In an intriguing stat following European Q-School, it has been revealed that the amount of European Tour Card holders has doubled since 2015.
ADVERTISEMENT
Netherlands in particular hold the largest stake with the likes of Geert Nentjes, Niels Zonneveld and the return of Raymond van Barneveld contributing to that.
While Germany have seen large growth with Florian Hempel winning his Tour Card outright and the likes of Michael Unterbuchner, Martin Schindler and Robert Marijanovic adding to this from a nation that for a long time didn't have many representatives on the tour.
Spain's numbers have dwindled slightly with Toni Alcinas falling off the tour as well as Jose Justicia previously. Both failed to reclaim their Tour Cards at Q-School.
In the UK of course England still make up a large number but Scotland and Wales continue to add percentages to their total with recent Tour Card winners helping that.
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of DartsNews.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy across professional darts coverage. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces, playing a central role in the development and daily operation of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has extensive experience in darts media and has been closely involved in coverage of the professional darts circuit for several years. Within the UK darts community, he is a recognised figure known for his consistent editorial output and ongoing reporting on major tournaments and developments across the PDC calendar.
In his current role, Samuel works closely with editors and writers to ensure content meets clear journalistic standards, with a focus on source verification, editorial consistency, and timely updates when new, confirmed information becomes available.