GOTTHARDT & HOOD SEAL MAIDEN TOUR CARDS ON DAY TWO AT Q SCHOOL FINAL STAGE
Kai Gotthardt and Justin Hood were the latest players to secure their PDC Tour Cards as 2025 Qualifying Schools continued in Milton Keynes and Kalkar on Friday.
Day Two of Final Stage at European Qualifying School saw the emerging Gotthardt secure his maiden Tour Card, following on from an impressive World Darts Championship debut last month.
The German clinched his place on the professional circuit with a deciding-leg victory over compatriot Steven Noster in Friday’s decider in Kalkar.
Gotthardt – the reigning PDC Europe Super League champion – survived a match dart in his second round win over Croatia’s Boris Krcmar, before averaging 108.65 in a stunning third round whitewash of Jamai van den Herik.
The 29-year-old then won through another tight encounter against Michael Unterbuchner, before following up a 6-1 demolition of Davy Proosten with victory over Belgium’s Stefaan Henderyck in the semi-finals.
Hood, meanwhile, won through a last-leg tussle against Bradley Brooks at UK Qualifying School to confirm his status as a Tour Card Holder for the first time in his career.
Brooks succumbed 6-5 to Tom Bissell in Thursday’s finale, and history repeated itself at Arena MK as Hood fired in a 14-darter to defy a late fightback from the former World Youth Champion.
The 31-year-old won through a quartet of deciding-leg ties on Friday, having kicked off his campaign with wins over Kevin Lane, Graham Usher and former UK Open semi-finalist Alan Norris.
Hood then edged out former PDC Asian Champion Christian Perez in the last 16, before overturning a 5-4 deficit against Daniel Perry and surviving match darts in his semi-final success over Andy Boulton.
Saturday will offer further opportunity for players to win Tour Cards, with play commencing at 1300 CET in Kalkar and 1200 GMT in Milton Keynes.
In addition to the daily Tour Card winners, a further 21 Tour Cards will be awarded on a pro-rata basis to players from the respective Final Stage Orders of Merit following Day Four; 12 in Europe, and 9 in the UK.
Norway’s Cor Dekker – who landed a nine-darter on the European Tour in 2024 – occupies top spot on the European Order of Merit, having followed up a semi-final showing on Thursday with a run to the quarter-finals 24 hours later.
Dutch duo Jimmy van Schie and Mark Kuivenhoven are second and fifth respectively on the Order of Merit, with Karel Sedlacek and Max Hopp also in provisional Tour Card positions.
Brooks looks to be assured of a Tour Card after reaching back-to-back finals, and the 24-year-old boasts a four-point lead at the top of the UK Final Stage Order of Merit.
Aden Kirk occupies second spot, while Scotland’s former World Cup winner John Henderson is sat in third, having lost out to an impressive Brooks in Friday’s semi-finals.
2025 PDC Qualifying Schools
Friday January 10
UK Q School
Final Stage (Day Two)
Last 16
Andy Boulton 6-2 Brandon Weening
Cam Crabtree 6-3 Peter Burgoyne
Daniel Perry 6-2 Adam Lipscombe
Justin Hood 6-5 Christian Perez
Adam Warner 6-4 Greg Ritchie
Bradley Brooks 6-2 Aden Kirk
John Henderson 6-5 Kai Fan Leung
Jamie Atkins 6-5 Darryl Pilgrim
Quarter-Finals
Andy Boulton 6-4 Cam Crabtree
Justin Hood 6-5 Daniel Perry
Bradley Brooks 6-1 Adam Warner
John Henderson 6-4 Jamie Atkins
Semi-Finals
Justin Hood 6-5 Andy Boulton
Bradley Brooks 6-2 John Henderson
Final
Justin Hood 6-5 Bradley Brooks
European Q School
Final Stage (Day Two)
Last 16
Max Hopp 6-5 Miroslaw Grudziecki
Stefaan Henderyck 6-2 Maximilian Czerwinski
Davy Proosten 6-0 Jeffrey de Zwaan
Kai Gotthardt 6-5 Michael Unterbuchner
Steven Noster 6-4 Angelo Balsamo
Cor Dekker 6-2 Jorge Garcia del Pozo
Maik Kuivenhoven 6-4 Tytus Kanik
Dominik Gruellich 6-3 Patrick Tringler
Quarter-Finals
Stefaan Henderyck 6-3 Max Hopp
Kai Gotthardt 6-1 Davy Proosten
Steven Noster 6-4 Cor Dekker
Dominik Gruellich 6-5 Maik Kuivenhoven
Semi-Finals
Kai Gotthardt 6-4 Stefaan Henderyck
Steven Noster 6-4 Dominik Gruellich
Final
Kai Gotthardt 6-5 Steven Noster
For latest Orders of Merit, please see: https://www.pdc.tv/news/2025/01/10/gotthardt-hood-seal-maiden-tour-cards-day-two-q-school
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