Two fresh faces, Charlie Manby and Jimmy van Schie, are set to make their highly anticipated debuts on the prestigious PDC European Tour! They successfully navigated intense qualification rounds for the International Darts Open (ET7) in Riesa (May 22-24) and the Baltic Sea Darts Open (ET8) in Kiel (May 29-31). Alongside these rising stars, established names like Cristo Reyes, Kim Huybrechts, and Sebastian Bialecki also secured their spots, while top seed Rob Cross faced heartbreaking near-misses. Get ready for thrilling darts action as new talents emerge and veterans continue to shine!
New Stars Emerge: Manby and Van Schie Ready for European Tour
The latest double-header of Tour Card Holder qualifiers for the PDC European Tour events has concluded, awarding ten coveted places in each of the upcoming tournaments. These events promise to deliver top-tier darts action across Europe.
- International Darts Open (ET7): Held in Riesa, Germany, from May 22-24.
- Baltic Sea Darts Open (ET8): Takes place in Kiel, Germany, from May 29-31.
Charlie Manby’s Impressive Road to Riesa (ET7)
One of the standout performers was Charlie Manby, who will make his PDC European Tour debut at the International Darts Open. His journey included a crucial deciding leg victory over Gabriel Clemens, followed by solid 6-3 wins against Jeffrey de Graaf and Thomas Lovely. Manby’s consistent play secured his well-deserved spot in Riesa.
ET7 Qualifiers: A Mix of Experience and Near Misses
The ET7 qualifiers saw a blend of seasoned pros maintaining their form and dramatic finishes for others.
- Cristo Reyes (“The Spartan”) and Kim Huybrechts (“The Hurricane”) continued their impressive qualification streaks for 2026. Reyes defeated Richard Veenstra, Mensur Suljovic, and Andy Boulton, while Huybrechts overcame Marvin Kraft, Alan Soutar, and Maik Kuivenhoven.
- Rob Cross, a top seed, suffered an agonizing defeat, losing from a 5-1 lead to Chris Landman, who booked his place. Fellow Dutchman Jeffrey Sparidaans also secured his return to the European Tour stage with a decisive 6-4 win over Stefan Bellmont.
- Connor Scutt celebrated his 29th birthday in style, clinching his spot in Riesa with a thrilling 6-5 victory against Christian Kist.
- Other qualifiers for ET7 include Keane Barry, Madars Razma, and Tom Bissell, who impressed with a 101.63 average in his 6-4 win over Jeffrey de Zwaan.
A notable mention goes to Owen Bates, who threw a perfect leg in his comeback win over Adam Gawlas but narrowly missed out on ET7 qualification, missing three match darts in a last-leg decider against former World Youth Champion Bradley Brooks, who averaged 102.31 to prevail.
Jimmy van Schie Leads the Charge for Kiel (ET8)
The Baltic Sea Darts Open will feature another exciting debutant: Jimmy van Schie. He battled through tough competition, defeating Mensur Suljovic, Adam Gawlas, and Richard Veenstra to secure his long-awaited first appearance on the PDC European Tour.
ET8 Qualifiers: Rebounds and Local Heroes
The qualifiers for ET8 also delivered plenty of drama and compelling stories.
- Jeffrey de Zwaan bounced back from his ET7 disappointment, qualifying for ET8 moments later with a 6-4 win over Shane McGuirk.
- In contrast, Cristo Reyes couldn’t achieve a qualification double, losing 6-3 to Justin Hood in the final round.
- Both Rob Cross and Christian Kist again reached the final qualification round but ultimately came away empty-handed, losing to Alan Soutar (6-3) and Max Hopp (6-5) respectively.
- Germany will have local representation with Max Hopp and Lukas Wenig, who defeated David Sharp, Adam Lipscombe, and Stephen Burton to advance.
- Experienced players like three-time European Tour champion Ian White secured his spot with a convincing 6-2 win over Dennie Olde Kalter, joined by former UK Open semi-finalist Ricky Evans, who defeated Viktor Tingstrom by the same score.
- Sebastian Bialecki will make his fourth PDC European Tour appearance of 2026, needing a deciding leg to overcome Sietse Lap.
- Unfortunately, Dimitri van den Bergh’s attempts to qualify for his first appearance of the year fell short in a narrow 6-4 loss to James Hurrell.
Understanding the PDC European Tour Format
The 2026 PDC European Tour features 15 events, showcasing the best darts talent. Here’s a quick breakdown of how players qualify and compete:
- Top 16 Players: These elite players automatically receive a bye to the second round of each event.
- Next 16 Top-Ranked Players (PDC Pro Tour): These players are seeded for the opening round.
- First Round Competitors: The seeded players face off against various qualifiers, including:
- 10 PDC Tour Card Holders (like those discussed above).
- A Nordic & Baltic Qualifier.
- An Eastern Europe Qualifier.
- Four local qualifiers from the host region.
Upcoming European Tour Action
Before ET7 and ET8, the European Tour continues with the European Darts Grand Prix (ET5) in Sindelfingen from April 17-19. Stay tuned for more thrilling darts as the season progresses!
Full List of Qualifiers
ET7 Tour Card Holder Qualifiers:
- Chris Landman
- Bradley Brooks
- Tom Bissell
- Kim Huybrechts
- Jeffrey Sparidaans
- Madars Razma
- Keane Barry
- Cristo Reyes
- Connor Scutt
- Charlie Manby
ET8 Tour Card Holder Qualifiers:
- Alan Soutar
- Max Hopp
- Ricky Evans
- Lukas Wenig
- James Hurrell
- Jeffrey de Zwaan
- Ian White
- Jimmy van Schie
- Sebastian Bialecki
- Justin Hood
Source: Based on an article from Darts Planet TV.
