"The dream of a Tour Card was there, but the World Championship spot felt more certain": Stefan Bellmont wasn't expecting ProTour move

With three impressive titles on the Challenge Tour and a historic PDC Tour Card in his pocket, Stefan Bellmont experienced the best year of his career in 2025. Where he already showed glimpses of his potential breakthrough in 2024 by taking one Challenge Tour title, the Swiss went a hefty step further in the following season.

With wins in tournaments 5, 14 and 23, the now 35-year-old dart player crowned himself number one on the Challenge Tour Order of Merit - making him the first Swiss ever to capture a PDC Tour Card. It also earned him participation in both the Grand Slam of Darts and the World Darts Championship, definitively establishing his name on the international darts stage.

Meanwhile, "Belli," as he is known in darts country, looked back on his impressive season. "I'm glad it worked out so perfectly," he told DartsNews. "I went into the last Challenge Tour thinking I just had to take second place. That seemed realistic. The dream of a Tour Card was there, but the World Championship spot felt much more certain. Not much could actually go wrong there anymore. That gave peace of mind."

That rest proved crucial. Bellmont got off to an excellent start to the year, immediately making the final on the opening weekend and winning Challenge Tour 5 shortly thereafter. "You feel from the beginning that you are competing for the top. That also allowed me to play almost every Players Championship tournament as a substitute. That was a nice bonus, but I mainly saw it as an extra playing opportunity."

The deciding factor didn't fall until the penultimate Challenge Tour tournament. Bellmont knew exactly what was at stake, but kept his cool. "Of course I felt the pressure," he explained. "But that was just as much on the other players. Everyone in the top five or six knew that every game counted. In the end, it was about me focusing on my own game. That worked out."

That focus earned him another tournament victory - and with it the certainty of a Tour Card. Yet after that decision, the tank was virtually empty. Bellmont played the final tournament later that day and cleverly reached the last 16. "After the win, the battery was really a little empty. I had a 10-minute break before the next tournament started. Then I thought to myself, 'Come on, do what you can'. That I still got this far felt like confirmation that everything was right, even though I noticed I was getting physically and mentally tired."

In 2025, Bellmont played virtually all Players Championship tournaments as an "alternate. You would think that experience would give him a significant edge when he returns officially as a PDC Tour Card holder in 2026, but the Swiss nuances that view. "It maybe helps a little bit that I know the atmosphere and know what it's like, but it's not an advantage. It felt like an extra for me. The pressure was mainly on the men with a Tour Card. I was free to play. Next year is different: then I want to perform more consistently myself and climb on the Order of Merit."

A lot is changing at the organizational level as well. With a Tour Card, Bellmont is now allowed to play all European Tour qualifiers, something he was denied last year. "That means you're on the road more often. When you qualify, a week can suddenly look very different. Tuesday Players Championship in England, then straight on to Budapest or wherever. It's part of it."

Bellmont owes his breakthrough to a clear and consistent approach: building progress step by step, without losing himself in grandiose dreams. "Four years ago I had the same goal: the PDC Tour Card. Otherwise you don't have to go to Q-School," he says. "But I've always deliberately set small goals. Getting a constant level, European Tour debut, Players Championships, titles on the Challenge Tour. If you look back you can see a clear line: every year a step further. And now I'm standing here."

With the PDC Tour Card within reach for two years, Bellmont is setting his sights on financial stability on the Order of Merit. "I want to bring in as much money as possible, simple as that. But I don't put unnecessary pressure on myself. In two years I'll see where I stand."

Bellmont's breakthrough means a lot to the Swiss darts scene. As the driving force behind a training center and a recognizable face within the national darts world, he sees how the level is rising in his country. "I know I'm the figurehead," he says plainly. "But there are at least 10 to 20 Swiss players who have the level to compete internationally."

He sees the future positively, especially as several Swiss are preparing for Q-School. "Whether it will be enough for a PDC Tour Card for one of them I don't know, but I really hope so. If two Swiss win a Tour Card, that would be fantastic for our sport." Names he does not leave unnamed: Alex Fehlmann, Marcel Hirzel, Marcel 'Cello' Walpen and the young talent Ansh Sood he sees as examples of players who can make a move.

Bellmont will soon begin the World Darts Championship, his second appearance on the biggest stage in darts. Not much will change in terms of training regime. "I don't want to overtrain," he stresses. "I practice with a few training partners, sometimes alone in my club. I also talk to my mental coach regularly. That helps me stay focused. I'm on the right track."

Finally, Bellmont speaks with visible feeling about the support he receives. "The whole team around me feels like family: my partner, my manager, my sponsors. When I came back from the Challenge Tour there were about 25 people waiting for me at the airport. That says it all. I can only thank them."