2020 PDC European Tour Tournament Centre: Explanation of format, calendar and prize money breakdown
PDC
The PDC European Tour is back. What better time to enjoy some good old fashioned European unity?
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Established in 2012, the European Tour has become a staple of the PDC Pro Tour. It is also one of the most accessible in terms of big stage experience and serious ranking money. PDC players have come to see European Tour spots as a golden ticket.
Last year, we saw nine different winners in the 13 events. Michael van Gerwen dominated as usual, winning four, while Ian White claimed two titles. Daryl Gurney, Dave Chisnall, Jamie Hughes, Mensur Suljovic, Joe Cullen, Gerwyn Price and Krzysztof Ratajski all won one of them.
Starting on February 28, the 2020 tour visits seven different countries, and 13 locations. Sindelfingen, Leverkusen, Munich, Riesa, Trier, Hildesheim and Jena will all host events in Germany. There is one event in the Netherlands, Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Belgium and Gibraltar.
Big names taking part
The European Tour events are frequently populated by the world's top players. Only Gary Anderson has a proclivity for skipping European trips. It means that the Scot is a long-term European Championship absentee. The likes of Van Gerwen, Wright, Price and Suljovic can be spotted at almost every event.
How it works
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The top 16 in the Pro Tour Order of Merit and two highest ranked players of the host country at the cut-off point gain instant entry to a European Tour event. They are joined by 30 qualifiers. The Tour Card Holders Qualifier tournament provides 24 qualifiers for each tournament.
The remaining six spots are taken by two Home Nation Qualifiers, two players without a Tour Card, a Nordic & Baltic qualifier and an Eastern European qualifier.
The 32 best players on the PDC European Tour Order of Merit after 13 European Tour events take part in the European Championship in Dortmund.
2020 Calendar
| Event | Date | Location |
| ET1 Belgian Darts Championship | February 28 – March 1 | Hasselt |
| ET2 European Darts Grand Prix | March 20-22 | Sindelfingen |
| ET3 European Darts Open | March 27-29 | Leverkusen |
| ET4 German Darts Grand Prix | April 11-13 | Munich |
| ET5 Austrian Darts Open | May 1-3 | Premstätten |
| ET6 Hungarian Darts Open | May 8-10 | Budapest |
| ET7 International Darts Open | May 22-24 | Riesa |
| ET8 European Darts Matchplay | June 26-28 | Trier |
| ET9 German Darts Championship | July 3-5 | Hildesheim |
| ET10 German Darts Open | July 10-12 | Jena |
| ET11 Dutch Darts Masters | September 11-13 | Leeuwarden |
| ET12 Gibraltar Darts Trophy | September 25-27 | Gibraltar |
| ET13 Czech Darts Open | October 16-18 | Prague |
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Format
First round – Best of 11 legs
Second round – Best of 11 legs
Third round – Best of 11 legs
Quarter-finals – Beste of 11 legs
Semi-finals – Best of 13 legs
Final – Best of 15 legs
Second round – Best of 11 legs
Third round – Best of 11 legs
Quarter-finals – Beste of 11 legs
Semi-finals – Best of 13 legs
Final – Best of 15 legs
Prize Money breakdown European Tour 2020
| Result | Prize money |
|---|---|
| Winner | £25,000 |
| Runner-up | £10,000 |
| Semi-final | £6,500 |
| Quarter-final | £5,000 |
| Last 16 | £3,000 |
| Last 32 | £2,000 |
| Last 48 | £1,000 |
| Total | £140,000 |
I stumbled into the world of darts quite by accident back in 2013. For a Journalism School assignment, I had to produce a live sports report and as it happened, the European Tour event in Veldhoven was the only available option. That weekend, I caught the darts bug. The post-match interviews especially appealed to me, as darts players tend to be much more open and approachable than what you usually see with footballers on television.
After a few detours, I joined Dartsnieuws.com in 2017 as editor-in-chief. I don’t have much competitive experience myself, although I once entered a PDC Development Tour weekend just to experience what it’s like from a player’s perspective. I even managed to win a leg against a Tour Card holder and, quite by accident, earned £50 in prize money.
In 2022, I was also involved in the founding of the TOTO Dart Kings, a commercial darts team, where I worked as media manager for three years. Unfortunately, due to new legislation in the Netherlands, that project came to an end in 2025.
Through my work in darts, I’ve been fortunate to travel to some incredible events, from Premier League nights at Ahoy Rotterdam, to several World Championships, and even the US Darts Masters at Madison Square Garden in New York.
Beyond darts, I’m a passionate sports fan in general. You can always wake me up for a game of tennis or padel, and I love following football, tennis, padel, cycling, Formula 1, and ice skating.
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- Everyone knows what a fantastic champion Taylor was,but his performances in the seniors were poor. He wouldn't throw littler off stage,as he'd miss these days!!rick6712-11-2026
- He produced some impressive numbers in that qualifying campaign. I'm excited to see him compete at the World Championship once again, even if it will be difficult to replicate last year's success even with an improved performance, with the draw playing a huge role in determining his fortunes.Deduce635811-11-2026
- I often think about this very question. I think they should revive the format. They could even invite representatives from MODUS Super Series, with four series winners from the past year, and the ADC, with finalists from the Global Championship and perhaps other events. Why not throw in eligible representatives from the JDC and even the soft-tip game too?Deduce635811-11-2026
- So what if littler missed out, he doesnt have to enter everythingant10-11-2026
- Good, absolutely no loss if we never see this dancing goof ever again......no that is not fair. He absolutely cannot and has never been remotely able to dance!richieburnettrocks10-11-2026
- Yes Phil,now the money in the game is bigger than ever,you'd play littler. Well so would I! Retire on your memory Phil,and your successful careerrick6709-11-2026
- And why should he listen to you?Deduce635807-11-2026
- Ultimately it is a bye for whoever draws Barney. It will be another stroppy and sulky performance once he goes behind. Barney was excellent but really must completely call it a day now.richieburnettrocks07-11-2026
- I'm disappointed he was not able to secure a spot at the Grand Slam. With Carl Sneyd taking care of Daryl Gurney, he would have had to beat Andy Boulton before facing the winner of Sneyd vs Mensur Suljović for a Grand Slam spot. Unfortunately, after beating Filip Bereza comfortably, he succumbed to Boulton, and the board would ultimately be won by the highly inconsistent Carl Sneyd. Since he could instead have been drawn against the likes of Cristo Reyes, Dirk van Duijvenbode and Stephen Bunting, I think once Gurney was out of the picture he would have been favourite to win his board, and it seems like a massive missed opportunity to put 5 grand on his ranking and seal another major TV appearance ahead of the Worlds. The highs and lows of following Raymond van Barneveld!Deduce635806-11-2026
- Probably i will receive a lot of backlash and hate for this reaction, but well, so be it. I am more than sick and tired of those lies of you Barry Hearn. How dare you defend yourself over the back of Fallon’s son! He has a disability and not an illness, so let me correct that for you! I know because I have the exact same disability. I have tried to reach out to Fallon in the past, and offered her to help her and her son, because I was struggling with the same problems, and I understood the boy. I wanted him to have finally someone who understood him. However she told me that she did not want my help, and I have respected Fallon’s choice. I have never asked Fallon for money. They don’t need money in that case. I only ever wanted the best for Fallon and Rory, but I have to be honest about the situation. Fallon should tell the true story and not be forced to tell lies. I don’t hate Fallon, and I don’t begrudge or envy a single penny that she gets, but this situation/case is just not fair. I hate the lies and the dishonesty and injustice. I don’t want Fallon to be hated because there is an unfair disadvantage created. Don’t proclaim your false lies over the back of Rory! I only stand for integrity and justice. I am precisely the one who always sticks up for Fallon. And you don't, you don't give a damn about them. You were never there for them, and now you only want to save your own position! You are just trying to talk your way out of your own bad behavior at the expense of someone with a disability. And to Fallon, I don’t know if this may ever reach you, and you read it, but I want you to know I love you and I love your son Rory very much, I am sorry how things developed and went. I hope you and Harriet are still friends. I am sorry if I were too persistent to you, or you experienced it that way, but it was never my intention. Please understand I have autism as well. As Barry Hearn would say, I am only just a human being too, and I also make mistakes and misjudge things sometimes. I promise you I did everything out of the deepest love and care for you and Rory. If I were you, I should just keep all the money, only please never be dishonest or tell lies anymore for Barry Hearn, or anyone else. I hope you have the best life, and I wish nothing more than the best for you. I have always loved the two of you. Farewell.Hiddo05-11-2026