“Six boards and 130 people... They were playing pool two meters away” – Ron Meulenkamp reflects on chaotic yet successful qualifier for 2026 UK Open

Ron Meulenkamp recently managed to secure qualification for the 2026 UK Open in Liverpool via the amateur qualifier route. For the Dutchman, it marks his return to the PDC stage for the first time in a long while.

A few weeks ago, Meulenkamp signed a deal with Mach Darts Management, where among others, Danny van Trijp and Gian van Veen are under contract. “We’ve put a plan together. The idea this year is basically to play as much as possible,” he explains.

Since he failed to obtain a Tour Card, the focus this season is on the Challenge Tour, among other things. “Play a lot, gain plenty of match rhythm. That’s the goal.”

When the opportunity arose to earn a UK Open ticket in England through a qualifier, he didn’t have to think twice. “They said: do you want to go? I said: you know what, you miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take.”

When you think of professional darts, you think of tightly run floor events with screens showing exactly when you’re on. In Liverpool it was different. “It’s terrible,” Meulenkamp says with a smile. “We had six boards and 130 people. Everyone was on top of each other. They were playing pool two meters away from you. Lovely for a Sunday afternoon.”

His first match took a long time to come around. “It was the 58th match before I had to play. After that I was up 24th. You had to keep track of everything yourself. Nowadays you’d think: there’ll be a screen to follow along. But here you had to monitor it all yourself.”

Still, it had its charm. “This took me back to the time you played darts in the local pub with forty, fifty people. That’s really what it was. Shouters behind you, local heroes, established names who know: I’ve always got a chance.”

On Saturday Meulenkamp had already tried in Manchester, but his mission ended early there. A day later came Liverpool — and everything clicked. “I’d played three, four matches and thrown really well. Felt great.”

The tournament followed the classic knockout format: best of 7 legs, with a best of 9 final. Only the winner qualified for Minehead. “There are 130 people. Only the winner goes through. It’s not a given.” Meulenkamp survived several deciders. “Four times 4-3. It was a mega rollercoaster. Tight matches.”

In the final it initially looked like a formality. “I’m 4-0 up and then suddenly you think: I can’t find treble 20 anymore. It just flashes through your mind. This is what you came for, now finish the job.”

The nerves kicked in, but the Dutchman regrouped. “Back in the single one again. Just calm down. In the end, I managed to pull myself together.” He took the final 5-2. “Then I let them hear it. Those pool balls went flying for a moment. Lovely.”

Qualifying for the UK Open means more to Meulenkamp than just another event on the calendar. “These are the things you hope for when you set goals together. What are we doing this season? What does it involve? Then you seize such a great chance.”

He is grateful for the belief from his management. “I’m very proud that they have faith in me. That they’re giving me that chance. That gives me confidence too.” That confidence is boosted by recent results. “Lately it’s been going well. I won the B ranking of the Nederlandse Darts Bond. We keep building.”

The mission for 2026 is clear and grounded: play as many matches as possible. “Either it’s a good lesson and rhythm, or you win it. The goal is simply to play a lot of matches.”