"I don’t think I’ll ever quit for real": John Part dreams of 'last song tour' but admits fire may never cease

Three-time world champion John Part is not ruling out a return to the highest PDC level. The 59-year-old Canadian feels his chapter as a dart player is not over yet. Despite losing his tour card in 2019 and a persistent shoulder injury during the corona period, the darts veteran continues to dream of another chance.

Part though had an unexpected setback in 2020. While walking his dog, he sustained an injury to his shoulder. “I got a rotator cuff injury from my dog. It was in the middle of 2020 and I couldn’t get it seen to. By the time I got an image [X-ray], it was fine, but then I had a frozen shoulder and had to stop throwing for six months," said Part.

Since then, he has been working on his recovery. “I’ve been working back to it since. I’m not too sure exactly what my capabilities are. I feel like I’m improving all the time but I’m not sure what the ceiling is. I’m still working at it and we’ll find out, I suppose. I’m getting mixed bits of success here and there.”

Although he participated unsuccessfully in Q-School twice before, Part is not ruling out another attempt in 2026. "I still have that love to play and to compete. I still enjoy it, I just wish the timing was a little different. I imagine, if I can give it a go again, I will. I like testing myself.”

Still, he acknowledges the circumstances are challenging. Q-School falls just after the World Championships, just when he has busy weeks as a commentator for Sky Sports. “It’s a month away [from home] at the worst time of year,” he said. “Sometimes, on the morale side, it’s hard to feel fresh.

Therefore, he will make the decision about participation only later, when he knows what his schedule looks like and whether the motivation is as strong as ever.

Should Part succeed in securing a Tour Card, he intends to approach tour life with a different outlook than he did in his final years as a pro. “I would manage that and see. Any wise person who’s just earned a card hits it hard the first couple of months, sees what returns they get and then re-evaluates and maybe picks their spots here and there.

He speaks from experience. “Obviously, if you’re not making money, you’re not whipping the horse. It was hard during my last few years when I had a card. I wasn’t making a lot of money and had a lot of expenses. It wasn’t ideal and maybe I wasn’t doing myself a favour, [not] pushing as hard as I could.

Should it ever happen again, Part wants to be more goal-oriented.

“If I did it [had a tour card] again, I’d look at it much more pragmatically and hit it hard in the initial stages, just to see. Things like getting in the World Cup, potentially, representing your country, are exciting. I’ve done it a bunch of times but it never gets boring.

“A tour card would get me into the UK Open, which I’ve always enjoyed. My last hurrah with the PDC was getting to the quarter-finals in the big snow year. I wouldn’t mind these opportunities as like a ‘last song tour’. But I don’t think I’ll ever quit for real.”