“I can earn good money, or nothing at all” – Van Barneveld skips Winmau World Masters for two exhibitions at Dutch football club

Raymond van Barneveld will not take part in the Winmau World Masters. The Dutchman announced the news on Thursday, and there was immediate talk of a possible injury. It has now become clear that there is another reason for his absence.

The 58-year-old Dutchman has decided to skip the first major. ‘Barney’ later explained his decision. “I’ve got a bit of a twinge in my lower back and after the Worlds I’ve hardly picked up a dart. I also only got back yesterday from a 14-day holiday in Thailand. But that’s not really it,” he told Tubantia.

Van Barneveld has other commitments in his diary between January 29 and February 1. “Before the PDC calendar came out, I accepted two exhibitions with the FC Twente business club,” said Van Barneveld.

Those dates clash exactly with World Masters qualifying. “Then you do the math: two days at FC Twente, where I can earn good money, or nothing at all if you don’t survive qualifying. I chose the former.”

For the Winmau World Masters, the first major tournament of the year, the top 24 on the Order of Merit are seeded automatically. The remaining eight players are decided in the qualifiers, which are played on Wednesday, January 28. As the current world number 36, Van Barneveld would therefore need to win three matches in those qualifiers to reach the main draw.

If he lost his opening match, he would only be able to add £750. If he were to go out in his second match, that amount would rise to £1,000, and a third-round qualifying defeat would be worth £2,500. Should he make the main stage, he would be guaranteed £5,000.

His prior commitment with football club FC Twente has therefore led him to skip the attempt, meaning we will very likely next see the Dutchman in action at the first two Players Championship events of the year on February 9 and 10 in Hildesheim.