German sharp-shooter Arno Merk carved his name into Q-School folklore this afternoon, scripting a deliciously rare double on home soil and becoming the first man across both arenas this time around to secure a two-year PDC Pro Tour Card. History, it seems, has developed quite the fondness for the Lower Saxon.
Why a double? Cast your mind back barely a month and you’ll remember Merk opening the 2026 PDC World Championship itself. No confetti cannons, no seven-figure cheque – but when he toppled Kim Huybrechts on the evening of 11th December beneath the Alexandra Palace chandeliers, he became the first player of the tournament to step closer to immortality than anyone else – albeit unrealistic. Today, that symbolic maiden step turned into something far more tangible.
A nerve-shredding last-leg shootout against Dutchman Jeffrey Sparidaans proved the final hurdle. Merk held his nerve, landed the decisive dart, and in that single moment traded hopeful ambition for professional reality. The reward? A seat at the top table and a two-year audition against the most ruthless arrow-smiths on the planet.
Hot on his chronological heels came Filip Bereza, another man who broke the heart of a Dutchman named Jeff at the eleventh hour. The Pole may not yet be a household name, but he earned his golden ticket the hard way – edging former World Matchplay semi-finalist Jeffrey de Zwaan in a sudden-death leg that will linger painfully in memory. Brutal, surgical, final.
However, for the Jeffreys, all is far from lost. Both Sparidaans and De Zwaan sit prominently on five points at the summit of the European Q-School Order of Merit. It’s an enviable platform, a head start many would kill for. Whether they can cling on as the pressure intensifies is another matter entirely – but the door remains ajar.
Also well-positioned is Sweden’s Andreas Harrysson, fresh from his Ally Pally heroics. Dirty Harry’s run was halted at the quarter-final stage by Sparidaans, yet four valuable points travel with him into the next day, keeping him firmly in the hunt. Lurking just behind is reigning WDF World Champion Jimmy van Schie, the Dutchman bowing out at the last-16 courtesy of compatriot Damien Mol but still banking three points and momentum.
Across the North Sea in Milton Keynes, the action dragged a little longer – and Rhys Griffin couldn’t have cared less. The young Welshman stormed back into the professional ranks in emphatic fashion, obliterating former Grand Slam champion Scott Waites in a whitewash semi-final that spoke volumes. Earlier, Griffin had dismantled fellow countryman Derek Coulson with a blistering 103.89 average – darts of authority, not promise.
Adam Leek then completed the quartet of today’s tour card winners, surviving a gripping duel with the impressive Norfolk youngster, Tyler Thorpe to ensure Australia’s presence on the Pro Tour extends beyond Damon Heta alone. The contest went the full distance, Thorpe briefly threatening a turnaround at 5-5 before Leek, having missed four match darts, finally slammed the door shut with the fifth. Relief. Redemption. Reward.
Steve Beaton’s journey paused at the last-16 stage, but the Bronzed Adonis rolls into tomorrow armed with four points and very much staying alive (deliberate pun). Another solid day could yet propel him back toward a return many would welcome with open arms.
From Milton Keynes to Kalkar, the windows of opportunity are narrowing, the margins thinning, the air growing heavier with consequence. Q-School waits for no one – and tomorrow, it sharpens its blade once more.
EUROPEAN Q-SCHOOL (Final Stage. Day One – Semi-Finals) – winners awarded PDC Tour Cards
(GER) Arno Merk 6-5 Jeffrey Sparidaans (NED)
(POL) Filip Bereza 6-5 Jeffrey De Zwaan (NED)
UK Q-SCHOOL (Final Stage. Day One – Semi-Finals) – winners awarded PDC Tour Cards
(WAL) Rhys Griffin 6-0 Scott Waites (ENG)
(AUS) Adam Leek 6-5 Tyler Thorpe (ENG)
—–ENDS—–
Images: PDC
