The fourteenth edition of the PDC
Q-School took place from Monday, January 8 to Sunday, January 14, 2024. At the
European Q-School in Kalkar, 17 players managed to earn Tour Cards, including five Dutchmen.
Martijn Dragt
In 2023 Martijn Dragt took part in Q-School for the first time, but did not manage to get through the opening stages then. The 35-year-old Dutchman did qualify for the Baltic Sea Darts Open 2023, where he reached the last 16 after victories over Ricky Evans and Rob Cross. Dragt returned to Q-School this year and did get through the opening round. Dragt then became the daily winner on the opening night of the final stage and immediately secured a Tour Card.
Jelle Klaasen lost his Tour Card in 2021 and then failed to regain it at Q-School. The 2006 Lakeside winner then did achieve success on the WDF circuit, including winning the Dutch Open in 2022. This year, Klaasen returned to Q-School again and was successful. On the second day, he took the daily victory and secured his return to the professional circuit.
In December 2021, Landman managed to win the Western European Qualifying Tournament to make his debut at the Alexandra Palace. In 2023 Landman took a title on the Challenge Tour and managed to reach the final of a Players Championship as a reserve player. At Q-School 2024, the runner-up of the 2023 WDF World Championship secured a Tour Card.
Patrick Geeraerts
Patrick Geeraerts ended with 7 points, enough for fifth on the European Q School Order of Merit. The 45-year-old Dutchman will thus be seen on the professional circuit for the next two years.
The 24-year-old Jitse van der Wal finished sixth on the 2024 European Q-School ranking. Van der Wal competed in a number of Pro Tour tournaments in the past and took a title on the Challenge Tour in 2020.
Other new Tour Card holders with Dutch nationality
By the way, American-Dutchman Jules van Dongen and Swedish-Dutchman Jeffrey de Graaf also managed to win a Tour Card at the Q-School. They had both been Tour Card holders in the past.
Before the start of Q-School, two other Dutchmen already managed to secure a Tour Card for 2024. Berry van Peer finished with four titles at the top of the Challenge Tour Ranking in 2023 and thus earned a Tour Card for the upcoming season. Wessel Nijman won three titles on the Development Tour in 2023, finishing high enough to grab a Tour Card. Both players also featured at the last edition of the World Darts Championship, where Van Peer in particular impressed by reaching the third round with victories over Luke Woodhouse and Josh Rock.