PDC boost for Women and non Tour Card holders

Not content with a valiant effort to keep darts on full display, and look after its staff and players, during the Covid years, the 2022 PDC calendar will see over 150 days of darts played from January to October, including a return to a full programme of European Tour events and an expanded Women’s Series.

Following disrupted 2020 and 2021 campaigns, the European Tour will enjoy a return to 13 events across the continent in 2022, including first visits to Wieze in Belgium and Trier in Germany.

Seven events will be staged in Germany, along with visits to Hungary, Czech Republic, the Netherlands and Austria, while the year’s final tournament in Gibraltar will see a return to the Victoria Stadium.

An expanded PDC Women’s Series will see 20 events take place at venues in the UK and Germany, with places in TV events, including the 2022/23 World Championship on offer.

The Challenge and Development Tours will each return to unified series’ of events featuring players from across the globe, having been split into regions due to travel restrictions in 2021.

Following the conclusion of the 2021/22 World Darts Championship, focus moves to the PDC Qualifying Schools, which will be held in the UK and Germany from January 9-15, with two stages of play taking place at each venue.

Full entry details for the 2022 PDC Qualifying Schools will be published in due course.

The first televised event of the year will see The Masters take place from January 28-30 in Milton Keynes.

The Premier League campaign will begin in Cardiff on February 3 and reach its climax with the Play-Offs in Newcastle on May 26.

The UK Open will return to Butlin’s Minehead Resort, with the popular annual festival of darts set to take place from March 4-6.

The World Cup of Darts will take place in Frankfurt from June 16-19, before the world’s top stars head to Blackpool for the World Matchplay from July 16-24.

Amsterdam will once again play host to the World Series of Darts Finals from September 16-18, before the World Grand Prix returns to the Citywest Convention Centre in Dublin from October 2-8.

The top 32 players on the European Tour Order of Merit will travel to Dortmund for the European Championship from October 27-30.

Following the confirmation of the 128 Tour Card Holders after Qualifying Schools, two Players Championship weekends open the ProTour season in their place during February.

A total of 30 Players Championship events will take place in 2019, including a weekend in Hildesheim in early August and four midweek double-headers.

Details of the final two months of the calendar, along with 2022 World Series of Darts event information, will be published in due course.

“It is with great excitement that we announce such a full PDC calendar for 2022 following the difficulties of the last two years,” said PDC Chief Executive Matthew Porter.

“In particular, it will be fantastic to see the popular European Tour return to full strength next year with a full 13-event campaign.

“We are also pleased to expand the PDC Women’s Series, bringing it in line with our Challenge and Development Tours, as we continue to offer more opportunities to female players.

“With so much darts action at all levels on the PDC circuit, it’s going to be a fascinating year and one which will undoubtedly provide new stars in the sport as well as chances for all players with the ambitions to get to the very top of the sport.”

Full ticket information for all PDC events is available at pdc.tv/tickets.

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