Qualifying School
At the start of the year, the PDC hosts the British and European Q-school or Qualifying School. This is where players aged 16 and up, who aren’t in the world’s top 64, get their shot to battle for a PDC Tour Card. Winning one of these golden tickets lets them compete in both big and small tournaments for two years, with the chance to climb the rankings and maybe even qualify for the big leagues. But here’s the catch, there are only a limited number of Tour Cards up for grabs and the whole thing goes down over a single, nerve-wracking week. Just ask Raymond van Barneveld, who in 2021 only secured his Tour Card on the very last day of Q-school… and then went on to win a Players Championship match the very next week. Talk about a comeback! During Q-school, there’s also an Order of Merit based on the results of the first three days, which helps determine who might snag one of the coveted Tour Cards. The winners of each of the four days automatically get a card, while the remaining spots are fought over on the final day. It’s like The Hunger Games, but with darts and slightly less running. May the odds (and your aim) be ever in your favor!