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PDC Qualifying School annually makes dreams a reality and this year was no different, with comebacks being completed, history being created and plenty of shocks and surprises transpiring along the way.
A total of 27 players either gained or regained their tour cards – 15 of those securing professional status for the first time in their careers – following seven days of gruelling, intense happenings from Milton Keynes and Kalkar simultaneously.
The main stories from the opening phase were Wesley Plaisier failing to progress and Christopher Wickenden needing a 170 checkout from Adam Atkinson to advance after losing 5-0 himself, although five incredible storylines occurred in particular during the final stage.
The return of the King
Nobody knew with any degree of certainty how an Australian once dubbed as a future world champion would perform on his anticipated return, although Corey Cadby reaffirmed his credentials and caused those in the world’s elite to take note as he regained his professional status.
Cadby stormed through European Qualifying School five years ago on the opening day. It wasn’t quite as convincing this time around, but his 95.16 tournament average and sensational scoring on Friday afternoon provided plenty of promise as he won the day outright.
The 2016 world youth champion, who’s most renowned for beating Phil Taylor on only his second televised appearance, recorded a 101.13 average in denying Karel Sedlacek at the final hurdle. It was his third ton-plus average of the afternoon, supplying evidence that his undeniable talents haven’t waned.
Cadby captured his maiden ranking accolade and reached the UK Open final only two months into his first stint on the professional circuit, before problems away from the oche led to him returning to his native Tasmania. Having insisted that he’s learnt from those mistakes, the Aussie’s capabilities are endless as he opens his second chapter.
Rupprecht comes from nowhere
Pascal Rupprecht unequivocally raised a few eyebrows during his Qualifying School debut, which was in fact his maiden appearance in any form of PDC tournament. The 22-year-old from Germany was one of the most consistent performers in Kalkar despite his obscured inexperience.
Rupprecht became aware of Q School little more than six months ago when he began playing local competitions in Germany. His initial taste of darts outside his native country will be on the professional circuit when the opening Players Championship weekend takes place from February 11-12.
Bielefeld’s Rupprecht recorded a rolling average of 90.53 across his six days, although it was a string of results on Friday afternoon which showcased his attributes. He defeated Richard Veenstra, Gian van Veen and Owen Roelofs one after another, having already averaged in excess of the 100 mark against Alex Spellman.
It’s often challenging to not get carried away when a young talent emerges onto the scene and shows their ability. Rupprecht is a trained member of the German police force back home, with the youngster now needing to manage that as well as a professional darts career.
Perez and Labre create history
French presence on the professional circuit has been a few years in the making. Many believed Lakeside World Championship runner-up Thibault Tricole would be the first to achieve the feat, although his good friend Jacques Labre pipped him to the post and rewrites the history books in the process.
Labre was a champion on the PDC Challenge Tour last season alongside Tricole and the Paris thrower continued his fantastic form into Qualifying School, with his accomplishments in recent months surely meaning France are included in June’s World Cup of Darts.
Tricole clocked the second-highest rolling average at European Q School of those who were unable to secure a tour card and actually averaged higher than his successful countryman. Nonetheless, it will be Labre representing France this season, and he has every reason to feel immense pride.
Christian Perez, meanwhile, becomes the first Filipino thrower to secure professional status following his fairytale campaign. You could sense what the occasion meant to him in an interview that encapsulated the essence of Qualifying School, with the Asian champion struggling to hold back the tears.
Having turned down an invitation to the Bahrain Darts Masters in favour of an attempt to obtain professional status, Perez enjoyed a nine-match winning streak to commence his campaign but needed a last-ditch two points on the final day to clinch his tour card.
Perez was crowned the Asian champion in September, therefore sealing a Grand Slam of Darts debut and a first World Championship appearance in eight years. Now, the Filipino has the opportunity to juggle the PDC ProTour with the PDC Asian Tour back home.
Eleventh-hour for Smith-Neale
Adam Smith-Neale may well be one of the most detested players amongst the darting fraternity due to schemes he’s pulled off away from the oche, although there’s no denying his achievement on Sunday afternoon was quite something.
The former World Masters champion was without a point to his name heading into the final day, needing to win outright to seal his tour card. He recorded a 93.58 tournament average and miraculously prevailed, converting six ton-topping checkouts during his sensational afternoon.
Smith-Neale has a reputation to somehow reconcile as one of the most widely detested players on the planet. His opening few months will provide an understanding into how he will deal with the situation because the professional tour could become a lonely place.
Whitehead’s woes
Almost everybody wanted the Adam Smith-Neale to be beaten in Sunday’s decider against Nick Kenny, not only due to his aforementioned unpopularity but also because him losing would have guaranteed Conan Whitehead a debut on the professional circuit.
Whitehead was beaten in the opening round in the final tournament in an under par performance, later realising that he would have gained his tour card had he opted against entering the last day. He obviously couldn’t risk withdrawing when bearing in mind the amount of players that could have overtaken him, but not playing would have been beneficial in hindsight.
In addition, there were plenty of scenarios which went against the Whitehead throughout the afternoon. Christian Perez losing 6-5 instead of 6-4 in the fourth round, Callum Goffin surviving multiple match darts in the quarter-finals and Smith-Neale beating Nick Kenny in the final – any of those unfolding differently and Whitehead would be a tour card holder.
