16-year-old Kyle Gilding seals UK Open spot with standout showing at Amateur Qualifier

The 16-year-old teenager Kyle Gilding has secured a dream debut at the UK Open. The young talent qualified last weekend via the PDC in the Community Qualifiers in Syston and will take to the big stage from March 6 to 8 at the iconic Butlin’s Minehead Resort.

Gilding, just 16, is part of a new generation of English darters seizing their chance to break through on the big stage via local qualifiers. At the qualifying event at the Syston Brookside Club, he showed his class and mental resilience. His victory earned him not only a spot in the 160-player field at the UK Open, but also his first TV appearance at a major PDC tournament.

It is a special period for Gilding, as his debut on the Winmau Development Tour is also scheduled later this month. That circuit is seen as a crucial stepping stone for young players towards the professional level. A strong showing on the Development Tour, combined with experience at a major like the UK Open, could accelerate his development.

Gilding was not the only one to book a UK Open berth through the Community Qualifiers. Jack Todd, Clive Langford, and Callum Francis also made it through. Todd qualified in Fleetwood, while Langford and Francis secured their tickets in Newport and Kings Worthy respectively.

Francis in particular is no stranger within the PDC structure. A carpenter by trade, he has been active on the circuit for several years and made headlines as recently as November 2024 with a quarterfinal run on the Winmau Challenge Tour. His qualification for Minehead underlines that the Community Qualifiers are not only a platform for emerging talent, but also for seasoned players looking to take their chance via an alternative route.

The series of Community Qualifiers is not yet complete. Several events will follow in the coming weeks, with more tickets for Minehead up for grabs. In doing so, the UK Open remains true to its nickname, “The FA Cup of Darts”: anyone can qualify and upsets are always lurking.

In addition, players can also qualify via the so-called Rileys Amateur Qualifiers, qualifying events for players who do not hold a PDC Tour Card. One of those tournaments produced Dutch success last weekend. Ron Meulenkamp — active on the Pro Tour between 2018 and 2022 — booked his place at the UK Open by winning the Rileys Qualifier in Liverpool. Meulenkamp reached the fifth round of this major in both 2021 and 2022.

In recent weeks, Callum Goffin, Neil Wild, Sean Ryan, Daniel Lee, and Olivier King have also secured their places by winning a Rileys Qualifier. The final two Rileys Qualifiers are scheduled for next weekend.