With the first ranking event of the 2026 season set to begin in Milton Keynes this week, stats supremo Richard Ashdown crunches the numbers and examines the new names that will star on the PDC circuit over the next 12 months...
Since the Professional Darts Corporation introduced its Tour Card system in 2011, the coveted annual list of 128 players has included 465 different names. Going into 2026, we will say goodbye to 29 players, welcome back eight former Tour Card holders, and say hello to 21 new names joining the professional ranks for the first time.
TOUR CARDS NO MORE
Of the 29 players from 2025 who lost their Tour Cards, 23 attempted an immediate return through Q School. Notable names missing out in 2026, having dropped out of the PDC’s top 64, include José de Sousa (Tour Card holder since 2019), Matt Campbell and Jim Williams (since 2022 via the Challenge Tour), and Dylan Slevin (who won through Q School in 2023).
Having held a Tour Card in 13 of the previous 15 seasons (2011-2021, 2024/2025), Jelle Klaasen failed to qualify through European Q School in Kalkar this time around. At UK Q School in Milton Keynes, Adam Hunt missed out on earning a new Tour Card for a record-equalling fifth time, while George Killington was unsuccessful in his attempt to win through for a fourth time.
Steve Lennon’s hopes of making it ten consecutive seasons (and progressing through Q School for a third time) were dashed on the final day, as he narrowly lost out on legs difference. William Borland, Brett Claydon, Matthew Dennant, Nathan Rafferty, and Radek Szaganski also failed to win a third career Tour Card.
After five years competing on the ProTour since coming through Q School in 2021, Florian Hempel decided to play for one day only during the First Stage of Q School in 2026 and therefore did not progress.
Choosing not to take part in Q School at all, we also say “tot ziens” to Berry van Peer (three-time Tour Card holder since 2016) and Jules van Dongen (two-time Tour Card holder since 2022).
Having achieved professional status for the first time two years ago, 2024/2025 Tour Card holders Andy Baetens, Darren Beveridge, Martijn Dragt, Patrick Geeraerts, Robert Grundy, Danny Lauby, Benjamin Reus, Michele Turetta, and Jitse van der Val could not repeat the feat at Q School two years later.
Following their first Q School success in 2024 and two seasons on the ProTour, Haupai Puha, Joshua Richardson and Tim Wolters each opted out of Q School in 2026, while Dom Taylor was unable to compete under his current DRA suspension.
YEAR AFTER YEAR
A total of 12 players are entering their 16th consecutive PDC season and remain ever-present.
Nine of those have maintained top-64 ranking status since Tour Cards were first introduced in 2011 and have never competed at Q School: Gary Anderson, Joe Cullen, Brendan Dolan, Michael van Gerwen, Michael Smith, Mensur Suljovic, James Wade, Ian White, and Peter Wright.
Dave Chisnall has also held onto his Tour Card since 2011, having graduated through the first Q School. Mickey Mansell has done the same, though he needed to negotiate Q School successfully on two more occasions (2017 and 2022) to maintain his unbroken run. William O’Connor is also ever-present, having made immediate Q School returns in 2014 and 2015.
It’s 15 out of 16 for Raymond van Barneveld, having only missed 2020 due to his 'retirement' before returning via Q School in 2021.
Earning his Tour Card through his ranking position in 2012, Kim Huybrechts is set for his 15th consecutive season on the circuit. The same applies to Ross Smith, who came through Q School in 2012 and then twice more (2016 and 2018).
Q School has certainly been a career launchpad for many players who have remained among the PDC’s elite year after year, including Ricky Evans and Daryl Gurney (since 2013), Gerwyn Price (since 2014), Jonny Clayton, Chris Dobey and Jermaine Wattimena (since 2015).
In 2026, Andrew Gilding will begin his 13th campaign in 15 years, having won through Q School on three separate occasions, most recently in 2021. It will also be a 13th year on the ProTour for Stephen Bunting since being awarded his Tour Card as 2014 Lakeside Champion.
ONE YEAR WONDERS
The main priority for any Tour Card holder is to finish inside the top 64 of the PDC World Rankings by the end of their two-year term. Four players with 2024/2025 Tour Cards managed to achieve it: James Hurrell [48], Thibault Tricole [61], Lukas Wenig [62], and Mario Vandenbogaerde [64]. They maintain their Tour Card status for a third year. A total of 31 players go into “Year Two” hoping to do the same in 2026.
Earning a Tour Card and finishing inside the PDC's top 64 in your debut season is even more impressive, but that is exactly what Justin Hood [50] has achieved going into 2026.
‘Happy Feet’ will now hope to follow in the footsteps of players who have done the same, from Q School to top 64 in 12 months and holding onto that Tour Card. They include Nathan Aspinall, Gabriel Clemens, Ryan Joyce and Danny Noppert (2019), Dirk van Duijvenbode and Damon Heta (2021), Alan Soutar (2022), Josh Rock (2023), Gian van Veen (2024), and Jeffrey de Graaf (2025).
Having gained his Tour Card in 2025 from the previous season’s Development Tour, Niko Springer [54] has also moved into the top 64 in just one year, just as Dimitri Van den Bergh (2015), Luke Humphries (2018) and Wessel Nijman (2024) had done previously. So too Rob Cross in that sensational debut year in 2017, having topped the previous years’ Challenge Tour.
Rarer still is earning a Tour Card automatically via the PDC World Rankings as a non-Tour Card holder, by finishing inside the top 64 in a single year. Sweden’s Andreas Harrysson came closest over the past 12 months, ranked 73rd after reaching the Last 16 of the 2026 World Championship (then narrowly missing out on legs difference at European Q School).
Going into 2025, Connor Scutt became just the 14th player across 14 years of the Tour Card system to reach the top 64 as a non-Tour Card holder, and only the fourth to do so in the past eight years, after Krzysztof Ratajski in 2019, Scott Williams in 2023, and most famously of all, Luke Littler in 2024.
Q SCHOOL REUNIONS
Among the record 925 entrants at Q School, 26 players with 2024/2025 Tour Cards were hoping to bounce straight back after finishing outside the PDC’s top 64 in the World Rankings at the end of 2025. However, only three succeeded (the lowest total for two years running).
World-ranked 92 at the end of 2025, Rhys Griffin wasted no time at the start of 2026, winning his Tour Card outright on Day One of UK Q School in Milton Keynes. In contrast, it was a nervous wait for Chris Landman in Kalkar, but he ultimately earned an immediate return as one of the eight players securing their Tour Card from European Q School’s Ranking List.
Having won his second Tour Card via Q School in 2023, Stephen Burton needed to repeat the feat for a third time to continue his professional status - and he did so, heading the list of five players awarded Tour Cards from UK Q School’s Ranking List.
Having been absent in 2025, 76 former PDC Tour Card holders also took part at Q School, whether the aim was to earn a Tour Card once again or to ensure eligibility for the Challenge Tour in 2026.
Milton Keynes saw some of the biggest names in the sport’s history attempting to advance: five former Lakeside Champions (Steve Beaton, Richie Burnett, Scott Mitchell, Scott Waites, and 3-time World Champion John Part), plus 2021 World Cup of Darts winner John Henderson, all hoping to rekindle former glories.
Beaton came closest, finishing 12th on the UK Q School Rankings, but with only five places available, he couldn’t emulate van Barneveld’s 2021 comeback after stepping away from PDC competition 12 months prior.
It was a similar scenario for Mervyn King, who had been ever-present from 2011 to 2024 before missing 2025. This time, however, the outcome was different thanks to a regal final day in Milton Keynes, finishing second on the Ranking List. Q School success means the ‘Return of the King’ in 2026. At almost 60 years of age, he’s now the oldest player with a Tour Card.
Meanwhile in Kalkar, there were many happy returns at European Q School, none more so than for Cristo Reyes. Having said “hasta la vista” to the PDC circuit in March 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic and after almost six years away, the Spaniard prevailed on Day Two.
Five players progressed following a one-year absence, including fellow Day Two winner Jeffrey Sparidaans. He was joined by his Dutch namesake Jeffrey de Zwaan on the final day, progressing through Q School as an outright winner for a record-breaking fourth time (2015, 2018, 2023 and 2026).
It’s a welcome return for a third Dutchman in Jurjen van der Velde, who lost the 2024 World Youth Championship final in such agonising fashion to van Veen.
Czechia’s Adam Gawlas (Tour Card Holder 2021-2024) also made the cut, with Germany’s Pascal Rupprecht snatching the last of eight additional Tour Cards from the European Q School Ranking List on legs difference, to finish one place above Harrysson.
CHALLENGE & DEVELOPMENT TOURS
Having been away for at least one year, seven players negotiated a return via Q School, plus Darius Labanauskas (Tour Card Holder 2019–2023), who guaranteed his place for 2026 through the Winmau Challenge Tour.
Lithuania’s only ever Tour Card Holder will be joined by the first ever Tour Card Holder from Switzerland. Stefan Bellmont claimed top spot on the Challenge Tour rankings ahead of second-placed Labanauskas, with both players scoring a hat-trick of titles in 2025.
A tried-and-tested route into the professional ranks, followed successfully by Ryan Searle (2017), Callan Rydz (2020), Ritchie Edhouse (2021) and Rob Owen (2023). Dutch duo Christian Kist and Wesley Plaisier hope to add their names to that list after 2026.
Having won through Q School last year, Cam Crabtree was already assured of Year Two in 2026, but having also topped the Winmau Development Tour rankings for 2025, it’s the second-and-third-placed players who earn Tour Cards for 2026/2027.
A remarkable 2025 saw Beau Greaves win three Development Tour titles and finish second in the rankings behind Crabtree. In doing so, Greaves becomes only the fourth woman to hold a PDC Tour Card, following Stacy Bromberg and Tricia Wright (2010 PDC Women’s World Championship finalists) and Lisa Ashton (2020/2021 via UK Q School).
Ranked third, Owen Bates gets a new Tour Card for 2026/2027, having gained his first for 2024/2025 via the Challenge Tour. He becomes only the second player to secure separate Tour Cards through both Secondary Tours, following van Peer (Development Tour 2016 and 2021, then Challenge Tour 2024).
Sebastian Białecki (2025) will be hopeful of a strong second year as he aims to follow in the footsteps of Ryan Meikle (2020) and Keane Barry (2021) in maintaining Tour Card status since coming through the Development Tour.
NATIONS, NUMBERS & NEWBIES
Following their Q School graduations, a further 19 first-timers will accompany the first Swiss player and the first female player as Tour Card holders in 2026.
Benjamin Pratnemer ensures a 37th nation since 2011 will be represented by claiming Slovenia’s first ever Tour Card, joining fellow debutant Bellmont (Switzerland), plus the returning Labanauskas (Lithuania) and Reyes (Spain).
However, as Reus (Denmark), Turetta (Italy), Puha (New Zealand), De Sousa (Portugal), van Dongen and Lauby (USA) miss out, we will now see 128 players listed from 22 different countries in 2026, after 23 in 2025 (only bettered by 24 in 2021).
Eastern Europe boasts a record eight Tour Card holders (after seven in 2020 and 2021). It was Poland’s Filip Bereza springing the surprise as a Day One winner in Kalkar, later joined by Pratnemer and Gawlas via the Rankings List.
With Boris Krčmar narrowly missing out on the final day, Pero Ljubič remains Croatia’s sole representative in 2026. Going into Year Two, Czechia’s Karel Sedláček hopes it will be third-time lucky as a Tour Card Holder, having failed to reach the top 64 at the end of his two previous campaigns in 2021 and 2024.
There will be four Polish players for the second year running, as Tytus Kanik begins Year Two, alongside Bereza, Białecki, and Ratajski.
For the Nordic & Baltic region, it’s a case of Reus out and Labanauskas in - equating to a record-equalling six players competing in 2026.
It’s a third year in a row for de Graaf, while fellow Swedes Oskar Lukasiak and Viktor Tingström return for Year Two. So too does Cor Dekker, who made history last year as Norway’s first PDC player, while Madars Razma remains Latvia’s only ever Tour Card holder for a tenth consecutive season.
Canadian Jim Long will go into Year Two as North America’s sole representative for the first time since 2019/2020. In fact, there are just three Tour Card holders from outside Europe - the lowest total since five in 2019 and far below the record-high of ten players from Africa, Asia, North America, and Oceania combined in both 2011 and 2018.
Having flown solo for Australia for the first time last year, Heta goes into his seventh season. He will have a travelling companion in 2026, though, as Adam Leek made all the headlines Down Under, emerging a winner on Day One ‘Up Over’ in Milton Keynes.
WESTERN EUROPE
As for Day One in Kalkar, Arno Merk was also a winner as he continued the form he had shown at Ally Pally in December. And that was just the start for Germany, as Matthias Ehlers and Yorick Hofkens went on to win Tour Cards outright on Day Three.
Aged 18 (five months younger than Littler), Hofkens will now be the youngest player on the ProTour in 2026. From the Q School Rankings List, Marvin Kraft also became a first-time Tour Card holder, joined by the returning Rupprecht.
In what will be a record-breaking year for Germany with 15 Tour Card holders (up from nine in 2024 and 12 in 2025), Martin Schindler heads the list as he begins his tenth consecutive campaign, while Clemens sets out on his ninth.
Max Hopp will also play his tenth season overall and Year Two of his current Tour Card (having previously featured 2015–2022). Meanwhile, Ricardo Pietreczko goes into a fifth year, with Maximilian Czerwinski, Kai Gotthardt, Dominik Grüllich and Leon Weber all beginning Year Two with hopes of joining Springer and Wenig in the PDC’s top 64 by the end of the year.
In fact, it will be a record-breaking year all round for the Western European nations, with a combined total of 47 players (after 46 in 2024 and 44 in 2025). Rusty-Jake Rodriguez joins Suljovic for Austria once again, while Belgium go into 2026 with five representatives (after seven in 2024 and six in 2025), including Mike De Decker for a ninth season and Stefaan Henderyck going into his second.
France (Tricole) are joined by new nation Switzerland (Bellmont) and the returning Spain (Reyes).
In addition to the two Dutch-born Tour Card holders representing Norway (Dekker) and Sweden (de Graaf), the Netherlands go into 2026 with 22 of their own (after 24 in 2024 and 21 in 2025).
Beginning Year Two, Dennie Olde-Kalter and Marvin van Velzen hope to join the likes of Maik Kuivenhoven, Niels Zonneveld, Kevin Doets and Richard Veenstra as PDC regulars, having all previously won through Q School.
With Landman, Sparidaans, van der Velde, and de Zwaan having secured returns via Q School in 2026, three first-time Tour Cards were also awarded to Dutchmen. A new name to many, Sietse Lap defeated Krčmar on the final day to win his Tour Card outright, while the more experienced Alexander Merkx secured his place via the European Q School Rankings.
Standing tall following his WDF Championship victory in December, Jimmy van Schie had accrued enough points by the end of Day Three to earn his Tour Card. In doing so, he became the third reigning Lakeside Champion (after Glen Durrant in 2019 and Andy Baetens in 2024) to win through Q School.
BRITISH AND IRISH
Meanwhile in Milton Keynes, the previous year’s Lakeside Champion Shane McGuirk was a winner on Day Three. With his compatriots Niall Culleton (Day Two winner) and then Stephen Rosney (third place on the Rankings List) also making it through UK Q School to join O’Connor and Barry, the Republic of Ireland equals their 2023 record of five Tour Card holders.
David Sharp also made it through Q School (ranked fourth) and is now one of seven Scottish Tour Card holders. Greg Ritchie and three-time Q School graduate Andy Boulton begin Year Two of their current Tour Cards, while it will be a fifth year for Cameron Menzies and a sixth for Soutar, alongside legends Anderson and Wright.
A total of seven English players made it through Q School: Carl Sneyd (Day Two), Tom Sykes (Day Three), Charlie Manby and Samuel Price (Day Four) won their Tour Cards outright, with Tyler Thorpe taking the fifth and final spot from the Rankings List in Milton Keynes, behind the returning Burton and King.
Nine of the 43 English players look to extend their maiden Tour Cards, with Tom Bissell, Tavis Dudeney, Adam Lipscombe, Thomas Lovely, Adam Paxton and Darryl Pilgrim going into Year Two, along with Crabtree. They would follow a long list of English names having already achieved that feat, including Luke Woodhouse (now going into year nine) and Martin Lukeman (beginning year six).
Adam Warner goes into his Year Two for a second time in a row, while Bradley Brooks looks to extend his Tour Card beyond Year Two for the first time in four attempts (after 2018/2019, 2020/2021, and 2022/2023).
Despite Northern Ireland also being down in numbers, from six in 2022/2023 then five in 2024/2025, it’s a strong quartet in 2026, with World Cup of Darts winners Rock and Gurney, plus the ever-present Dolan and Mansell.
For Wales, their numbers have also been reduced, by one player each year from eight in 2023 down to five in 2026. Nick Kenny begins his sixth season with a Tour Card, alongside Griffin, Owen and Premier League stars Clayton and Price.
In fact, it has been a downward trend across the five British and Irish nations combined - from 105 Tour Card holders in 2012 dropping on an annual basis, now down to 64 for 2026.
128 TOUR CARD HOLDERS
64 - UK/Ireland (England 43, Scotland 7, Wales 6, Northern Ireland 4, Republic of Ireland 3)
47 - Western Europe (Netherlands 22, Germany 15, Belgium 5, Austria 2, France 1, Spain 1, Switzerland 1)
8 - Eastern Europe (Poland 4, Czechia 2, Croatia 1, Slovenia 1)
6 - Nordic/Baltic (Sweden 3, Latvia 1, Lithuania 1, Norway 1)
3 - Rest of the World (Australia 2, Canada 1)