From Premier League title to Tour Card loss: how things went wrong for Durrant, De Sousa and others
PDC
Peter Wright, Dimitri Van den Bergh and Michael Smith. Three names who were still ranked among the world’s top 16 last year, but have since slipped further and further down the rankings. Van den Bergh faces the most painful prospect. The Belgian looks set to lose his PDC Tour Card after the World Championship, while Wright could face the same scenario at the end of next year. Smith, meanwhile, urgently needs a turnaround to avoid slipping further down the rankings.
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These are three former top players who are now struggling to hold on to their place among the elite. But they are far from the first big names to fade from the spotlight in a relatively short time.
In recent years, several players have enjoyed rapid success before gradually losing their influence on the professional circuit. Some lost their PDC Tour Card, others disappeared from the major televised tournaments, and some never came close to their former level again.
Several well-known players have left the Tour in recent years, including Phil Taylor, Adrian Lewis and Steve Beaton, but they chose to retire. We are focusing instead on players who faded from the spotlight on sporting merit in a short space of time.
Glen Durrant: from Premier League winner to losing his PDC Tour Card
One of the clearest examples of a player falling from the very top to the sidelines in a short time is Glen Durrant. The Englishman won the BDO World Championship three times before joining the PDC in 2019. Just a year later, he claimed the Premier League Darts title. Durrant’s future looked bright, and he was also knocking on the door at other major televised tournaments. He reached the World Matchplay semi-finals twice, among other strong results.
But misfortune struck soon after his greatest PDC success. Just two weeks after winning the Premier League, Durrant contracted Covid-19. It had a major impact on his game, particularly his throw. The Englishman never managed to get close to his former level again. His results declined, and he quickly fell down the world rankings.
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In the end, the downturn proved irreversible. In 2022, barely two and a half years after his Premier League triumph, Durrant lost his PDC Tour Card. It brought a particularly painful chapter to a close for a player who had recently been among the very best in the world.
Since then, Durrant has made a few appearances on the senior circuit, but he has not made the same impression he did in his prime. He has since found a new role in darts. 'Duzza' regularly provides commentary and analysis for Sky Sports at major PDC televised tournaments. Durrant also worked for a time with the players’ union, the PDPA. He has stayed connected to the sport where he once achieved his greatest success, though in a very different capacity.
Glen Durrant’s World Championship results
| World Championship | Year | Round | Opponent | Score |
| BDO World Championship | 2014 | Second round | Alan Norris | 1-4 |
| BDO World Championship | 2015 | Semi-final | Martin Adams | 5-6 |
| BDO World Championship | 2016 | Quarter-final | Scott Waites | 4-5 |
| BDO World Championship | 2017 | Winner | — | 7-3 in the final against Danny Noppert |
| BDO World Championship | 2018 | Winner | — | 7-6 in the final against Mark McGeeney |
| BDO World Championship | 2019 | Winner | — | 7-3 in the final against Scott Waites |
| PDC World Championship | 2020 | Quarter-final | Gerwyn Price | 1-5 |
| PDC World Championship | 2021 | Fourth round (last 16) | Dirk van Duijvenbode | 3-4 |
| PDC World Championship | 2022 | Second round | William O'Connor | 0-3 |
| World Seniors Championship | 2023 | First round | Mark Dudbridge | 0-3 |
| World Seniors Championship | 2024 | First round | Mark Dudbridge | 2-3 |
The rapid decline of 'The Special One'
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Jose de Sousa is another striking example of a player who fell from the very top to the sidelines in a relatively short time. The Portuguese earned the nickname 'The Special One' for his unusual finishing style. He was already 45 when he won his first PDC Tour Card, yet it did not take long for him to establish himself among the world’s best.
Just a year after winning his Tour Card, De Sousa reached the high point of his career. In 2020, he won the Grand Slam of Darts, beating James Wade 16-12 in the final. As with Glen Durrant, the sky seemed to be the limit for the Portuguese. He showed that he could compete with the world’s best despite making his breakthrough relatively late in life, and looked ready to play a major role in televised tournaments for years to come.
De Sousa confirmed his status in 2021 by reaching the Premier League Darts final. He ultimately lost 11-5 to Jonny Clayton. The Portuguese continued to show his class in 2022, reaching the World Matchplay quarter-finals and the Masters semi-finals.
Jose de Sousa won the 2020 Grand Slam of Darts
After that, however, things became increasingly difficult. De Sousa could not build on his earlier success and gradually slipped down the world rankings. He qualified for the most recent World Championship through the Tour Card holders’ route, but suffered a disappointing first-round exit. A 3-1 defeat to Ricardo Pietreczko ended his campaign.
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De Sousa then lost his PDC Tour Card. He failed to win it back at Q-School, leaving his future at the highest level uncertain. Now 52, the Portuguese has shown his exceptional ability by winning the Grand Slam and reaching the Premier League final. Whether we will see 'The Special One' on the ProTour again remains to be seen.
Jose de Sousa’s best results at PDC majors
| Tournament | Year | Best result | Final opponent / elimination | Score |
| Grand Slam of Darts | 2020 | Winner | James Wade | 16-12 |
| Premier League Darts | 2021 | Final | Jonny Clayton | 5-11 |
| World Matchplay | 2022 | Quarter-final | Gerwyn Price | 14-16 |
| The Masters | 2022 | Semi-final | Joe Cullen | 8-11 |
| World Championship | 2023 | Last 16 | Gerwyn Price | 1-4 |
| European Championship | 2021 | Quarter-final | Rob Cross | 5-10 |
| UK Open | 2021 | Last 16 | Michael van Gerwen | 9-10 |
| Players Championship Finals | 2021 | Quarter-final | Brendan Dolan | 4-10 |
| World Grand Prix | 2021 | Last 16 | Jonny Clayton | 1-3 |
| World Series of Darts Finals | 2021 | Last 16 | Dimitri Van den Bergh | 3-6 |
Dartitis derails Van Dongen
From a Dutch perspective, Jules van Dongen is another player who deserves mention. The Dutchman represents the United States internationally and impressed on the WDF circuit in 2021, earning a place at the World Championship. In early 2022, he also won a PDC Tour Card and stepped onto the professional circuit.
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Van Dongen still had the chance to compete at the WDF World Championship that same year. Although he had already secured a PDC Tour Card, the organisation granted him an exception to play at the WDF event in April. He went out in the second round, losing 3-1 to Ryan de Vreede.
The right-handed 'Dutch Dragon' initially showed at the PDC that he had plenty of ability. He lost his Tour Card at the end of 2023, but won it back straight away at Q-School. It looked as though Van Dongen could continue to develop at the highest level, but he then faced a persistent problem that changed the course of his career.
Van Dongen suffered from a form of dartitis, a condition in which a player partly loses control of their throwing action. It had a huge impact on his game. The American could no longer get close to his former level, and his results continued to decline.
Last year, Van Dongen represented the United States at the World Cup of Darts. It proved to be his last appearance on the big stage. In an effort to overcome his problems, he tried throwing left-handed for a while. The change did not produce the level he needed, and a return to the professional circuit has yet to follow.
Van Dongen’s story is a painful example of how quickly a darts career can take a different turn. After his breakthrough and Tour Card win, the Dutchman looked set to become a regular on the PDC circuit. In the end, problems with his throwing action held him back. Whether he can ever make a comeback at the highest level remains an open question.
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Petersen enjoyed a strong spell but soon lost his Tour Card
Devon Petersen is another player who seemed to be breaking into the professional darts second tier a few years ago, only to quickly fade from view. The South African had been on the PDC circuit for some time when he enjoyed his best spell between 2019 and 2022. Under the guidance of former professional Wayne Mardle, Petersen made major strides and showed at the biggest tournaments that he had the ability to compete with the world’s best.
His World Championship breakthrough came in 2019, when he reached the last 16. 'The African Warrior' made a big impression with that run. He backed it up with several more strong results in the years that followed, reaching the European Championship semi-finals in 2020 and the UK Open quarter-finals a year later.
Petersen reached the high point of his career in 2020 by winning the German Darts Championship. The South African beat Jonny Clayton in the final to claim his first European Tour title. It capped a spell in which he had made his mark at the highest level, and he also represented South Africa at the World Cup of Darts several times.
But sustaining that level proved difficult. His form declined soon after those strong years, and Petersen lost his PDC Tour Card in 2023. He has yet to win it back, ending his run as a regular on the ProTour.
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Petersen has not disappeared from darts altogether. In 2024, he won the ADC Global Championship and remained active behind the scenes. He is also a regular analyst for Sky Sports, sharing his experience and knowledge of the game with viewers.
Although Petersen is no longer a regular at major PDC tournaments, he can look back on a spell in which he stood out with a European Tour title and several strong major performances. His story joins those of players who briefly threatened to break into the world’s elite but ultimately failed to establish themselves there.
Devon Petersen won one European Tour title
World Cup of Darts proved to be Henderson’s career highlight
John Henderson reached the high point of his career in 2021. The Scot won the World Cup of Darts alongside compatriot Peter Wright, beating Austria 3-1 in the final. It was a special moment for Henderson, who had spent years competing at the highest level without winning a major individual title.
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But Henderson’s story soon took a different turn. In 2022, he failed to qualify for the World Championship for the second year in a row. It was a painful blow, and at the end of that year he also lost his PDC Tour Card. Barely a year and a half after his greatest PDC success, Henderson had to leave the ProTour.
The Scot made several attempts to win back his Tour Card through Q-School, but without success. He disappeared from the regular field at major PDC events, but Henderson was far from finished. He showed what he could do again on the senior circuit in 2024.
That year became a particularly successful chapter in his career. Henderson won the World Seniors Championship, the World Senior Matchplay and the World Senior Masters. Those three titles showed that, despite his decline at the PDC, he remained one of the stronger players on the senior circuit.
Henderson’s career has therefore followed a strikingly contrasting path. In 2021, he lifted the World Cup alongside Wright, but a year later he lost his place at the highest level of the PDC. His success among the seniors then gave him a new stage on which to show his ability. The Scot is far from gone from darts altogether.
BDO star wins a ProTour title early on, but work takes priority
Expectations were high when Jim Williams won his PDC Tour Card in 2022. The Welshman had already proved his quality at the BDO, winning the World Trophy and reaching the BDO World Championship final. Many were keen to see whether he could also become a regular at the top of the PDC.
Williams made a strong start. Just six Players Championship events after winning his Tour Card, he claimed his first title. He showed that he could compete with the established names at the highest level. For a moment, he seemed set to follow in the footsteps of his good friend Glen Durrant, who also enjoyed quick success after moving from the BDO to the PDC.
In hindsight, the comparison is striking for another reason. Like Durrant, Williams faded from view relatively quickly after a promising spell. The Welshman remained competitive at first, but could not build on his strong start. He reached the last 32 at the World Championship in 2024, but things became increasingly difficult after that.
Williams eventually lost his PDC Tour Card in 2025. His professional commitments also made it difficult to focus fully on his darts career. For a player who had made an immediate impression on joining the ProTour, it was a disappointing outcome.
Since then, there has been little news of the Welshman. He was among the BDO’s very best and immediately won a title at the PDC, but he has recently been far less visible on the international darts scene. Whether Williams will try to return to the highest level remains to be seen.
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Florian Hempel: former professional handball player produced major upsets on the big darts stage
Florian Hempel is another player who produced memorable moments on the PDC stage a few years ago, but has since largely disappeared from view. The German had an unusual background: before focusing fully on darts, he played professional handball. He won a PDC Tour Card in 2021 and made his World Championship debut a year later.
Hempel made an immediate impression. The German produced one of the tournament’s biggest upsets by knocking fifth seed Dimitri Van den Bergh out in the second round. The result brought him to the attention of a wider audience. Hempel looked especially comfortable on stage and quickly earned a reputation as a player who could raise his game on the biggest occasions.
He proved it again two years later. Hempel and Van den Bergh met in the second round of the 2024 World Championship, and the German came out on top again. It was a remarkable repeat of his 2021 upset and underlined his ability to deliver on the sport’s biggest stage.
He remained active at the highest level for some time after that. In early 2025, for example, Hempel competed at the Masters. But he could not turn his big moments into a sustained rise up the world rankings. After failing to qualify for the World Championship, he eventually lost his PDC Tour Card.
That brought his spell as a regular ProTour player to an end, at least for now. There has been little news of the German since, despite his twice upsetting the same opponent at the World Championship just a few years ago. His story shows how difficult it can be to turn occasional success on the big stage into a long career at the top.
Florian Hempel produced major upsets at the World Championship
Extensive travel takes its toll on Matt Campbell
Matt Campbell also looked set to become a regular on the PDC circuit a few years ago. The Canadian impressed on the Challenge Tour in 2021, winning three events and finishing top of the final standings. That earned him a PDC Tour Card and the chance to prove himself at the highest level.
Campbell seized the opportunity. In his first year on the ProTour, he showed straight away that he could compete with the established names. He reached the final of Players Championship 13, where Nathan Aspinall proved too strong, winning 8-5. Campbell also made his mark internationally, representing Canada at the World Cup of Darts several times and enjoying some fine moments at major events in 2022.
That year, Campbell reached the last 16 at both the Players Championship Finals and the World Series of Darts Finals. Those results suggested he could develop into a dangerous outsider at the bigger tournaments.
But sustaining that level proved very difficult. Campbell lived in Canada and had to travel to Europe for PDC events. The frequent trips, combined with the demands of the professional circuit, made it hard to maintain his performances. His results declined, and he eventually lost his PDC Tour Card after the most recent World Championship.
That brought his spell at the highest level to an end, at least for now. Campbell has not played at a PDC event since. His strong Challenge Tour results and promising start on the ProTour had shown that he had the potential to establish himself among the better players. But his story also illustrates that a professional darts career takes more than talent: practical circumstances can play a major role in building a career.
From the world’s top 32 to losing his Tour Card
Jamie Hughes is another player who seemed to have a bright future after moving from the BDO to the PDC, but gradually faded from view. The Englishman had already built a strong reputation before joining the PDC. He won the Finder Masters in 2014 and reached the World Masters final. He also made the BDO World Championship semi-finals twice. So when he won his PDC Tour Card in 2019, he already had plenty of experience at the highest level.
Hughes, nicknamed 'Yozza', wasted little time in showing his ability at the PDC. In his first year as a Tour Card holder, he won the Czech Darts Open, a European Tour event. He proved that he could beat the established PDC names. A year later, he reached the UK Open quarter-finals.
Those results helped Hughes climb towards the world’s top 32. It looked as though he would establish himself among the circuit’s better players, with the possibility of taking a further step towards the very top.
There was little sign of trouble in early 2023, either. Hughes reached the final of that year’s first Players Championship event, where he ultimately lost to Michael Smith. His form then began to decline. The strong results dried up, and the Englishman fell down the world rankings.
The downturn became so severe that Hughes lost his PDC Tour Card in 2024. It brought his spell as a regular ProTour player to an end, at least for now. He has not disappeared from darts altogether and has since competed on the Challenge Tour. But he has yet to return to the highest level, having failed to win his Tour Card back.
For Hughes, it is a disappointing turn in a career that began so promisingly at the PDC. He has shown he can perform at that level, winning a European Tour title, reaching the UK Open quarter-finals and making a ProTour final. His challenge now is to find the consistency needed to return to the circuit where he climbed towards the world’s top 32 a few years ago.
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- Joking aside, it is the second most watched sport on sky (more than golf, F1 etc) behind football only, and in participation is second to only football and swimming. It doesn't get the attention or sponsorship of "bigger" sports because it's not as sexy, but it's right up there.BandB13-10-2026
- i love darts but you can't seriously believe it's the second most popular sport in the uk. even top five is pushing it. it may be the fastest growing, though.colt13-10-2026
- I'm a big Clayton fan, but he's got this completely wrong. Qualification criteria exists for a reason - so just as failing to make the top 32/64 for the Euro championships/PT Finals means you miss out, so does not lifting a title for this one.26sForFun12-10-2026
- The players who deliberately slow the game down are usually boring and win very little in the way of silverware. Horrible to watch.MrYnyslas197112-10-2026
- [“The Gentle” then used a sweeping and questionable phrase...] You anglocucks are hilariously finished in every sense of the word.Critical99911-10-2026
- I love Jonny but I disagree. The Grand Slam was always supposed to be "champion of champions" type competition. If the top 16 are guaranteed participation in everything there will be so much less jeopardy involved in qualifying and each major tournament will lose its unique flavour which the PDC has worked hard trying to develop. I enjoy following the qualification races towards the end of the year, and while consistency should have its rewards, the truth is Jonny hasn't reached a major final all year or won a single event on the Pro Tour. Being consistent is one thing, but that alone should have consequences as the sport's elite should not be prepared to accept consistently strong performances, their foremost motivation should be to win and this should be what separates them from the rest, not the consistency of their performances. Jonny is expecting that losing should be enough; it shouldn't be, at least not as far as the Grand Slam is concerned.Deduce635811-10-2026
- Well being honest,it doesn't matter what level you play at, there's always someone who slows it down to suit themselves,and extra swig of water, replacing flights, asking the ref what the score is. It happens wherever. I'm not saying it's professional,but I'm sure we've all seen it beforerick6711-10-2026
- Agree completely. Not sure how a ranking event can have a criteria not based on rankings. And he right on popularity. In the UK second only to football.BandB11-10-2026
- Doesn't matter who's in it,it's boringrick6710-10-2026
- Assuming you qualify as one of the "muppets" in question. Classist too. And since you're so clearly interested in academia, look up "linguistic descriptivism" while you're at it. Oh, and better stay away from the working class sport of darts and maybe offer your insightful analysis to, let's say, croquet instead?Deduce635806-10-2026
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