The Golden Ticket: Unveiling the 128 Darts Stars of the 2026 Pro Tour
After an intense seven days of Q-School, the final 128 players for the 2026 PDC Pro Tour are confirmed. This year sees a fascinating mix of rising stars, seasoned pros, and emotional comebacks. Germany proudly boasts 15 Tour Card holders, cementing its position as the third strongest nation, while the Netherlands leads the charge with seven new qualifiers. Notable stories include 60-year-old Mervyn King regaining his card, Beau Greaves becoming the sole female player on the Pro Tour, and a Swiss player making history with his first card. This comprehensive overview details all the qualifiers, highlighting key successes and the exciting landscape for professional darts in 2026.
The Road to the Pro Tour: Q-School and Beyond
A PDC Tour Card is the ultimate prize for aspiring professional darts players. This coveted “golden ticket” grants players access to all PDC Pro Tour events, including Players Championships and European Tour Qualifiers, for a period of two years. Without it, competing at the highest level is extremely difficult.
The primary route to securing a Tour Card is through the annual Q-School, a gruelling multi-day event where players battle for a limited number of spots. However, some players also earn their cards through consistent performance on secondary tours like the Challenge Tour and Development Tour.
Germany’s Darts Dominance Continues
Germany has once again proven its strength in professional darts, with an impressive 15 players holding Tour Cards for 2026, making them the third most represented nation. This marks an increase from the 12 German players on tour last year.
Existing German Stars
- Martin Schindler: Kicking off 2026 as the World No. 15, Schindler remains a top German contender.
- Ricardo Pietreczko: A consistent presence, now firmly established on the Pro Tour.
- Gabriel Clemens: The “German Giant” has faced a challenging period, reflected in his Order of Merit ranking, but remains Germany’s third-highest ranked player.
- Niko Springer: Enjoyed an outstanding first year with his Tour Card, facing no prize money defence this year and putting pressure on those above him.
- Lukas Wenig: Secured his card for at least another year with a strong year-end surge, pushing into the top 64.
Q-School Successes & New Faces
The 2025 Q-School saw several Germans shine, bolstering the nation’s ranks:
- Max Hopp & Dominik Grüllich: Both finished around 70th after their first year with a Tour Card and will now aim to break into the top 64 to secure their spots beyond 2026.
- Arno Merk: Earned his Tour Card on the very first day of the Final Stage, ready to make a significant impact.
- Yorick Hofkens: At just 18 years old, Hofkens secured his place, representing a bright future for German darts.
- Matthias Ehlers: Another German qualifier from the Final Stage, adding to the strong contingent.
- Marvin Kraft: Secured his Tour Card for the first time.
- Pascal Rupprecht: Marks a welcome return to the Pro Tour.
- Leon Weber, Maximilian Czerwinski, and Kai Gotthardt also secured cards, facing a challenging path ahead to establish themselves.
Dutch Darts Powerhouse
The Netherlands demonstrated exceptional performance in Q-School, securing seven new Tour Cards, making them the most successful nation in this year’s qualifiers.
New Dutch Tour Card holders include:
- Jimmy van Schie: The reigning WDF World Champion, making a significant transition to the PDC.
- Alexander Merkx
- Sietse Lap
- Jeffrey Sparidaans
- Jeffrey De Zwaan
- Chris Landman
- Jurjen van der Velde
Additionally, Shane McGuirk, a former WDF World Champion who narrowly missed out last year, successfully earned his card this time around.
New Nations and International Breakthroughs
The 2026 Pro Tour will feature players from new territories, highlighting the global growth of darts:
- Stefan Bellmont (Switzerland): Making history as the first Swiss Tour Card holder, Bellmont secured his spot through his stellar performance on last year’s Challenge Tour, not Q-School directly.
- Benjamin Pratnemer (Slovenia): The first Slovenian player to hold a Tour Card.
- Filip Bereza (Poland): A surprising but welcome addition, adding a Polish presence to the tour.
Other notable international qualifiers from Q-School include:
- Charlie Manby (England)
- Niall Culleton (Ireland)
- Stephen Rosney (Ireland)
- David Sharp (Scotland)
- Adam Leek (Australia): The only non-European player to successfully qualify through Q-School this year.
Emotional Returns and Regained Glory
Q-School always brings its share of drama and heartwarming comebacks. This year was no exception:
- Mervyn King: “The King” made an emotional last-gasp return to the Pro Tour at the age of 60, proving that age is just a number.
- Immediate Returns: Stephen Burton, Rhys Griffin, and Chris Landman all managed to immediately regain their lost Tour Cards, securing at least two more years on the circuit.
- Familiar Faces Returning: Alongside King and Rupprecht, several other well-known players are making a comeback, including Cristo Reyes, Jeffrey De Zwaan, Jurjen van der Velde, Jeffrey Sparidaans, and Adam Gawlas.
Secondary Tour Qualifiers and Historic Firsts
Beyond Q-School, two players from the Development Tour (for emerging talents) and two from the Challenge Tour (for players just below the Pro Tour) also earned their cards:
- Beau Greaves (Development Tour): In a landmark moment, Greaves secured her first-ever Tour Card, making her the only female player on the Pro Tour for the next 12 months. This is a significant step for women’s darts.
- Owen Bates (Development Tour): After losing his Tour Card, Bates quickly regained it through the Development Tour, bypassing Q-School.
- Darius Labanauskas (Challenge Tour): “The Lithuanian Wolf” reclaimed his card through strong performances on the Challenge Tour, joining Stefan Bellmont from this route.
The Full Roster: All 128 Tour Card Holders for 2026
Here is the complete list of players who will compete on the 2026 PDC Pro Tour:
- Luke Littler
- Luke Humphries
- Gian van Veen
- Michael van Gerwen
- Jonny Clayton
- Gary Anderson
- Stephen Bunting
- Ryan Searle
- Josh Rock
- Danny Noppert
- James Wade
- Gerwyn Price
- Chris Dobey
- Nathan Aspinall
- Martin Schindler
- Ross Smith
- Damon Heta
- Jermaine Wattimena
- Mike De Decker
- Rob Cross
- Luke Woodhouse
- Dave Chisnall
- Daryl Gurney
- Ryan Joyce
- Dimitri van den Bergh
- Cameron Menzies
- Ritchie Edhouse
- Krzysztof Ratajski
- Wessel Nijman
- Dirk van Duijvenbode
- Peter Wright
- Michael Smith
- Andrew Gilding
- Ricardo Pietreczko
- Joe Cullen
- Raymond van Barneveld
- Martin Lukeman
- Kevin Doets
- Callan Rydz
- Ricky Evans
- Brendan Dolan
- Niels Zonneveld
- William O’Connor
- Scott Williams
- Madars Razma
- Madars Razma
- Gabriel Clemens
- James Hurrell
- Connor Scutt
- Justin Hood
- Jeffrey de Graaf
- Ian White
- Alan Soutar
- Niko Springer
- Mensur Suljovic
- Ryan Meikle
- Richard Veenstra
- Keane Barry
- Nick Kenny
- Kim Huybrechts
- Thibault Tricole
- Lukas Wenig
- Robert Owen
- Mario Vandenbogaerde
- Karel Sedlacek
- Bradley Brooks
- Cam Crabtree
- Wesley Plaisier
- Sebastian Bialecki
- Max Hopp
- Adam Lipscombe
- Dominik Grüllich
- Cor Dekker
- Maik Kuivenhoven
- Andy Boulton
- Tavis Dudeney
- Oskar Lukasiak
- Darryl Pilgrim
- Tom Bissell
- Christian Kist
- Leon Weber
- Dennie Olde Kalter
- Jim Long
- Thomas Lovely
- Marvin van Velzen
- Viktor Tingström
- Adam Warner
- Greg Ritchie
- Adam Paxton
- Maximilian Czerwinski
- Tytus Kanik
- Stefaan Henderyck
- Rusty-Jake Rodriguez
- Pero Ljubic
- Kai Gotthardt
- Stefan Bellmont
- Darius Labanauskas
- Beau Greaves
- Owen Bates
- Arno Merk
- Filip Bereza
- Rhys Griffin
- Adam Leek
- Jeffrey Sparidaans
- Cristo Reyes
- Carl Sneyd
- Niall Culleton
- Matthias Ehlers
- Yorick Hofkens
- Tom Sykes
- Shane McGuirk
- Jeffrey De Zwaan
- Sietse Lap
- Charlie Manby
- Samuel Price
- Jimmy van Schie
- Chris Landman
- Marvin Kraft
- Benjamin Pratnemer
- Adam Gawlas
- Jurjen van der Velde
- Alexander Merkx
- Pascal Rupprecht
- Stephen Burton
- Mervyn King
- Tyler Thorpe
- Stephen Rosney
- David Sharp
What’s Next for the Pros?
The journey for these 128 Tour Card holders officially begins with the first Players Championship event in Hildesheim on February 9th. Before that, many will participate in the Winmau World Masters from January 28th to February 1st. The Challenge Tour also kicks off this Friday in Milton Keynes, providing a pathway for those still aiming for a spot on the main tour in the future.
The 2026 season promises to be an exciting spectacle, with a strong mix of established stars, promising new talents, and compelling comeback stories all vying for glory on the professional darts circuit.
Source: Based on an article from dartn.de.
