Co Operation: Looking back on Stompé's first day of Q-School

Five years after handing in his Tour Card, Co Stompé is attempting to return to the PDC Pro Tour circuit. 'The Matchstick' competed in the first day's play of European Q-School on Thursday.

Stompé actually planned to attend European Q-School in Hildesheim last year. The former tram driver postponed his return, saying at the time that he had had 'too many other things on his mind'.

Photo: PDC

Debut at Q-School

The 2010 World Cup of Darts champion played three times on Thursday afternoon. The man from the Flevoland kicked off his Q-School campaign against Austrian Fredi Gsellmann.
Stompé struggled with inconsistency throughout the game. Two of the five legs won were secured within five visits, with a 16-darter on top. Yet the four-time PDC major quarter-finalist also needed eight and nine visits (a 24 and 25-dart leg respectively) to take legs. That said, it was a comfortable 5-1 win in the end.
His second match went much better. The Matchstick met Rowdy Schoremans, and lit up Hildesheim with a convincing 5-0 thrashing. A pair of 14-darters and two 180s contributed to a match average of 91.60.
But Stompé's run was to come grinding to a halt just a round later. It could have been so different. The Dutchman led 4-3 against Gergely Lakatos, but eventually lost 5-4. Adept at analysing play during his TV work, Stompé was unable to iron out his own consistency issues. He threw six scores between 171 and 180, but also produced visits worth 26, 29, 30, 43, 44, 46 and 49.
After Stompé missed a match dart on tops, Lakatos found double 18 for the game. Two victories at the Q-School, of which one was in the preliminary round, earned the 56-year-old one point for the Q-School Order of Merit. He went one step further than his son, Co Stompé Jnr, who fell at the last 128 stage.
Around twelve points across four days of play, or a victory in one of the three remaining tournaments, should win a Tour Card for the PDC circuit. The second day of European Q-School will be played on Friday.
Click here for more information about Q-School.