“He tells me stories about what Phil Taylor did in the past” – Dutch prodigy guided by 'The Power's former manager secures PDC Tour Card at Q-School

After four exhausting days in Kalkar, Germany, Jurjen van der Velde could finally breathe a sigh of relief. The Dutchman, who in recent years has repeatedly shown he has both the talent and the mentality to compete with the world’s best, captured his PDC Tour Card at Q-School.

That means he is back on the Pro Tour and can once again fully focus on life as a professional darts player for the next two years. “It was maybe not my best week and not my best four days of darts, but it was enough,” Van der Velde reflects in a post-Q-School interview with Tungsten Tales. And sometimes, that is exactly what matters.

Q-School is known as one of the most nerve-wracking tournaments on the calendar. For four days, players battle for a limited number of PDC Tour Cards, with all-or-nothing matches and tiny margins. For Van der Velde, it was only decided on the final day. “Especially at the end, on Sunday, the last day was very nervous for all the players who were on a Tour Card spot,” he said.

Going into the final day, Van der Velde knew he still needed four points to secure qualification. That knowledge added extra pressure, especially after the third day ended in disappointment with a first-round defeat. “Then on the third day you think maybe if I can grab two points, I have a good step forward for the last day, but I lost in the first round,” he explained.

Still, he kept fighting. With two hard-fought 6-5 wins in deciding legs on the final day, he crossed the line. “On the last day I won two matches 6-5 in a deciding leg. Maybe I was a bit lucky a few games earlier in the week, but also on the last day. But I kept fighting, and yeah, now I’m back.”

Compared to his earlier Q-School attempts, Van der Velde clearly felt more experienced this time. The past two years played a big role in that. “Yeah, I think that helped me a lot because I’ve played a few times on the biggest stages in the world,” he said. “Bringing that back to the floor tournaments, that helped me a lot.”

Appearances on TV stages, where the pressure and attention are far greater than on the floor, have made him mentally stronger. He has learned how to handle nerves and expectations, and that pays off when it really matters.

Looking back on last year, Van der Velde mainly feels proud. He qualified for the Grand Slam of Darts, made it out of the group stage, and finished in the top ten on both the Development Tour and the Challenge Tour. He also won a week of the MODUS Super Series and reached the last 32 of the UK Open. “That was a really good start of the year,” he said.

He was also happy with his performances on the Challenge Tour. “The Challenge Tour is really hard because it’s the second level of the PDC, but the level is still very high,” he explained. “That’s really positive for me.”

The Grand Slam of Darts was an important measuring stick for Van der Velde. His first match was against Chris Dobey, who at the time was a top-eight player in the world. “I played my first game against Chris Dobey, who was a top-eight player at that moment,” he said. “That helped me, and after that I was more relaxed, not nervous anymore. I like playing on that stage.”

Van der Velde feels big stages suit him. “Every time I play on a big stage, I don’t play bad,” he said. “I usually hit my doubles quite well.” His match against Luke Humphries, despite the loss, confirmed that feeling. “I didn’t play bad, but Luke was just too good for me that game.”

His World Championship debut against Danny Noppert was another learning experience. Van der Velde started strongly and put Noppert under pressure. “I said to myself, to my girlfriend and my manager, if I have a good start, maybe I have some chances. And I did,” he said.

But Noppert edged it, helped by some brilliant finishes at key moments. “That’s maybe because he’s a lot more experienced than me on big stages,” Van der Velde admitted. “But I really enjoyed playing on the big stage for the first time.”

That match will also be remembered for something else: the famous wasp spray Van der Velde brought onto the stage. “Every year the wasp comes back, and my manager and I talked about doing something about it,” he said. “In the afternoon before my game I bought the spray in the shop, and the rest is history.”

The PDC intervened after the first break and asked him not to use it anymore, partly because of possible allergic reactions. “They came directly to me and said I couldn’t do that anymore,” he explained. “I didn’t get a fine for it, so it was just a joke, really.”

Van der Velde looks with admiration at Danny Noppert’s strong year, in which he reached four TV semi-finals. That Noppert did not get a Premier League invite surprised him. “Yeah, I was really surprised,” he said. “Four major semi-finals is a big achievement… I think he deserved a spot, but the Premier League is also a demonstration tournament.”

The shift in the Dutch hierarchy, with Gian van Veen as the new number one and a Premier League player, feels significant. “Yeah, I think it’s been 13 or 14 years with Michael as Dutch number one,” Van der Velde said. About Van Veen, he is full of praise: “Three or four years ago he went to Q-School as well, and since then he’s gone upwards with his darts. He deserves it.”

Finally, a new phase has begun for Van der Velde with his new management, including the former manager of Phil Taylor. “He has a lot of experience and I’m really happy I’m with them,” Van der Velde said. “He tells me stories about what Taylor did in the past, and that helps me a lot.”

Although he does not follow every routine exactly, he takes plenty of inspiration from it. “Things like that help me a lot.”