"I had next year in Germany planned, I have some Euros I wanted to spend": Jim Long's sudden change of plan after Q-School success
PDC
Jim Long at the age of 56 will make is PDC ProTour debut next month after claiming a Tour Card at 2025 Q-School. 'The Gentleman' already was secured with his Tour Card quest but broke the heart of Kelvin O'Keefe and made the day of Thomas Lovely by winning.
But it is a sudden realisation of what he has done for Long who is now retired so can focus on darts but he was expecting to play Challenge Tour and go to Germany for those tournaments but instead he needs to plan the ProTour.
"It was a tough final knowing I already had it and I lost a little bit of my urgency or just my drive. But I was glad to pull it out in the end," said Long post final.
"To be honest, my first two days I played the same I just didn't hit my doubles. I missed so many doubles in the first two days and I was distraught about it. I came down here the last two days and I spent a full hour on double 20, double 10, double five. They came through me in the last two days so."
"I already had my plans for Challenge Tour on the weekend. I had next year in Germany planned because I have some Euros at home that I wanted to spend and so hopefully maybe I can make a Euro Tour."
"I've been retired since 2020 right when Covid started. I wanted to do Q-School every year since then and the guys playing the Seniors and MODUS and the camaraderie I've had and the great games, I would like to play those games a little longer format. So I was either going to be happy with the ProTour or Challenge Tour, I was happy with either."
Now he has to travel back and forth but the main thing he also takes from this is that he will be at the World Cup of Darts with Matt Campbell representing Canada, a great source of pride no doubt.
"Every month from February to October. Matt is my doubles partner in Canada so the biggest thing I take from this is that him and I will play the World Cup together. Me and Matt are in, obviously I have a lot of planning to do for the upcoming year with the CDC and getting to the World's and ProTour. I'm at the end of my rope, I've been doing it a long time. I don't know is there anybody who is coming to their first Q-School I don't know. I just wanted to play, I just wanted to experience it and do my best."
Jim Long secures his Tour Card outright in Milton Keynes, beating Kelvin O'Keefe 6-4.
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) January 12, 2025
That means that Thomas Lovely qualifies in the final place on the Order of Merit. pic.twitter.com/YQ1wlHsXpU
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