Wayne Warren

[Eric the Half a Bee]

As it turned out, Warren didn't have a go at Q-school. Imagine the BDO champ failing to get a tour card? He was in a lose-lose situation.

Jim Williams, BDO runner up and highly thought of, failed to make much of an impact.

14 of the top 16 seeds at the BDO World Championship went to Q-school. 5 got tour cards. Scott Waites and Andy Hamilton are experienced campaigners and I'm delighted to see Waites have a chance. He had the game a few years ago to threaten anyone.

Top seed Wesley Harms got through via the order of merit. Welshman Nick Kenny qualified by winning one of the days, despite a 1st round exit at the BDO WC. Kleermaker also qualified.

Big names like Scott Mitchell, Adam Smith-Neal, Dave Parletti, Gary Robson and BDO semifinalist Vandenbogaerde all didn't get that close.

[Loramski]

As it turned out, Warren didn't have a go at Q-school. Imagine the BDO champ failing to get a tour card? He was in a lose-lose situation.

Jim Williams, BDO runner up and highly thought of, failed to make much of an impact.

14 of the top 16 seeds at the BDO World Championship went to Q-school. 5 got tour cards. Scott Waites and Andy Hamilton are experienced campaigners and I'm delighted to see Waites have a chance. He had the game a few years ago to threaten anyone.

Top seed Wesley Harms got through via the order of merit. Welshman Nick Kenny qualified by winning one of the days, despite a 1st round exit at the BDO WC. Kleermaker also qualified.

Big names like Scott Mitchell, Adam Smith-Neal, Dave Parletti, Gary Robson and BDO semifinalist Vandenbogaerde all didn't get that close.

Lisa Ashton got her card, the first woman to do so.

[Eric the Half a Bee]

Lisa Ashton got her card, the first woman to do so.

Sherrock didn't. Q-school is brutal and I'm not sure it's the fairest way of players getting tour cards, but it's intense and exciting to a degree.

As an aside, I've been following some of the matches. There were players who averaged less than 50 who had a go at Q-school. A South African guy, Michael Van Der Menscht averaged in the 30s on 3 succcessive days. Now, it cost £450 to enter QS. Unless players like Menscht had a bad case of nerves, why on earth would they have a go? I'm one of the world's worst dart throwers, if I average 60 I'm delighted. I wouldn't have a go at QS as I'd be murdered on the oche. Yet, I think there were 10 or so guys who went there and averaged in the 40s every day. Can't be easy for the better players having to play rubbish like that - Mark Dudbridge averaged in the mid 60s in disposing of one of these numpties 5-0, so he didn't need to try.

[Loramski]

Warren ended up with £23,000, that's less than Fallon Sherrock got for reaching the third round of the PDC event. It's the lowest winner's prize money at the BDO event since Jocky Wilson in 1989.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/darts/51126679

The only reason I ever saw Glen Durrant give for staying with the BDO so long was that he was picking up £100.000 each year for winning their world title and he couldn't guarantee earning that if he went to the PDC. He changed his mind last year, sneaked through Q School then earned £226,500 prize money at the PDC, and a Premier League place, while the BDO prize money went down 77%. A guy called Matthew Dennant had match darts to knock Durrant out of Q School last year, I guess they both reflect on the significance of those misses now.

[length]

The only reason I ever saw Glen Durrant give for staying with the BDO so long was that he was picking up £100.000 each year for winning their world title and he couldn't guarantee earning that if he went to the PDC.

I don't know how true this is, but I remember reading that the BDO World Champion would have to forfeit their prize money if they made the switch within a certain amount of time (1 -2 years)

The BDO were trying to tie them down.

Eric will know..

[Eric the Half a Bee]

I don't know how true this is, but I remember reading that the BDO World Champion would have to forfeit their prize money if they made the switch within a certain amount of time (1 -2 years)

The BDO were trying to tie them down.

Eric will know..

This was as recent as 2 years ago. It was the reason Durrant wouldn't switch. Last year, the BDO decided to get rid of that rule. They realised that the darting divide would only harm its own players chance of progression, signalling also that it had lost the battle.

As soon as they dropped the rule, Durrant had a go at Q-school.

[Loramski]

This was as recent as 2 years ago. It was the reason Durrant wouldn't switch. Last year, the BDO decided to get rid of that rule. They realised that the darting divide would only harm its own players chance of progression, signalling also that it had lost the battle.

As soon as they dropped the rule, Durrant had a go at Q-school.

Was it that simple with Durrant though? I'm aware of the prize money issue that you and Length are talking about, the variant I remember is the semi-finalists from the BDO event being offered automatic tour cards by the PDC but the BDO would reclaim their prize money if they accepted.

I'm not sure if this was in place when Stephen Bunting won the BDO title in 2014 but Bunting was adamant that he wouldn't be leaving the BDO, only to change his mind very soon after. I assumed Barry Hearn (and his cheque book) had made Bunting an offer he couldn't refuse, including a tour card.

I thought Durrant would make a similar deal and join the PDC with an automatic tour card but it never happened. I've found an interview here from 2017 where he's saying he wants to join the PDC but there's no direct mention of returning prize money, his BDO contract just seemed to stop him from going to Q-School if he reached the BDO semis. He's begging Barry Hearn for a tour card, the interviewer seems confused as to why he hasn't been given one. I'm confused as to why he never was.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39Ook_ZNAYQ (from about 2.40)

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Sherrock didn't. Q-school is brutal and I'm not sure it's the fairest way of players getting tour cards, but it's intense and exciting to a degree.

As an aside, I've been following some of the matches. There were players who averaged less than 50 who had a go at Q-school. A South African guy, Michael Van Der Menscht averaged in the 30s on 3 succcessive days. Now, it cost £450 to enter QS. Unless players like Menscht had a bad case of nerves, why on earth would they have a go? I'm one of the world's worst dart throwers, if I average 60 I'm delighted. I wouldn't have a go at QS as I'd be murdered on the oche. Yet, I think there were 10 or so guys who went there and averaged in the 40s every day. Can't be easy for the better players having to play rubbish like that - Mark Dudbridge averaged in the mid 60s in disposing of one of these numpties 5-0, so he didn't need to try.

Nice bit of information, cheers for posting that.

[ElyBlu]

As it turned out, Warren didn't have a go at Q-school. Imagine the BDO champ failing to get a tour card? He was in a lose-lose situation.

Jim Williams, BDO runner up and highly thought of, failed to make much of an impact.

14 of the top 16 seeds at the BDO World Championship went to Q-school. 5 got tour cards. Scott Waites and Andy Hamilton are experienced campaigners and I'm delighted to see Waites have a chance. He had the game a few years ago to threaten anyone.

Top seed Wesley Harms got through via the order of merit. Welshman Nick Kenny qualified by winning one of the days, despite a 1st round exit at the BDO WC. Kleermaker also qualified.

Big names like Scott Mitchell, Adam Smith-Neal, Dave Parletti, Gary Robson and BDO semifinalist Vandenbogaerde all didn't get that close.

ASN didnt go, Gary robson is awful and Vandenbogaerde was there or there abouts for the 4 days, think he struggles with a bit of dartitis. Agree what you said about warren not going. Glad for waites too.