50,000 More Simulations: The 2026 Challenge Tour Tour Card Race Has Changed

 

Two events ago, the 2026 PDC Challenge Tour Tour Card race still looked relatively open.

Derek Coulson was in control, Joe Hunt was strongly placed but vulnerable, and Daniel Klose still had a very realistic chance of breaking into the top two.

I ran the final four events 50,000 times before the weekend began.

Now, with only two tournaments left and a maximum of £6,000 still available to any one player, I have run the remaining Challenge Tour season another 50,000 times.

The picture has changed dramatically.

The Order of Merit with two events left

Joe Hunt now leads on £17,050, ahead of Derek Coulson on £15,500.

Daniel Klose remains third on £11,900, with Tommy Morris fourth on £11,350.

Archie Self has climbed to fifth on £9,400, while Tommy Lishman, Daniel Ayres and Henry Coates remain further back.

The important thing now is that only £6,000 remains available.

That makes the gaps much harder to close.

The latest Q4QS simulation

Here is how the final two events played out across 50,000 simulations.

Player	Current Prize Money	Finish 1st	Tour Card Top 2	World Championship Top 3
Joe Hunt	£17,050	62.19%	99.78%	100.00%
Derek Coulson	£15,500	36.86%	96.37%	99.998%
Daniel Klose	£11,900	0.94%	3.78%	85.53%
Tommy Morris	£11,350	0.01%	0.06%	12.71%
Daniel Ayres	£7,650	—	—	0.81%
Tommy Lishman	£8,600	—	—	0.64%
Archie Self	£9,400	—	—	0.17%
Henry Coates	£7,000	—	—	0.07%

The Tour Card race now looks very different from where it stood before the weekend.

Joe Hunt has transformed his position

Before the final weekend began, Hunt was on £13,050.

He took a Tour Card in 81.45% of my original 50,000 simulations.

That was a very strong position, but still left a meaningful possibility that Daniel Klose or somebody else could catch him.

After two events, Hunt has moved to £17,050.

His Tour Card probability has now risen to 99.78%.

He also finishes the season at number one in 62.19% of the new simulations.

That is an enormous shift.

Two events ago, the main question around Hunt was whether he could hold off Klose.

Now it would take a very unusual sequence of results for Hunt to miss out.

Coulson remains overwhelmingly likely to take a card

Derek Coulson began the weekend as the clear favourite in the simulation.

His original Tour Card probability was 99.59%.

After two events, that figure is now 96.37%.

That slight reduction is mainly because Hunt has moved ahead of him, while Klose and Morris still retain mathematical routes into the top two.

Coulson remains in an extremely strong position on £15,500.

He also finishes first in 36.86% of the simulations.

Between Hunt and Coulson, the leading two now occupy the Tour Card places in the overwhelming majority of runs.

Klose now needs something special

The biggest change is Daniel Klose.

Before the weekend, Klose had a 16.98% chance of reaching the top two.

That was roughly one chance in six.

With only two events remaining, his probability has dropped to 3.78%.

That is still not zero.

Klose remains close enough to the leaders that a tournament victory could put enormous pressure on them.

But there is now much less time for the standings to move.

Klose is also in a completely different position when it comes to the World Championship.

The top three on the final Challenge Tour Order of Merit qualify, and Klose finishes inside that top three in 85.53% of the simulations.

So his position is now much stronger in the race for Ally Pally than it is for a Tour Card.

Tommy Morris is the main challenger for third

Tommy Morris sits only £550 behind Klose on £11,350.

His Tour Card chance is very small at 0.06%, but the battle for third place is much more realistic.

Morris takes a World Championship place in 12.71% of simulations.

That makes the Klose-Morris battle one of the most interesting remaining storylines.

A deep run from Morris combined with an early exit for Klose could change third place very quickly.

Archie Self can no longer reach the top two

There is also now a simple mathematical cut-off.

Archie Self sits fifth on £9,400.

Even if he won both remaining tournaments, the maximum additional prize money available is £6,000.

That would take him to £15,400.

Coulson already has £15,500.

So Self cannot now reach the top two, even with two tournament wins.

That means the Tour Card race is mathematically down to:

Joe Hunt
Derek Coulson
Daniel Klose
Tommy Morris

Others can still affect the outcome by beating those players, but they can no longer claim one of the two Tour Cards themselves.

How much has changed?

This is perhaps the clearest way to show it.

Before the final four events

Player	Tour Card Chance
Derek Coulson	99.59%
Joe Hunt	81.45%
Daniel Klose	16.98%

With two events remaining

Player	Tour Card Chance
Joe Hunt	99.78%
Derek Coulson	96.37%
Daniel Klose	3.78%

Hunt has gone from being the player under pressure to being almost completely secure.

Coulson remains in a very strong position.

Klose still has a route, but it now requires a much more dramatic finish.

Two tournaments left

There is still enough prize money available for something extraordinary to happen.

A tournament winner receives £3,000.

Two wins would therefore add £6,000.

But with every event completed, the current money becomes more valuable because there are fewer opportunities left to make up the difference.

That is exactly what these simulations are showing.

Before the weekend, Klose had four chances to close the gap.

Now he has two.

Hunt and Coulson have done most of the work.

Klose still has a chance.

Morris remains very much alive in the World Championship race.

And with only two Challenge Tour events remaining, every round now matters.

Yesterday’s Darts Results: Astbury Hits 111.33 as Archie Self Wins Challenge Tour – 26 September 2026

Another 38 tournaments have been added to the Q4QS database from Saturday, and there was plenty of variety in this set of results.

Daniel Astbury produced the biggest average of the day with a huge 111.33, Archie Self and Joe Hunt shared the two PDC Challenge Tour titles, and there was a particularly busy day of junior darts.

Closer to home, Hangar 61 staged both its Open Round Robin and a Sub 55 High Stakes Round Robin, while Wales produced several strong performances and there were also two WADC tournaments.

Astbury hits the biggest average of the day

The standout individual number came at the Inn On The Green in Shrewsbury.

Daniel Astbury averaged 111.33 in a 2–0 victory over Ash Coates and also produced a 93.94 later in the tournament.

The title, though, went to Jake B-Smith, who beat Kyle Jones 3–1 in the final. B-Smith finished with eight wins and also recorded a 91.09 average.

It's another example of why these daily reports are about more than simply listing the tournament winners.

Archie Self takes Challenge Tour 21

Archie Self put together an excellent run to win PDC Challenge Tour 21.

Self beat Tommy Morris 5–1 in the final, averaging 104.49, and finished the event with eight victories.

The highest average belonged to Michele Turetta at 105.85, with Martijn Dragt hitting 104.38, Morris 104.26 and Joe Hunt 101.55.

Those are serious numbers throughout the event.

Hunt follows up by winning Event 22

Joe Hunt then went one better in Challenge Tour 22, beating Callum Francis 5–3 in the final.

John Henderson led the averages with 103.98, while Tommy Morris continued an impressive scoring day with 102.95.

Across the two Challenge Tour events, Saturday produced a substantial collection of 100-plus performances.

Hangar 61: Allen takes the Open Round Robin

There was another busy Saturday at Hangar 61, with the main Open Round Robin producing 79 recorded matches.

Chris Allen took the title, beating Lewis Kendall 4–3 in the final and finishing with eight victories.

The biggest average of the tournament belonged to Joe Bagguley, who hit 88.41, with Darren Davies reaching 87.13. Allen's best listed performance was 85.89.

Ricky Palmer and Warren Ryan both recorded six wins, while Kendall and Bagguley finished with five apiece.

It's another useful result for the Q4QS database because Hangar 61 is one of the venues where the growing volume of results is starting to give us a much clearer picture of the regular players and the standard required to win there.

High Stakes Under 55 at Hangar 61

There was a second competition at Hangar 61 with the Sub 55 High Stakes Round Robin.

Russ Scott beat James Edwards 4–3 in the final, with both players recording six victories across the tournament.

Edwards produced comfortably the biggest average of the competition at 81.98, while Scott's highest listed figure was 66.80.

For an event restricted by playing level, an 81.98 is a particularly interesting number – and another reminder that an Under 55 event doesn't mean everyone in the room is going to average under 55 in every match.

Bobby Short breaks 100 in Llanelli

Wales supplied another of Saturday's biggest performances.

At the Terry Griffiths Matchroom in Llanelli, Bobby Short averaged 103.66 in a 2–0 victory over Ben Pumford and later added a 90.18.

The tournament was eventually won by Chris Bryant-Evans, who beat Louis Melville 3–1 in the final.

Bryant-Evans and Melville both recorded seven victories.

Henry Povey wins in Salisbury

One of the best stories from Saturday came from the junior game.

Henry Povey won the Salisbury Junior Super Series 4, beating Baileigh Stace 5–1 in the final and finishing with eight victories.

Povey produced averages of 84.40 and 83.50, while Mason Beaven recorded the tournament's best figure with an excellent 90.18.

Beaven and Stace both finished with seven wins.

Jack Johnson puts together an impressive sequence

There was more strong youth darts at the Mission Youth Open.

Jack Johnson won the 14 & Under Event 1, beating Archie Wright 4–1 in the final.

What particularly stands out is Johnson's consistency. His four leading listed averages were:

91.57, 90.83, 90.18 and 89.96.

Addison Hefferon produced the tournament's highest individual figure at 96.10, but Johnson put together the sustained run and finished with seven victories.

A busy Saturday for junior darts

The junior results didn't end there.

Rico Anderson won the JDC Wales Plate Tournament, beating Jaiden Jewell 3–0 in the final and averaging 80.52.

There were also Junior Volts titles for Prem Ahluwalia, Zain Edwards, Logan Smith, Harvey-Lee Nelson-Harris, Alex Gale and Theo Galea.

Nathan Ward-Wilkinson's 88.41 at Clacton was one of the strongest Junior Volts numbers of the day.

Wales produces plenty of stories

Away from the junior game, there was plenty happening across Wales.

Stephen Cake won the Aberfan Open, beating Joshua Brogden 6–1 in the final. Mike Huntley produced the event's best average at 98.36, with Marshall James reaching 96.57.

Finley Bennett took the Vault in Bargoed, while the 103.66 from Bobby Short in Llanelli was one of the highest grassroots averages anywhere in Saturday's results.

Bringing Wales further into these roundups is already adding some good performances and different names to the daily picture.

WADC: Fairbrother and Sayers take the titles

There were two WADC Vault events on Saturday.

At The Nags Head Inn in Cinderford, Vicky Fairbrother beat Dannie Hughes 3–1 in the final and finished with six victories.

Fairbrother also occupied the first four positions in the event's list of highest averages, headed by 56.11.

At The Glebe in Stevenage, Debbie Sayers beat Michelle Bull 3–2 to take the other WADC title.

I'll continue including the WADC results whenever events have been played. They are part of the same grassroots picture that Q4QS is trying to build.

Five performances that caught my eye

1. Daniel Astbury – 111.33 — Shrewsbury
2. Michele Turetta – 105.85 — Challenge Tour 21
3. Archie Self – 104.49 — Challenge Tour 21
4. Bobby Short – 103.66 — Llanelli
5. James Edwards – 81.98 — Hangar 61 Sub 55 High Stakes

There were plenty of alternatives. Martijn Dragt hit 104.38, Tommy Morris reached 104.26 and 102.95, John Henderson recorded 103.98 and Jack Johnson put together that excellent sequence around the 90 mark in the Mission Youth Open.

Another 38 tournaments added to Q4QS

Saturday's 38 tournaments might be fewer than some of the big midweek nights, but there was arguably more variety.

There was PDC Challenge Tour darts, WADC, JDC and junior competition, Welsh events, regular Vaults, open tournaments and two different competitions at Hangar 61.

That's what makes collecting all these results worthwhile.

The headline averages are interesting today, but over time the results build the player records, rankings, venue histories, form and head-to-head data that allow Q4QS to look much deeper than a single night's results.

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50,000 Simulations: Who Will Win the 2026 Challenge Tour Tour Cards?

 

Just four events remain in the 2026 PDC Challenge Tour, and the race for the two Tour Cards is approaching its conclusion.

Derek Coulson leads the Order of Merit on £15,150, Joe Hunt sits second on £13,050 and Daniel Klose is chasing on £10,800.

But with £3,000 available to the winner of each of the final four events, how secure are those positions really?

I decided to run the final Challenge Tour weekend 50,000 times.

How the simulation works

This isn't simply a case of randomly selecting winners.

I used the current Q4QS data for the 166 players in the final-weekend entry field, including playing strength, averages and recent form.

Each of the four remaining tournaments was then played out as a knockout event, with fresh draws and match results generated each time.

The actual 2026 Challenge Tour prize structure was applied:

Winner – £3,000
Runner-up – £2,000
Semi-final – £1,000
Quarter-final – £750
Last 16 – £350
Last 32 – £250
Last 64 – £100

That whole four-event finish was repeated 50,000 times.

These are simulation estimates rather than predictions of exactly what will happen. Darts is far too volatile for that. What they do show is how the current money advantage and the relative strength of the field combine.

The Tour Card probabilities

Player	Current Prize Money	Finish 1st	Finish Top 2
Derek Coulson	£15,150	86.09%	99.59%
Joe Hunt	£13,050	11.46%	81.45%
Daniel Klose	£10,800	2.34%	16.98%
Tommy Morris	£9,100	0.05%	0.79%
Tommy Lishman	£8,350	0.03%	0.59%
Daniel Ayres	£7,300	0.03%	0.46%
Henry Coates	£6,900	less than 0.01%	0.05%
Aden Kirk	£6,350	less than 0.01%	0.03%

Below that point, the simulation produced only extremely occasional Tour Card finishes.

Derek Coulson is almost there

The numbers underline just how powerful Coulson's £15,150 starting position is.

He finished inside the Top 2 in 99.59% of the 50,000 simulations.

More remarkably, he finished the season at number one in 86.09% of them.

Coulson does not need to dominate the final weekend. His previous results have already given him enough of a cushion that it requires a fairly unusual combination of results to remove him from the top two.

His average finishing position across all 50,000 runs was just 1.14.

In simple terms, the first Tour Card is very close to being decided.

Joe Hunt still has work to do

Hunt's position is very strong, but considerably less secure than Coulson's.

He took a Tour Card in 81.45% of simulations.

That means there was still roughly a one-in-five chance that somebody displaced him from the Top 2.

Hunt also topped the final Order of Merit in 11.46% of runs.

His average finishing position was 2.08, which is almost exactly where he currently sits.

The most important question for Hunt is therefore probably not whether he can catch Coulson.

It is whether he can keep Klose behind him.

Daniel Klose is the genuine danger

This is where the simulation gets particularly interesting.

Klose currently trails Hunt by £2,250, but his performances make him a serious threat during a four-event weekend.

Klose claimed a Tour Card in 16.98% of simulations.

That is approximately one in six.

He also finished top of the entire Challenge Tour Order of Merit in 2.34% of runs.

His average projected finishing position was 3.03.

So while the current table puts Klose third, the Q4QS model doesn't regard second place as remotely impossible.

One big tournament from Klose combined with an early Hunt exit could change the situation very quickly.

And with four separate tournaments available, there are several opportunities for that swing to happen.

Then comes the big gap

The chances fall dramatically after the leading three.

Tommy Morris started the weekend fourth on £9,100 but reached the Top 2 in only 0.79% of simulations.

Tommy Lishman was at 0.59%, with Daniel Ayres at 0.46%.

Those aren't zero.

Four tournaments can produce extraordinary sequences of results.

But players in this group essentially require both a huge weekend of their own and serious problems for the players above them.

Henry Coates fell to approximately 0.05%, while Aden Kirk was around 0.03%.

Beyond that, Tour Card finishes became exceptionally rare.

Projected finishing positions

The average finishing position across the 50,000 simulations was:

1. Derek Coulson – 1.14

2. Joe Hunt – 2.08

3. Daniel Klose – 3.03

4. Tommy Morris – 4.75

5. Tommy Lishman – 5.65

6. Daniel Ayres – 6.91

7. Henry Coates – 8.48

8. Aden Kirk – 10.11

That is perhaps the clearest way of looking at the race.

The model sees three fairly distinct groups.

Coulson is overwhelmingly likely to take a Tour Card.

Hunt is strongly placed but still vulnerable.

Klose is the one player with a substantial chance of breaking the current top two.

After those three, somebody probably needs an exceptional weekend.

Four tournaments can still change everything

An 81% probability is not the same thing as certainty.

Nor is 17% a long-shot number that can simply be ignored.

A single Challenge Tour title is worth £3,000.

If Klose were to win an event while Hunt went out before the Last 64, the £2,250 gap between them would immediately disappear.

That is why this final weekend should be fascinating.

Coulson has done the hard work.

Hunt has a very strong hand.

Klose has a genuine opportunity.

And everyone below them knows that, with £12,000 theoretically available across four events, the door is not completely closed until the darts are thrown.

I will update the simulation as the final Challenge Tour events are completed.

Yesterday’s Darts Results: Adam Beck Hits 111.33 as 48 Tournaments Join Q4QS – 25 September 2026

Yesterday's Results – Friday 25 September 2026

Friday brought another 48 tournaments into the Q4QS database, with action stretching across England and Wales and another varied mix of Vaults, limited-average events, junior darts and women's competition.

The biggest average of the day came from Adam Beck, who hit a huge 111.33, while Paul Jones and Harley Glycos both went beyond 107.

There were also some interesting stories closer to the traditional Q4QS heartland, with Paul Gardiner winning in Taunton, Dale Mills in Yeovil, Freddie Harper at Portishead and Pete Hughes coming through a strong Bengeworth tournament.

Beck produces the biggest number of the day

The highest recorded average across Friday's results belonged to Adam Beck, who fired a 111.33 at The Black Swan in Melton Mowbray.

Beck's tournament eventually ended against Scott Boryszczuk, while James Young went on to take the title after beating Darren Tyler 3–2 in the final.

It is another good example of why these daily reports need to look beyond the tournament winners. Sometimes the performance that jumps off the page comes from someone who doesn't ultimately lift the trophy.

Paul Jones hits 107.36 at Bengeworth

There were more big numbers at The Bengeworth in Evesham.

Paul Jones averaged 107.36 in a 2–0 victory over Jason Reeve, while Danny Lauby hit 100.20 and Darrel Williams reached 93.94.

But the tournament belonged to Pete Hughes.

Hughes came through to beat Lauby 3–2 in the final and finished with seven victories. Darrel Williams, Lauby and Reece Pinches all recorded six wins, underlining the depth of the tournament.

Glycos hits 107 as Garrett takes the title

Wales also supplied one of Friday's biggest performances.

At the Thatchers Fusion Sub80 Series, Harley Glycos averaged 107.05, making it the third-highest individual average across all 48 tournaments.

Tyler Garrett also broke the ton with 100.20 and went on to win the event, beating Rico Anderson 5–4 in the final.

Garrett finished with nine victories, making this one of the strongest all-round performances of Friday's results.

Gardiner wins in Taunton

At Pegasus 68 Club in Taunton, Paul Gardiner came through a competitive field to take the title.

Gardiner beat Steve Boundy 3–2 in the final and finished with eight victories, while Boundy actually led the win count with nine.

Richard Frost produced the highest average of the tournament at 93.94, with Gardiner reaching 91.09.

Another good example of the difference between producing the night's biggest individual number and putting together the run required to win the whole tournament.

Mills wins in Yeovil

Dale Mills took the rearranged Vault at Bullets Sports Bar in Yeovil, beating Robbie Roy 3–2 in the final.

Mills recorded eight wins across the event.

The leading averages came from Zac Rendell and Robbie Roy, who both reached 91.09, while Roy also produced an 83.50.

Mills might not have topped the average table, but he was the player still standing at the end.

Harper takes the Portishead Friday Open

At Portishead Workmens Darts, Freddie Harper won the Friday Open after beating Max Maggs 3–2 in the final.

Harper, Chris Clark and Logun Godbeer all finished with seven victories.

Clark produced the highest average at 88.41, while Harper's best was 81.24 and Godbeer reached 77.08.

It was another substantial Friday night competition, with 49 matches recorded.

Ryan Davies dominates at Wattsville

There was another Welsh performance worth highlighting at Wattsville National Club.

Ryan Davies didn't simply win the tournament – he also dominated its leading averages.

Davies hit 100.20, followed by 92.02, 91.09 and 88.41, before beating Xavier Jones 3–2 in the final.

Seven wins and four of the five highest listed averages makes that one of Friday's more complete tournament performances.

WADC: Watson and Hughes take Friday titles

There were two WADC Vault events among Friday's results.

At Briton Ferry Workies, Eve Watson beat Rhian Osullivan 3–2 to take the title. Watson recorded six victories and produced the event's two highest averages, 84.66 and 81.37.

At the United Services Club in Harwich, Shaunna Hughes won the second WADC Vault, beating Amy Attridge 3–0 in the final. Hughes finished with four victories, while Attridge produced the tournament's highest listed average of 48.48.

I want the WADC results to remain part of these daily roundups whenever events have been played rather than women's darts disappearing among the much larger number of open tournaments.

Plenty more around the South

There were strong results across the wider southern area too.

Stuart Dutton averaged 100.20 at Danny's Bar in Banbury, although Luke Peacock ultimately took the title. Kevin Dean also hit 100.20 at Woodbridge Hill Working Men's Club in Guildford, where Callum Grealis emerged as champion.

Roger Crook produced a 95.94 and went on to win at GWRSA Club in Didcot, while Sean Lowndes hit 96.97 at Walderslade Club in Chatham, where Ross Lowe took the title.

There was plenty happening in Wales too, including victories for Richie Limbert in Swansea, Liam Forward in Cardiff and Lucas H Davies at Briton Ferry.

Five performances that caught my eye

1. Adam Beck – 111.33 — Melton Mowbray
2. Paul Jones – 107.36 — Evesham
3. Harley Glycos – 107.05 — Newport
4. Ryan Davies – 100.20 — Wattsville
5. Danny Lauby – 100.20 — Evesham

Sean Holley, Reggie Woollard, Tyler Garrett and Stuart Dutton also reached 100.20 on a day when nine of the ten highest listed performances were at or above the ton.

Another 48 tournaments added to Q4QS

That's another 48 tournaments feeding into Q4QS.

The daily winners and big averages make the headlines, but every one of these competitions adds more information to the rankings, player records, venue histories, form and head-to-head data.

And as the coverage expands further across southern England and Wales, these daily reports should increasingly give us a picture not just of who is winning locally, but of where the strongest grassroots performances are happening across a much wider area.

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Country Spotlight: Jamaica – A Darts Story That Goes Back Further Than You Think

My Country Spotlight journey remains in the Caribbean this week, and after looking at the Bahamas, I've moved on to one of the most famous islands in the region.

Jamaica.

Jamaica is known around the world for athletics, cricket, music and a sporting culture that has produced remarkable success for a country of fewer than three million people.

Darts probably isn't the first sport most people associate with Jamaica.

But this is one of those Country Spotlights where I started digging and discovered that the story goes back much further than I expected.

Long before the modern CDLC Tour existed, a Jamaican player was winning one of British darts' major open tournaments.

More than 20 years ago, Jamaica was represented at the PDC World Championship.

And now a new generation is trying to put Jamaican darts back onto the international stage.

Al Hedman – Jamaica's Darts Pioneer

The first name has to be Al Hedman.

Born in Kingston in 1953, Hedman played professionally across the BDO and PDC systems and produced one particularly significant result in 1995.

He won the British Open, defeating Andy Fordham in the final. The tournament's historical results list Hedman as the 1995 champion, between previous winner Steve Beaton and 1996 winner Roland Scholten.

That's a serious piece of Jamaican darts history.

But Hedman wasn't finished there.

He later moved into the PDC and qualified for the 2003 PDC World Championship at the Circus Tavern.

Hedman was one of four players to qualify through the PDPA route and faced former world champion Bob Anderson in the preliminary Last 40 round.

Anderson won 4–0, with Hedman averaging 76.36.

So when discussing Jamaica's ambitions in modern darts, it's worth remembering something important.

Jamaica has already been represented at a PDC World Championship.

Al Hedman did it more than two decades ago.

He is also the older brother of England great Deta Hedman, who was herself born in Jamaica. But Deta represented England internationally, so for the purposes of this series I'm not counting her as a Jamaican player.

A Long Wait For The Next Generation

What Jamaica hasn't yet managed is to turn Hedman's achievements into a continuous stream of players reaching the biggest stages.

That's hardly unusual across the Caribbean.

Geography, travel costs and the lack of a regular professional pathway have historically made things much more difficult for players from the region.

The creation of the Championship Darts Latin America and Caribbean Tour has started to change that.

And Jamaica hasn't simply sent players to compete on it.

Jamaica has hosted it.

Montego Bay Becomes A Darts Hub

In July 2024, the CDLC Tour headed to Montego Bay for its opening double-header.

Rashad Sweeting won the first event and Norman Madhoo won the second, with some of the strongest players from Latin America and the Caribbean competing on Jamaican soil.

The events formed part of a much bigger period of darts activity in Jamaica, alongside the 2024 Caribbean Cup.

The Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission described Jamaica as becoming the epicentre of darts in Latin America and the Caribbean, with events centred around Montego Bay.

For a developing darts country, hosting matters.

It gives local players an opportunity to compete against stronger regional opposition without the cost of travelling across the Caribbean or into Central and South America.

And Jamaica now has players beginning to make an impression.

Jonathon Heron – A Jamaican CDLC Breakthrough

One of the most important is Jonathon Heron.

Heron doesn't currently appear in my Q4QS database, so I can't give him the same statistical treatment as some of the other players in this series.

But his wider record deserves inclusion.

In April 2025, Heron produced a breakthrough run on the CDLC Tour in Panama City.

He defeated Brazil's Artur Valle 6–5 in the semi-final, becoming the first Jamaican to reach a CDLC Main Tour final.

His run eventually ended against the Bahamas' Rashad Sweeting, but reaching that final represented an important step for modern Jamaican darts.

Heron has remained part of the regional picture since.

And while he hasn't yet followed Al Hedman onto the PDC World Championship stage, his results demonstrate that Jamaican players can challenge at the business end of modern CDLC events.

Vasseon Roye – What The Q4QS Database Tells Us

The Jamaican player I can examine in much greater detail is Vasseon Roye.

And there are some interesting results here.

Roye has reached the six-event threshold required to receive an official Q4QS Average.

Across 13 matches, he has seven wins and six defeats, giving him a 53.8% win rate.

His overall match average is 58.90 and his official Q4QS Average is 58.34, with a best performance of 65.38.

Those figures don't immediately jump off the page.

The opponents he's beaten make things considerably more interesting.

Roye Can Produce An Upset

Roye's most significant Q4QS result came against a player we've already featured heavily in this series.

Norman Madhoo.

The Guyanese veteran is a multiple World Championship participant and remains one of the strongest players on the CDLC circuit.

Roye beat him 6–5.

He has also beaten Bahamas player Robin Albury 6–4 while averaging his personal best of 65.38, and defeated Chile's George Patterson 6–2 with a 62.49 average.

His losses also show the level he's competing against.

They include Rashad Sweeting, Guillermo Soto and Shane Sawyer.

Roye isn't yet consistently producing the averages of Sweeting or Jesús Salate.

But he has demonstrated that on the right day he can beat established regional opposition.

That's an important starting point.

Fitzroy Ellison – Another Jamaican Name

Fitzroy Ellison gives us another current Jamaican player to follow.

The sample here is much smaller.

My Q4QS database contains only five matches across three events, so Ellison doesn't yet qualify for an official Q4QS Average.

He has won two and lost three, with an overall average of 55.82 and a best of 62.27.

His two recorded victories came against Randy Cruz and Kevin Hinton.

The Hinton match was particularly encouraging, with Ellison averaging 60.66 in a 6–3 victory.

He also produced his best recorded performance against Shane Sawyer, averaging 62.27 in a 6–4 defeat.

It's nowhere near enough data to make a definitive judgement about his level.

But it gives Jamaica another player competing regularly enough to begin appearing in the Q4QS numbers.

Evon Faulkner – Another Sign Of Participation

Evon Faulkner also appears in my 2026 database.

There are only three recorded matches across three events, so I'm deliberately not going to draw conclusions from her averages or results.

That's simply too small a sample.

What matters more for this article is that she is another Jamaican player appearing on the CDLC circuit.

And that's something I've increasingly noticed while producing these Country Spotlights.

A country's future prospects aren't necessarily determined by its best player.

Depth matters.

The Difference Between Jamaica And The Bahamas

The contrast with last week's country is interesting.

The Bahamas currently has the standout modern player.

Rashad Sweeting has won CDLC titles, topped tournaments on home soil and reached Alexandra Palace.

Jamaica doesn't currently have an equivalent.

But Jamaica has something the Bahamas can't claim.

Its World Championship history stretches all the way back to 2003, through Al Hedman.

So these are two Caribbean countries at different points in their darts stories.

The Bahamas has the stronger current headline.

Jamaica has the longer history.

And now Jamaica is trying to create its next chapter.

Why Jamaica Matters

There's another reason Jamaica interests me.

The potential scale is considerable.

Jamaica has a population approaching three million and an extraordinary sporting culture.

That doesn't automatically translate into darts success, of course.

But the infrastructure around Caribbean darts is now much stronger than it was during Al Hedman's career.

There is a regional Tour.

There are pathways towards the PDC World Championship.

There is a World Cup qualifying route.

And major regional darts events have already been staged in Jamaica itself.

The opportunity exists in a way that it didn't before.

Looking Ahead

The challenge is turning participation into sustained results.

Heron's CDLC final was encouraging.

Roye has demonstrated that he can beat players such as Norman Madhoo, Robin Albury and George Patterson.

Ellison is competing.

Faulkner adds another name to the Jamaican presence.

And somewhere behind them may be the next player capable of making a bigger breakthrough.

Al Hedman reached the PDC World Championship in 2003.

More than two decades later, Jamaica is still waiting for someone to follow him.

But for perhaps the first time, there is now a genuine regional structure through which that player can emerge.

The pathway is there.

The next challenge for Jamaican darts is finding the player who can take it.

Q4QS Darts Nation Rating

Current Strength: 6/10
Participation & Depth: 6.5/10
International Achievement: 7/10
Future Potential: 8/10

Overall Q4QS Nation Rating: 6.75/10

I'd put Jamaica at 6.75/10 at this stage.

Its current playing strength doesn't yet match the Bahamas, Argentina or some of the stronger countries we've visited.

But Jamaica gets considerable credit for its history.

Al Hedman won the British Open and reached the PDC World Championship.

Montego Bay has hosted the CDLC.

Jonathon Heron has reached a CDLC final.

And Vasseon Roye has shown that Jamaica still has players capable of beating established names around the Caribbean.

The intriguing question is whether those pieces can eventually come together.

Al Hedman wrote Jamaica's first chapter in international darts.

More than 30 years after his British Open victory, Jamaica is looking for somebody to write the next one.

Yesterday’s Darts Results: Two 115.62 Averages as Andy Smith Stars – 24 September 2026

Yesterday's Results – Thursday 24 September 2026

Thursday is always a busy night for grassroots darts, and another 58 tournaments have now been added to the Q4QS database.

This time I've widened the net a little. The South West will always be an important part of Q4QS, but with results coming in from across southern England and Wales, there are too many good performances elsewhere to ignore.

And Thursday produced two particularly eye-catching numbers.

Two players hit 115.62

The highest recorded averages of the night were shared by Andy Smith at Cressex Social Club in High Wycombe and Paul Higgins at the Junction Inn in Hengoed.

Smith's 115.62 came in a 2–0 win over Paul Tubb, and it wasn't his only big performance. He later averaged 100.20 against Stuart Dutton before going on to win the tournament, beating Andrew Bowler 3–0 in the final.

Smith finished with eight wins from the night.

Over in Wales, Higgins matched that 115.62 at Hengoed with a 2–0 win over Keri Dacey.

The title there eventually went to Stephen Cake, who beat Ryan Davies 3–1 in the final and finished with eight wins. Cake also produced averages of 96.97 and 93.94 during the tournament.

Wales produces another 107.36

There was another big Welsh performance at Brynmawr Social Club, where Bryan Flew averaged 107.36.

Flew also recorded a 90.44 later in the tournament, although the title went to Gethyn Bennett, who beat Dylan Ruck-Havard 3–0 in the final and collected eight wins.

It's exactly the sort of result I want to start bringing into these roundups more often as Q4QS coverage grows.

Ashton Brown impresses at Hangar 61

Closer to home, Ashton Brown produced an excellent night at Hangar 61.

Brown won the Thursday night round robin, beating Jamie Shovelton 3–0 in the final, and recorded eight victories.

The numbers were impressive too. Brown's best was 103.15, and he also produced 96.72, 95.23 and 92.02.

John Brown added a 98.02, making it another strong night at Hangar 61.

Steed makes it two wins in two nights

Andy Steed's week continues to get more interesting.

After producing a 96.14 in Tiverton on Tuesday and winning in Barnstaple on Wednesday, Steed was back on top again on Thursday at Cue Sports Bar in Torquay.

He beat George Butcher 3–1 in the final and recorded a best average of 93.94.

That's now two tournament victories on consecutive nights at two different Devon venues, alongside several 90-plus averages. Definitely one to keep watching.

Maisey wins at Worcester as Hughes hits 107

Barry Maisey took the title at The Cue Corner in Worcester, beating Stewart Wilde 3–1 in the final.

Maisey saved one of his best performances for the final, averaging 99.20, while Wilde recorded 94.34.

The biggest number at the venue, though, belonged to Pete Hughes, who hit 107.36.

Maisey finished with seven victories, with Callum Weaver and Wilde both on six.

Jamie Kay wins again

Jamie Kay also made it consecutive winning nights.

After taking Wednesday's event at Bodmin Band & Social Club, Kay won again on Thursday at St Breward AFC & Social Club.

He beat Joseph Juleff 3–0 in the final, averaging 90.18, while his best performance of the night was 91.09.

Kay finished with six wins.

Plenty happening across the South

There were strong performances much further across southern England too.

Ryan Mitchell hit 107.36 at Farnborough, although Archie Self went on to win the tournament with eight victories.

Mat Caste averaged 104.86 at Bletchley and then won the event, while Jason Collins produced a 102.48 in the final at Locks Heath, Southampton, beating Jarred Cole 3–0.

Jack Johnson combined a 103.66 with the title at Tunbridge Wells, Ricky King won at Poole, Ross Lowe took the Dover event and David Moule won in Andover.

That's the sort of geographical spread I want Yesterday's Results to reflect increasingly as Q4QS grows.

Wales deserves a mention

There was plenty more happening in Wales beyond the 115.62 from Higgins and 107.36 from Flew.

Kacey Jones won at Welshpool and averaged 93.94, Gavin Sterio won at Maesteg with a 93.94 of his own, Chris James took the Llanelli event after reaching 91.02, and Louis Melville won at Glynneath, where Ellis Williams recorded 93.94.

There was junior success too, with Dylan Person winning the Junior Volts event at Cogan Coronation in Penarth.

Five performances that caught my eye

1. Andy Smith – 115.62
   High Wycombe
2. Paul Higgins – 115.62
   Hengoed
3. Bryan Flew – 107.36
   Brynmawr
4. Ryan Mitchell – 107.36
   Farnborough
5. Pete Hughes – 107.36
   Worcester

There were actually four recorded 107.36 averages on Thursday, with Lee Bradshaw at Skegness joining Flew, Mitchell and Hughes. Mat Caste's 104.86 and Ben Chamberlain's 103.66 were also among the ten highest figures of the day.

Another 58 tournaments added to Q4QS

That's another 58 tournaments added to the database.

The individual results give us plenty to talk about, but it's the accumulation of all this data that interests me most.

Every night adds more to the player records, rankings, venue histories, averages, head-to-heads and form. We're also now starting to see players appearing in these roundups on consecutive nights – Andy Steed and Jamie Kay being two obvious examples this week.

The wider the coverage becomes, the more interesting those comparisons should become.

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Explore more on Q4QS:

Quest For Q School | Q4QS Player Profiles & Rankings

Famous Darts Surnames: Which Name Comes Out on Top in the Q4QS Rankings?

 

Darts has produced some legendary surnames.

Taylor immediately brings to mind the greatest player of all time, Price represents one of the leading players of the modern era, while Wilson recalls the unforgettable Scottish world champion Jocky Wilson.

But how well do these famous names hold up across the wider Q4QS rankings?

For the first edition of this series, I looked at five surnames: Taylor, Smith, Jones, Wilson and Price.

I took the ten highest-ranked players with each surname and compared their overall Q4QS positions, points, playing averages and win percentages.

Only exact surnames were counted. Players with double-barrelled or combined surnames were excluded, so names such as Taylor James-Harding, Jake B-Smith, Jaymie Hilton-Jones and Pierce Speechley-Price do not count.

Taylor

It seemed right to begin with perhaps the most famous surname in darts.

Phil Taylor dominated the sport for decades, but how do the current Taylors compare across the Q4QS database?

Pos| Player| Overall Rank| Points| Average| Win Rate

1| Dom Taylor| #435| 559.80| 79.52| 80.5%

2| Michael Taylor| #852| 498.20| 78.02| 82.5%

3| Leon Taylor| #1,169| 467.82| 69.55| 68.7%

4| Kevin Taylor| #1,186| 466.52| 70.73| 70.3%

5| Scott Taylor| #1,372| 452.41| 71.91| 51.2%

6| Elliott Taylor| #1,436| 446.95| 70.47| 72.6%

7| Leigh Taylor| #1,558| 437.59| 66.05| 77.4%

8| Sean Taylor| #1,862| 416.26| 69.99| 73.0%

9| Dean Taylor| #1,940| 411.66| 66.61| 71.2%

10| Josh Taylor| #2,114| 403.23| 63.32| 63.0%

Dom Taylor leads the group at #435 and also has the best playing average at 79.52. Michael Taylor follows at #852 and records the group's highest win rate at an impressive 82.5%.

There are no Taylors challenging at the very top of the rankings, but the surname has reasonable depth. Seven of the ten are inside the top 1,600, while the collective win rate remains strong.

Top-ten average rank: #1,392

Top-ten playing average: 70.62

Top-ten win rate: 71.1%

Smith

The Smiths — and I am not talking about Morrissey and Johnny Marr — were always likely to be serious contenders.

Smith is an extremely common surname, so there was plenty of competition for a place in its top ten. More importantly, the quality at the top is exceptional.

Pos| Player| Overall Rank| Points| Average| Win Rate

1| Ross Smith| #9| 740.68| 95.75| 66.7%

2| Raymond Smith| #64| 674.69| 89.07| 86.1%

3| Michael Smith| #85| 662.12| 89.59| 56.7%

4| Jeff Smith| #234| 600.22| 85.36| 72.0%

5| Cayden Smith| #302| 583.81| 77.76| 66.5%

6| Daniel James Smith| #535| 542.43| 77.78| 45.5%

7| Benjamin Smith| #567| 536.96| 74.68| 71.0%

8| Danny Smith| #643| 527.14| 74.90| 77.0%

9| Kieran Smith| #691| 518.84| 77.98| 83.3%

10| Ky Smith| #709| 516.21| 76.15| 63.5%

Ross Smith leads the way at #9 overall with a 95.75 average. Raymond Smith and Michael Smith are also inside the top 100, while Jeff Smith makes it four Smiths inside the top 250.

All ten are ranked inside the top 709. That level of depth is unmatched by any of the other surnames in this comparison.

Raymond Smith has the best win rate at 86.1%, with Kieran Smith also recording an excellent 83.3%.

Top-ten average rank: #384

Top-ten playing average: 81.90

Top-ten win rate: 68.8%

Jones

If we include Smith, we must also look at Jones.

The Joneses do not possess the same elite top end as the Smiths, but they produce one of the most consistent groups in the comparison.

Pos| Player| Overall Rank| Points| Average| Win Rate

1| Howard Jones| #273| 588.72| 78.69| 67.3%

2| Louis Jones| #333| 576.55| 77.15| 75.4%

3| Kacey Jones| #724| 513.22| 79.28| 91.9%

4| Lyn Jones| #795| 504.12| 69.27| 62.0%

5| Wayne Jones| #830| 500.52| 82.80| 54.0%

6| Josh Jones| #914| 491.47| 74.13| 79.0%

7| Jayden Jones| #924| 490.25| 70.96| 74.1%

8| Timothy Jones| #980| 484.40| 76.03| 80.8%

9| Damian Jones| #1,260| 460.91| 71.02| 80.3%

10| Jimmie Jones| #1,314| 455.81| 74.05| 58.1%

Howard Jones is the highest-ranked at #273, followed by Louis Jones at #333. Wayne Jones records the highest playing average at 82.80, but the standout statistic belongs to Kacey Jones.

Kacey has won 91.9% of his matches, the highest win percentage among all 50 players included in this first surname comparison.

Eight of the ten Joneses are inside the top 1,000, and their collective win rate of 72.3% is the highest of the five surnames.

Top-ten average rank: #835

Top-ten playing average: 75.34

Top-ten win rate: 72.3%

Wilson

There were not enough Lowes or Bristows in the rankings to produce meaningful top tens, so Wilson was next in line.

It is a surname with a firm place in darts history through Jocky Wilson, but how does the current group fare?

Pos| Player| Overall Rank| Points| Average| Win Rate

1| Carl Wilson| #359| 572.99| 85.89| 69.9%

2| Callum Wilson| #638| 527.62| 80.55| 48.8%

3| Jason Wilson| #720| 513.61| 78.09| 50.0%

4| Stu Wilson| #1,337| 454.94| 77.03| 42.1%

5| Dave Ian Wilson| #1,582| 435.42| 75.42| 29.0%

6| Freddie Wilson| #1,739| 423.55| 66.36| 67.1%

7| Mackenzie Wilson| #2,153| 401.35| 67.76| 62.2%

8| Kevin Wilson| #2,758| 370.48| 70.34| 61.3%

9| Noah Wilson| #2,761| 370.41| 65.05| 49.0%

10| Benjamin Wilson| #3,039| 357.56| 65.10| 68.7%

Carl Wilson is the clear leader, sitting at #359 with an excellent 85.89 average. Callum and Jason Wilson also make the top 720, giving the group a respectable leading three.

The rankings fall away after that. Only three Wilsons make the top 1,000, while three members of the top ten sit outside the top 2,700.

Freddie Wilson is the group's workhorse, having played 132 events and 711 matches, but Carl remains the only Wilson in this top ten with a win rate approaching 70%.

Top-ten average rank: #1,709

Top-ten playing average: 73.16

Top-ten win rate: 54.8%

Price

The final surname in this first edition is Price, and it contains the highest-ranked individual player in the entire comparison.

Pos| Player| Overall Rank| Points| Average| Win Rate

1| Gerwyn Price| #3| 775.41| 98.91| 69.6%

2| Samuel Price| #450| 557.52| 85.32| 58.9%

3| Eddie Price| #719| 513.63| 79.72| 74.4%

4| Steve Price| #889| 493.73| 77.41| 72.1%

5| Martin Price| #1,762| 422.33| 72.59| 70.4%

6| Lewis Price| #1,985| 409.15| 65.01| 64.2%

7| Darryl Price| #2,348| 390.67| 63.46| 67.6%

8| Jack Price| #2,551| 380.41| 61.76| 68.4%

9| Paul Price| #2,665| 374.96| 66.88| 71.4%

10| Ciaran Price| #2,753| 370.60| 63.59| 66.7%

Gerwyn Price is ranked #3 overall, with 775.41 points and a 98.91 average. All three figures are the best achieved by anyone included in this article.

Samuel Price provides strong support at #450 with an 85.32 average, while Eddie and Steve Price both make the top 900.

The weakness is the gap between the leading four and the remainder of the group. Martin Price is next at #1,762, while four of the top ten Prices are ranked outside the top 2,300.

Top-ten average rank: #1,613

Top-ten playing average: 73.47

Top-ten win rate: 68.4%

Final Standings

Position| Surname| Leading Player| Best Rank| Average Top-Ten Rank| Average Top-Ten Performance

1| Smith| Ross Smith| #9| #384| 81.90

2| Jones| Howard Jones| #273| #835| 75.34

3| Taylor| Dom Taylor| #435| #1,392| 70.62

4| Price| Gerwyn Price| #3| #1,613| 73.47

5| Wilson| Carl Wilson| #359| #1,709| 73.16

Conclusion

The Smiths take the first Q4QS surname title, and they do so comfortably.

Ross, Raymond and Michael Smith all sit inside the top 100, while every member of the Smith top ten is ranked inside the top 709. No other surname comes close to matching that combination of elite players and strength in depth.

The Joneses finish second after placing eight players inside the top 1,000. They also record the highest collective win rate, helped considerably by Kacey Jones's remarkable 91.9%.

The battle for third is more complicated. Taylor has the better depth and average ranking, while Price has comfortably the strongest individual representative. Gerwyn Price is ranked #3 and averages 98.91, but the Price rankings drop away significantly after the leading four.

On the basis of the complete top ten, Taylor narrowly takes third place. However, anyone valuing elite star quality more heavily could easily place Price ahead of them.

Wilson has a strong leading player in Carl Wilson and a respectable top three, but the surname cannot match the depth of the other four.

Taylor may remain the most famous surname in darts, and Price may supply the best current individual in this contest, but this first edition belongs to the Smiths.

For once, the most common name is also the strongest.