My thoughts on a different way to allocate automatic Pro Tour spots.

With Q School nearly finished, it got me thinking about the spots that are automatically given to players on the Pro Tour. For the last decade, at least, it has been a case of going through Q School, or getting an automatic spot by finishing in the top 2 of the Challenge and Development Tours. However I think there could be better ways of doing this, Only my opinion, of course, but darts is an ever expanding sport and there may be room for change, which would expand the game globally, as well as making the secondary tours more relevant. I also feel that the PDC would benefit from this, as the numbers of participants across all tours should increase. 

I would definitely keep Q School in its current format, however, the number of qualifiers would be slightly less. 

Currently the top 2 in the Challenge Tour and Development Tour gain a place. I agree with that. the best players over a whole year should get a card. However to make these tours more relevant, I would have a final qualifier at the end of the year. I would also include the Women's Series in this too. 

So, I would say positions 3-30 on the Challenge and Development Tours, along with the top 8 on the Womens Series play a final one-off tournament of 64 players. The finalists of this would get a card. It would be like a pre-Q School, for those that have played particularly well, an extra chance if you like. 

This, I think, would create much more interest in the secondary tours. For example, the numbers dwindle significantly as the year progresses on these tours. In particular the last couple of events. From a PDC point of view, there's extra entry money that can be made. Players lower down the rankings would now have a chance at a card, without having to go to Q School, so more likely to attend more events.  It also gives a chance for the Womens game to progress, with 8 women given a chance for a tour card, rather than 1 or 2.

The PDC is growing more and more global, and I think this could also be reflected with automatic Tour cards. The standard of the Asian, North American and Oceania darts tours is increasing - in particular in Asia, where they showed what they can do at the 2025 PDC World Championships. With Q School operating in Europe, it makes it so difficult for those further afield to qualify. The World Series helps with highlighting these parts of the world, but doesn't help in terms of getting players from these areas on the Main Tour.  

I would suggest that the winners of the Asian and North American (CDC) Tours get an automatic card. If that was this year, then Alexis Toylo and Leonard Gates would represent. They would both be a welcome addition, and more than capable of competing .

Then in Oceania, the winners of the DPA Australian Tour and DP New Zealand Tour have a play-off for another automatic card. This would have been Joe Comito or Mark Cleaver

The need for more automatic global places on the Pro Tour can only improve the event and create interest. Areas like South America are pretty much untouched. Africa is growing and needs more exposure, as does the Middle East, with countries like Bahrain,Egypt and UAE all developing. 

The PDC is the World lead in an every increasing sport and would be great if they could see beyond the UK and Europe. Fingers crossed they will. 

So, I would like to see five automatic spots added. It wouldn't make that much of difference to the amount of overall qualifiers from Q School. What it would add is more interest all season on the secondary tours, and also bring the Main Tour to the rest of the world.