"I'm playing the best darts I've ever played and I feel like I'm getting better" - Jim Long (56) ready to make an impact on PDC Pro Tour debut

At UK Q-School 2025, Jim Long recently captured a PDC Tour Card for the first time in his career. The 56-year-old Canadian won the last tournament at the Final Stage, allowing him to compete on the Pro Tour for the next two years.

For Long, the Tour Card came as a surprise. "I thought there was a an opportunity of course, but there's such a strong field there," reflects the two-time PDC World Darts Championship competitor in conversation with Tungsten Tales. "It's terribly difficult to get your Tour Card, so I didn't it at all. I just wanted to go and play, and now I've got to plan things differently."

Given he now has a Tour Card though, Long is looking to make the most of it. "I got the PDC calendar on my phone and I started filling in where we travel to and from. I wasn't aware that it would be like England for two or three days, and then the next week it's in the Netherlands. So it's going to be pretty crazy," says the Canadian. "It's pretty exciting honestly!"

Long has played on the MODUS Super Series and on the Seniors Tour in recent years. He also competed domestically on the CDC Tour (for players from North America). "I planned on going to Q-School years ago. But it was right after I was retiring and then it was covid and I was like man, I don't want to go pay my money, get tested for being positive for covid and then not even be able to play," he recalls. "I was pretty pretty happy and content to be playing the Challenge Tour this upcoming year. That's where I kind of expected to be.

Following in the footsteps of the likes of John Part, Jeff Smith and Matt Campbell, Long also continues the Canadian darting story. "I'm playing the best darts I've ever played and I feel like I'm getting better still," Long adds in conclusion, outlining his excitement to join the aforementioned Campbell in the Canadian World Cup of Darts team. "Matt and I get along great. So yeah, it could be the high point of getting my Tour Card!"