Keegan Brown and Ronny Huybrechts secured returns to the PDC circuit as the 2023 Qualifying Schools concluded on Sunday.
The final day of Qualifying Schools saw 20 players claim two-year PDC Tour Cards, in addition to the seven secured across the first three days.
At the Marshall Arena in Milton Keynes, 2014 World Youth Champion Brown secured an immediate return to the PDC circuit, having lost his Tour Card at the end of the 2022 campaign despite picking up a ProTour title last year.
Brown was one of nine players to win a Tour Card via the UK Qualifying School Order of Merit, based on performances across the four days.
Irish youngster Dylan Slevin topped the table to claim a Tour Card for the first time, as did Lee Evans, Adam Warner, Graham Hall and Callum Goffin.
Christian Perez broke new ground as the first Filipino to win a Tour Card, while Stephen Burton and Nick Kenny enjoyed returns to the sport’s top tier.
Adam Smith-Neale was the last player to book an automatic place on the 2023 PDC circuit as the former World Masters winner went unbeaten to win his Tour Card outright, defeating Kenny 6-4 in the Day Four final.
In Kalkar, Germany, former World Cup finalist Huybrechts ended his three-year absence from the ProTour as one of ten players to win through the European Qualifying School Order of Merit.
Dutch duo Maik Kuivenhoven and Niels Zonneveld and Czech ace Karel Sedlacek also secured returns to the PDC circuit via the Order of Merit.
Dutchman Richard Veenstra headlines the first-time Tour Card winners alongside young prospects Gian van Veen and Owen Roelofs, while German duo Pascal Rupprecht and Daniel Klose secured professional status for the first time.
Jacques Labre makes history as the first French Tour Card winner, while Belgium’s Robbie Knops became the last player to win a Tour Card outright thanks to a 6-4 defeat of Veenstra in the day’s final.
The Orders of Merit for both UK and European Qualifying Schools are listed below:
UK Q School Tour Card Winners
Day 1- Arron Monk
Day 2- Graham Usher
Day 3- Josh Payne
Day 4- Adam Smith-Neale
Order of Merit:
Dylan Slevin
Lee Evans
Stephen Burton
Nick Kenny
Keegan Brown
Adam Warner
Graham Hall
Callum Goffin
Christian Perez
European Q School Tour Card Winners
Day 1- Jeffrey Sparidaans
Day 2- Corey Cadby
Day 3- Jeffrey De Zwaan
Day 4- Robbie Knops
Order of Merit:
Maik Kuivenhoven
Richard Veenstra
Niels Zonneveld
Pascal Rupprecht
Ronny Huybrechts
Karel Sedlacek
Jacques Labre
Daniel Klose
Gian Van Veen
Owen Roelofs
2023 PDC Qualifying Schools
European Final Stage Day Four
Last 16
Vincent Van der Meer 6-5 Karel Sedlacek
Robbie Knops 6-2 Jacob Taylor
Jacques Labre 6-3 Alexander Merkx
Kevin Van Wauwe 6-3 Christopher Toonders
Berry van Peer 6-1 Gian van Veen
Niels Zonneveld 6-5 Benito van de Pas
Richard Veenstra 6-2 Max Hopp
Jeremy van der Winkel 6-3 Marcel Walpen
Quarter-Finals
Robbie Knops 6-4 Vincent Van der Meer
Jacques Labre 6-5 Kevin Van Wauwe
Niels Zonneveld 6-3 Berry van Peer
Richard Veenstra 6-1 Jeremy van der Winkel
Semi-Finals
Robbie Knops 6-4 Jacques Labre
Richard Veenstra 6-4 Niels Zonneveld
Final
Robbie Knops 6-4 Richard Veenstra
UK Final Stage Day Four
Last 16
Dylan Slevin 6-1 Stephen Burton
Prakash Jiwa 6-4 Dan Read
Adam Smith-Neale 6-1 Mark Challenger
Lewis Pride 6-5 Christian Perez
James Howard Hughes 6-0 Michael Flynn
Callum Goffin 6-1 Mike Warburton
Nick Kenny 6-4 Cam Crabtree
Andy Boulton 6-3 Carl Sneyd
Quarter-Finals
Prakash Jiwa 6-5 Dylan Slevin
Adam Smith-Neale 6-4 Lewis Pride
Callum Goffin 6-5 James Howard Hughes
Nick Kenny 6-2 Andy Boulton
Semi-Finals
Adam Smith-Neale 6-4 Prakash Jiwa
Nick Kenny 6-3 Callum Goffin
Final
Adam Smith-Neale 6-4 Nick Kenny
Any ties in the respective Q School Orders of Merit were split as follows based on all match results: Leg Difference, Legs Won, then DartConnect average. If players still cannot be split, a play-off would be organised.
—–ENDS——
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