THE top seven players from the 2012 PDC Unicorn Youth Tour Order of Merit will all be PDC Tour Card Holders in 2013.
The success of the ever-growing PDC Unicorn Youth Tour has been reflected in the progression of players not only in the events for players aged 14-21 but also with the development on the senior circuit of the likes of Arron Monk, Michael Smith and James Hubbard.
Smith won a Players Championship in January 2012 and went on to compete in the Betfair World Matchplay, PartyPoker.com World Grand Prix and Ladbrokes World Championship.
Monk, who topped the PDC Unicorn Youth Tour Order of Merit, won through the group stages of the William Hill Grand Slam of Darts, while Hubbard qualified for the World Matchplay, Grand Slam of Darts and World Championship following his World Youth Championship triumph.
Jamie Lewis, who finished fourth on the Youth Tour Order of Merit and qualified for his World Championship debut, was joined by Keegan Brown in winning Tour Cards at Qualifying School 12 months ago.
Their success means that Chris Aubrey and Josh Payne, who finished fifth and seventh on the 2012 Youth Tour Order of Merit, also receive two-year Tour Cards to turn professional.
By virtue of finishing first and second, Monk and Smith also receive their entry fees paid for PDC ProTour events during 2013.