PDC Challenge Tour 2026: Field, Prize Money, Format, TV Guide, Order of Merit and Predictions

The PDC Challenge Tour is due to take place over 24 events this year with top names aiming to make their way back on or for the first time onto the PDC Tour.

The breeding ground for some top names think of Rob Cross, Ryan Searle among others over the years and now the race is on from 16 January to find the next two players who will find their way onto the tour post Q-School.

While not yet confirmed for the first edition of the tournament, it will feature all of those players who did not seal Tour Cards so likely Fallon Sherrock, John Henderson, Steve Beaton, Jose de Sousa and Andreas Harrysson among others battling for the top two spots in the Order of Merit.

Players who play the first stage are eligible to be involved in the Challenge Tour and so it will be a lot of players at least for the first few events. Albeit sometimes they clash with other tournaments making it a bit of a lottery in terms of who will play in each one.

The prize money remains unchanged with £3,000 for the winner of each tournament. The runner-up claims £2,000. The semi-finalists seal £1,000.

Quarter-Finals claim £750. Last 16 losers claim £350. Overall there is a total payout per event of £20,000.

There are 24 events in all spread between Milton Keynes, Leicester, Hildesheim and Wigan and there are two tournaments a day on Friday and Saturday with one on Sunday so there are five in all apart from the last weekend where there are only four. The matches are first to five.

The top two players on the Challenge Tour Order of Merit, who had not obtained a PDC Tour Card via another method, won a two-year Tour Card for the 2027 and 2028 seasons. The top three players on the Challenge Tour Order of Merit, who had not qualified via another method, qualified for places at the 2027 PDC World Championship.

While the highest ranked player on the Challenge Tour Order of Merit received a spot at the 2026 Grand Slam of Darts.

The players in the top 16 of the Challenge Tour Order of Merit, who had not obtained a PDC Tour Card before 2027 Qualifying School (Q–School), were granted free entry to the final stage of Q–School.

The eight highest ranked players from the Challenge Tour Order of Merit, who did not earn a Tour Card for the 2026 season, qualified for the first round of the 2026 UK Open so the same goes again.

The Challenge Tour is not available to watch. The Development Tour is also the same in regards to it being behind closed doors. This in comparison to the ProTour and Women's Series.

This means that the only results that will be available are done through DartConnect and also through this Tournament Centre when the first event is completed.

The 2026 Order of Merit will be updated here after Challenge Tour Event One but here's a look at the 2025 version with Stefan Bellmont and Darius Labanauskas now joining the 128 Tour Card holders.

Samuel Gill, Head Editor for DartsNews.com goes for a different route with some familiar names picked but not the ones who are favourite.

For me it is more a lottery of the best players not on tour who perhaps aren't as attractive to the eye in regards to value e.g I'm not picking a De Sousa or Harrysson and instead am picking two players who are known but aren't in that bracket.

Ted Evetts had a super poor Q-School but he knows these events. 'Super Ted' has long been a player who can win these titles for fun especially on the Development Tour and alongside another name still has the game to be involved at a high level.

The other being Nathan Rafferty. Similar to Evetts, he has semi made a living as bad as it sounds on losing his Tour Card then winning it back on the secondary tours so I see him doing just that.

*** Ted Evetts, Nathan Rafferty

Mats Leering, Editor for DartsNieuws.com picks Harrysson and Van den Herik for the top two Tour Card spots.

The PDC Challenge Tour is the perfect place for players to qualify for the World Darts Championship and still win a Tour Card. This year, there are again a number of well-known players and talents who have a serious chance of making a big impression here.

One of those players, who in my opinion can be considered the big favourite, is Andreas Harrysson. The Swede played a very strong World Darts Championship, reaching the fourth round and climbing to 73rd place in the PDC Order of Merit. As a result, he had to go to Q-School to secure his Tour Card, and there too, many saw him as one of the favourites. However, he just fell short and ended up one place too low on the Order of Merit. This makes the Challenge Tour the perfect place for “Dirty Harry” to secure his Tour Card and a starting place at Ally Pally next year.

Another name who finished sixth on the Challenge Tour last year, and therefore already has experience and could well make a big impression this year, is Dutchman Jamai van den Herik. He made his debut at the World Championship last December, where he lost to Madars Razma in the first round. However, he was able to gain experience on the big stage, which could help him secure his Tour Card via the Challenge Tour next year.

Favourites

***Andreas Harrysson

**Jamai van den Herik

Lucas Michael, Editor for DartsNews.com also picks Harrysson and Van den Herik for glory.

Another year of the Challenge Tour is set to take place with 24 events set to be rigorously challenged by many hopeful players looking to clinch a Tour Card. However, only two can earn one through the Order of Merit, with players having to be at their best week in, week out.

A range of darters from new names to experienced faces will be regularly competing. One player I am hopeful to make it through is the talented Andreas Harrysson, who has impressed on his brief showings in the PDC. Specifically, at the PDC World Darts Championship where he came within one match of earning a Tour Card outright. He has immense quality on the oche and was unfortunate not to get through Q-School, missing out by a number of legs. However, I believe his time will now come to regularly compete among the best players in the world.

As for the other spot, I am going to look to youth and pick out young Dutchman Jamai van den Herik. He underperformed hugely at Q-School after qualifying for the World Darts Championship. The potential is there but it is whether he will show it more consistently. After coming sixth last year in the Challenge Tour Order of Merit, the next step is to continue his progress up the order as he looks to add his name to the plethora of Dutchman on the PDC Tour.

*** Andreas Harrysson, Jamai van den Herik

Oliver Ried, Editor for DartsNews.DE finally picks a German to lead the way.

The Challenge Tour season offers the potential for surprises every year and consistently delivers an incredibly exciting race. In 2025, Michael Unterbuchner ultimately missed out on World Championship qualification because Mervyn King dramatically survived three match darts from Lee Cocks in the final event — including a bouncer when Cocks was aiming at double 16. Moments like that are exactly why the Challenge Tour is so loved: anything can happen, and there is no clear dominant force.

In my opinion, a German player will win the Challenge Tour for the first time. The aforementioned Michael Unterbuchner enjoyed a superb 2025 season and also impressed at Q-School. However, he narrowly missed out on a Tour Card there as well, partly because he lost his opening match on the final day despite averaging 96. I believe Unterbuchner will carry that form forward, win the series overall, and secure his Tour Card that way.

A major challenger will be Scotland’s Darren Beveridge. He lost his Tour Card despite producing two very solid performances at the World Championship. He also showed good form at Q-School, but ultimately collected only five points and therefore failed to regain his Tour Card. Still, like Unterbuchner, if he competes in all events, he will be one of the top favourites.

Ted Evetts is another player to watch closely. The Englishman finished third last year, missing out on a Tour Card by just £1,500, and he also fell short at Q-School. He has the experience and the game to come through in this environment.

Florian Hempel should also be on the radar. The Cologne-based player chose not to immediately attempt to regain his Tour Card after losing it, instead taking a year to reset his focus and rebuild his confidence. If he can rediscover that confidence, he will be one of the leading contenders for the title.

Another name worth keeping an eye on is Ireland’s Steve Lennon. For the first time in years, he is no longer on the Tour and is now aiming to play his way back onto the ProTour via the Challenge Tour.

***Michael Unterbuchner

** Darren Beveridge

*Steve Lennon, Florian Hempel, Ted Evetts