Van Barneveld looking ahead to return to PDC action after Q-School comeback: “Now the ball can start rolling”

Raymond Van Barneveld has secured his return to the PDC Tour after completing his comeback at Q-School this past week after a long process.

Due to the pandemic, it was uncertain for a long time whether Q-School would continue. "We started on October 1, but I wasn't sure where it would go. Every day we were practicing to make an attempt to get that Tour Card in January. It was also unclear how many Tour Cards there were available for a long time, "said Van Barneveld to NOS.

Ultimately, the PDC announced that Q-School would continue in February, but that Van Barneveld had to survive a pre school of sorts first. "Yes, you can have five stars on your shirt, but at the end of the day, you still have to participate in it. That was quite a degradation for myself. But it has been continuously said to me: we are just going to do this. I always started there and it gave me more to believe in.”

'Barney' was also shocked by the level. "There were a lot of good players present, but the mission was successful. Now the ball can start rolling. Next week I will be in Bolton, for the first Super Series. Four days in a row. Then immediately after the UK Open and then the second series. Then I will see if I can gather some ranking money. Because I ultimately want to go to the World Championship at the end of the year. "

Van Barneveld has received congratulations from Phil Taylor and Glen Durrant, among others. "But also Rafael van der Vaart and Robin van Persie, really great. I was not used to it anymore. In recent years my phone was not red hot, but wow, this is still alive in the Netherlands."