to secure PDC Tour Cards on day two at the 2017 Qualifying School at the Robin Park Tennis Centre in Wigan on Friday afternoon; a day which saw 423 players jostling it out for the chance to compete professionally on the PDC Pro Tour.
The first man to claim a tour card on Friday was Richard North, who competed on the PDC Challenge Tour last year. North reached round-five yesterday, before losing to eventual tour card winner Prakash Jiwa, but he defeated a host of experienced names to triumph and secure a place on the PDC Pro Tour for the very first time.
The Swindon star dropped just five legs in his opening four matches, as he defeated Stephen Butkeraitis, Mark Devon, Arjan Konterman and Mark Wilson. He then dumped out the experienced duo of Steve Hine and Antonio Alcinas, before edging past Scotland’s Jamie Bain 5-4 in his decisive last eight clash to seal his tour card.
Ting Chi Royden Lam stormed through Q-School on Friday afternoon to secure a tour card for the second time in his career. The Hong Kong ace previously triumphed at Q-School back in 2013 and replicated those heroics once again; dropping just eight legs throughout the course of his seven matches. Continue reading “2017 PDC Q-School: Day Two Report!”
Newly crowned Lakeside world champion Glen Durrant will remain a BDO player for at least the next twelve months, after confirming that he will aim to defend his World Championship title in January 2018.
The 46-year-old has dominated the BDO circuit for the last 18 months, having won successive World Masters crowns and twelve ranking titles in 2016. However, he finally achieved “the culmination of his dream” by defeating Dutch debutant Danny Noppert 7-3 to win his maiden world title at the Lakeside Country Club on Sunday evening.
Speculation was rife that Durrant would join up with his stablemates at the Sportsman Management Company, which includes the Premier League duo of Jelle Klaasen and Kim Huybrechts, as well as world number eight Mensur Suljovic, all of whom are managed by Mac Elkin.
Yet ‘Duzza’ put an end to speculation, confirming to local tv: “I’m delighted to say I’m going to stay on the BDO tour and I’ll be back at Lakeside next year to try and retain the title. I’m going to take a bit of time out now. If I was a car, I’d be running on empty. I need to recharge the batteries, whether that’s a month or three months out of the game, just whatever it takes.” Continue reading “Durrant opts to reject PDC switch but set for up to three month lay-off!”
Following the conclusion of the fourth and final day of Q-School at the Robin Park Tennis Centre in Wigan, where Ross Smith, Ryan Palmer, Yordi Meeuwisse and Vincent Kamphuis were the final four players to receive automatic tour-cards; the final Q-School Order of Merit list was finalised.
The Q-School Order of Merit awards tour-cards to a further 14 players; those of who amassed the most ranking points over the course of the four days.
The most high-profile player to secure a tour-card via the Q-School Order of Merit was a former UK Open finalist and a winner of multiple ranking events, Mark Walsh. Walsh was ranked first on the Order of Merit, after coming within one win of securing a tour-card on a couple of occasions this week.
Dennis Smith, a World Championship semi-finalist back in 2000, also reclaimed his tour-card via the Order of Merit, whilst World Championship preliminary qualifiers John Michael and Mick McGowan all secured their spots on the PDC Pro Tour until 2018.
Continue reading “Q-School- Tour Card holders and Final Q-School OOM”
Former BDO star Jeffrey de Graaf was the big name to secure an automatic PDC tour card on day three of Q-School at the Robin Park Tennis Centre, in Wigan. Another former BDO star, 2008 Lakeside semi-finalist Brian Woods, also secured a tour card alongside Tony Newell and Ray Campbell.
However, de Graaf, seeded third at this year’s Lakeside World Championships, was the most high profile qualifier on day three. The 25-year-old Dutchman had struggled to make an impression in the opening days, exiting in the last 256 yesterday; nevertheless, Jeffrey’s class shone through on Friday.
De Graaf began the afternoon with a comprehensive 5-0 whitewash victory over 1996 World Matchplay winner Peter Evison in the last 512. He then edged through a deciding leg against Simon Burt in the last 256, which was the closest he came to exiting.
Jeffrey defeated Lee Shewan and Jamie Bain to reach the last 32, before recording successive 5-2 victories over Scott Dale, and former UK Open finalist Mark Walsh, to move a match away from securing a tour-card. De Graaf faced Simon Preston in the decisive clash, and secured an emphatic 5-1 win to guarantee his spot on the PDC tour until 2018.
James Richardson was among one of the four players to secure tour-cards on day two at Q-School in Wigan on Thursday. Jonathan Worsley, Ted Evetts and Ryan Meikle also attained tour-cards, as qualifying school reaches its halfway point at the Robin Park Tennis Centre.
Richardson, who rose to prominence courtesy of a first-round World Championship victory over Five-Time world champion Raymond van Barneveld in December 2011, has endured a difficult few years on the circuit.
However, ‘Ruthless’ lived up to his nickname today, to guarantee his spot on the PDC Pro Tour until 2018. Richardson made a strong start to his campaign, dropping just three legs in defeating both Rhys Hayden and Damian Smith, to progress to the last 64.
Ross Smith, who recorded a nine-darter yesterday, awaited at this stage, but Richardson prevailed 5-3, before reaching the last eight, courtesy of successive deciding leg wins over Luke Woodhouse and Steve Brown.
John Bowles, Simon Stevenson, Andy Parsons and Ricky Williams were the four players to secure PDC tour cards on the opening day of 2016 Q-School, whilst Ross Smith also recorded a nine-darter, at the Robin Park Tennis Centre in Wigan.
Bowles was the most high-profile player to secure a tour-card on the opening day. The former rugby-league star, who came through Q-School in 2012, dropped just five legs in his opening three games, as he eased past the trio of Justin Broton, Fabian Herz and Colin Fowler.
He recorded an emphatic 5-1 victory over Harry Robinson in the last 32, before defeating Dick van Dijk 5-3 to set up a decisive clash against former Lakeside semi-finalist Brian Woods. Woods, who thrashed Steve Hine 5-1 in the last 16, couldn’t replicate this success against Bowles, with the Widnes star prevailing by a 5-2 scoreline to reclaim his card.
Former world number one Colin Lloyd will not be present on the PDC circuit in 2016, after opting against competing at Q-School. The 42-year-old, who dropped out of the world’s top 64 earlier last year, was initially on the list of provisional entrants, but he has since withdrawn his entry.
Lloyd has enjoyed an illustrious career in the PDC, but the pinnacle came between 2004-2005, where he won the World Grand Prix in 2004, before winning the World Matchplay in 2005. ‘Jaws’ has also won a multitude of ranking events, and was the number one ranked player in the PDC less than a decade ago.
Lloyd, a builder by trade, won his first title in 2002 at the Antwerp Open, and his career has gone from strength-to-strength from this point onwards . He competed in the inaugural staging of the 2005 Holsten Premier League, and was runner-up to a certain Phil Taylor.
Lloyd also reached the final of the International Darts League in 2006, whilst he’s been a semi-finalist in the PDC World Championships, the European Championships, the UK Open and the Las Vegas Desert Classic.
Former World finalists Peter Manley, Mark Dudbridge and Kirk Shepherd, as well as former BDO world number 3 Jeffrey De Graaf, will be among the field of 400 players competing to secure a PDC tour card at Q-School; after the full list of entries were confirmed on Monday evening.
The four day event, which takes place at the Robin Park Tennis Centre in Wigan from January 13th-16th, offers 16 automatic two-year tour cards, with the final four players remaining on each day securing a card.
Ranking points are awarded throughout the four days based on the overall finishing positions, and further tour cards are subsequently awarded based on the final standings on the Q-School Order of Merit.
Players who secure a tour card will be eligible to compete in all Players Championship events throughout the year. They will also be able to participate in UK Open qualifiers and European Tour qualifiers, with the potential incentive of qualifying for major TV events.