In my previous article, I explored which circuit attracts the strongest tournament fields in world darts.
This time, I wanted to go one step further.
How big is the gap between the world's leading tours?
Everyone knows the Players Championship is regarded as the benchmark of regular professional darts, but just how much stronger is it than the Challenge Tour? Is the Development Tour really a significant step down? How competitive has the Asian Tour become? And how do the regional circuits around the world compare?
Using my Q4QS database, I decided to find out.
How the Comparison Works
Every tournament in the Q4QS database is assigned a Tournament Strength Score.
This is not simply an average. Instead, it is a calculated rating that combines the overall quality of the field using factors such as player ratings, recent performances and overall field strength. The aim is to provide a consistent way of comparing tournaments from completely different tours and regions.
For this comparison, qualification events have been excluded wherever possible. On tours with a large number of tournaments, the strongest events have been used to provide a representative comparison. Smaller tours use all available events, or in the case of the CDLC, the five strongest events currently in the database.
As the database continues to grow, these figures will continue to evolve, but they already provide a fascinating snapshot of the current global darts landscape.
Q4QS World Tour Strength Scores (2026)
| Rank | Tour | Tournament Strength Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Players Championship | 99.31 |
| 2 | Challenge Tour | 91.85 |
| 3 | Development Tour | 89.26 |
| 4 | European Tour* | 89.15 |
| 5 | Asian Tour | 87.13 |
| 6 | DPA (Australia) | 83.25 |
| 7 | Nordic & Baltic | 82.46 |
| 8 | DPNZ (New Zealand) | 79.22 |
| 9 | CDC (North America) | 79.05 |
| 10 | PDC Women's Series | 74.95 |
| 11 | CDLC (Central & South America)** | 66.48 |
European Tour figure remains provisional while a small number of associated non-main-tour events continue to be refined within the database.
*Based on the five strongest events currently available.
The Players Championship Sets the Standard
There are very few surprises at the top.
The Players Championship circuit comfortably records the highest Tournament Strength Score, reinforcing what many professionals have said for years.
With Tour Card holders competing week after week, it represents the toughest regular test in professional darts.
What's perhaps even more impressive is the consistency. The standard barely drops throughout the season, making every Players Championship a genuine challenge.
A Smaller Gap Than You Might Think
One of the most interesting findings is the gap between the top four tours.
The Challenge Tour sits less than eight points behind the Players Championship, while the Development Tour is only a couple of points further back.
That highlights just how competitive the pathway into professional darts has become.
The Challenge Tour is packed with experienced players trying to regain their Tour Cards, while the Development Tour showcases some of the brightest young talents in the sport. Although their purposes are different, the overall standard remains remarkably high.
The Rise of the Asian Tour
Another eye-catching result is the strength of the Asian Tour.
With a Tournament Strength Score above 87, it sits much closer to Europe's pathway tours than many fans might expect.
As more players from across Asia continue to make an impact on the world stage, this is perhaps no longer a surprise.
The numbers suggest the region is producing increasing depth as well as elite talent.
A Truly Global Game
One of the aims of this analysis was to look beyond Europe.
Australia's DPA currently edges the Nordic & Baltic Tour, while DPNZ and the CDC produce very similar Tournament Strength Scores despite operating on opposite sides of the world.
Meanwhile, the CDLC continues to provide an important pathway for players across Central and South America, with the strength of its leading events continuing to improve.
Each of these tours serves a different purpose, but all play a vital role in the global growth of darts.
What These Numbers Don't Mean
It's important to remember that this isn't a ranking of prestige.
Every tour exists for a different reason.
The Players Championship is elite professional competition.
The Challenge Tour offers a route back to the professional circuit.
The Development Tour is designed to develop future stars.
Regional tours provide opportunities for players across the world to compete at a high level without needing to relocate to Europe.
The Tournament Strength Score simply measures the competitive strength of the tournament fields.
Final Thoughts
While the Players Championship remains the clear benchmark, perhaps the biggest takeaway from this analysis is just how strong the pathway and regional tours have become.
The gap between tours is often smaller than many people assume, particularly between the Challenge Tour, Development Tour and Asian Tour.
As the Q4QS database continues to expand, I'll continue refining these comparisons and updating the figures.
Next time in this Tournament Strength series, I'll move away from the tours themselves and look at the individual tournaments.
Which events attracted the strongest fields anywhere in the world during 2026?
The answers may surprise you.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.