With PDC
European Q-School concluding, the Class of 2023 has been confirmed who will take Tour Cards for this season and 2024 with four outright winners including
Corey Cadby and
Jeffrey de Zwaan as well as 10 through the Order of Merit.
Immediately on the first day of the Final Stage, Jeffrey Sparidaans became the first Dutchman and the first of two Jeffrey's to find their way onto the PDC Tour. A former BDO standout, Sparidaans is set for his debut on the tour.
Cadby was next up. He made a big impression on the PDC Tour between 2016-2018 including reaching the UK Open final and becoming World Youth Champion but due to visa issues and personal problems, he return to Australia in 2020 relinquishing his Tour Card.
A sudden return was set for 'The King' who had flirted with the idea for most of 2022 before being announced for Q-School. He now finds himself back ready to make a mark again.
De Zwaan has also tasted his issues but more on an injury front with 'The Black Cobra' reaching the semi-finals of the 2018 World Matchplay and being heralded as the next Dutch Darting talent but has since had crippling issues with his shoulder.
At the end of 2022, he saw his form return but like Keegan Brown in the UK side for instance, it was too little too late and missing the World Championship saw JDZ go to Q-School but he saw off Maik Kuivenhoven who also returns through the Order of Merit. Robbie Knops then on the final day sealed his outright in a field that already saw every player in the latter stages confirmed in some way or another.
Kuivenhoven led the way on the Order of Merit winners alongside 22-year-old, Pascal Rupprecht who perhaps was the story of Q-School. A young German who only picked up darts in 2022 and impressed in local tournaments will now astonishingly make his PDC debut in 2023.
While from new to darts to a veteran as
Ronny Huybrechts, brother of Kim makes his return to the tour after a three-year absence. The latter showed his delight on social media as both his brother and his best friend, Niels Zonneveld will return.
Richard Veenstra, a long BDO/WDF standout who perhaps hasn't lived up to his darting potential will make his full PDC debut.
While Karel Sedlacek was cruelly denied his Tour Card in 2022 despite being a regular on the European Tour and playing at the World Championship winning one game before being denied by Dirk van Duijvenbode, he showed his class though easing to a Tour Card through the Order of Merit.
From Czech darts' shining light to a trailblazer as
Jacques Labre becomes the first Frenchman to seal a PDC Tour Card ahead of Thibault Tricole who has long flown the flag for French Darts. He is joined by
Daniel Klose, a German Super League semi-finalist and rising Dutchmen
Gian van Veen and Owen Roelofs. That is the class of 2023.
Outright Winners
Jeffrey Sparidaans
Corey Cadby
Jeffrey de Zwaan
Robbie Knops
Winners via European Q-School Order of Merit
Maik Kuivenhoven
Richard Veenstra
Niels Zonneveld
Pascal Rupprecht
Ronny Huybrechts
Karel Sedlacek
Jacques Labre
Daniel Klose
Gian van Veen
Owen Roelofs