"I saw everyone going past me. One after another kept overtaking me” – Nervy ending at Q-School but Alexander Merkx does enough to win his Tour Card

After an afternoon full of tension, calculations, and uncertainty, Alexander Merkx has secured a PDC Tour Card at Q-School 2026. The Dutchman ultimately finished just high enough on the Order of Merit to call himself a professional for the next two seasons. The release was immense, because it was anything but straightforward.

“It was a really crazy afternoon,” Merkx summed up his day. “I’m a few years older now and you notice that mentally as well. It was especially tough to have to follow everything and wait it out.” With nine points, qualification initially seemed within reach. “I really thought nine points would be enough,” he said. “But when I got to nine points and lost that match, I saw everyone going past me. One after another kept overtaking me.”

That created doubts. “At that moment I thought: maybe it won’t be enough after all,” Merkx admitted. The wait became a real ordeal as other matches finished and the standings kept shifting. In the end, everything just about fell his way. “But in the end it’s enough,” he said with a smile. “So yes, of course I’m happy.”

The Tour Card marks the next step in Merkx’s darts career. The professional circuit isn’t entirely new to him. “I’ve played a few ProTours over the past three years,” he explained. “Not a lot, but enough to know what’s required. And I think I did well there.” He took that experience into Q-School. “I just played a good Q-School,” he said matter-of-factly.

Asked whether he’s ready for two years on the Tour, Merkx didn’t hesitate. “Yes,” he said firmly. “I think this is the right moment.” Still, he remains realistic. “Let’s just see how it goes,” he added. “The level is high and you have to turn up every week.”

From the interview corner came a warning to the competition: “Take it from a Dutchie, this Dutchie is dangerous.” Merkx laughed, but the message was clear. “You’ll see over the next two years,” he said confidently.