THE inaugural PDC ProTour Qualifying School has been hailed as a huge success.
Over 100 players competed across four days in Wigan last weekend in a bid to win Tour Cards for the £1 million-plus PDC ProTour.
The Tour Card winners included Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship qualifiers Magnus Caris, Michael Mansell and Devon Petersen, who becomes South Africa's first darts professional.
Qualifiers also included Germany's Michael Rosenauer, Gibraltar's Dyson Parody and Ireland's Shane O'Connor, alongside a host of players with previous PDC experience and former Lakeside Championship runner-up Dave Chisnall.
"The first PDC ProTour Q School was a huge success," said PDC Chairman Barry Hearn. "We were delighted to see so many players, not just from the UK but also from Europe and, in Devon Petersen's case South Africa.
"The standard of play was superb from both established players and younger players who are looking to break through on the professional circuit and made a big impression in Wigan.
"These players can now legitimately call themselves Professional Darts Players, and the opportunities for them to break through in this sport are in front of them now.
"All players with a Tour Card are guaranteed a place in the 31 Players Championships this year - giving them over £1 million to play for in those events alone, as well as the chance to qualify for the major televised tournaments."
The 25 Tour Card winners from Q School joined 101 PDC Order of Merit qualifiers and the Women's World Championship finalists Stacy Bromberg and Tricia Wright in forming the 128-strong field of Tour Card holders.
The players who competed in Q School will be able to enter non-UK Players Championships and the UK Open Qualifiers.
Entry to Players Championship events in the UK will initially be available to the 128 Tour Card holders, with any shortfall in numbers being made up by Associate Members from the Q School Order of Merit.
The PDC will also introduce the PDC Unicorn Youth Tour in 2011, with further details set to be announced later this week and the first event taking place on February 19 in Derby.