The European Tour qualification landscape has shifted this year. The top 16 players in the world rankings now earn automatic entry into the second round, while the top 16 on the Pro Tour Order of Merit secure places in the first round. Beyond those automatic spots, the bulk of tournament places are decided through a fiercely competitive qualifying event for PDC Tour Card holders, supplemented by regional qualifiers including the Host Nation, East European, and Baltic & Nordic events.
It is in these qualifiers that Slevin, Huybrechts, and Veenstra have each repeatedly stumbled. None are currently positioned within the top 16 of either the world rankings or the Pro Tour Order of Merit, meaning their only route onto the Euro Tour main stage is through these intense qualifying rounds.
Kim Huybrechts, a former two-time Players Championship winner and last year’s Czech Darts Open finalist, has been a particular case of “so close, yet so far” this season. Despite his pedigree, the 39-year-old Belgian has managed to qualify for just two European Tour events in 2025 — a figure that could have been much higher were it not for his five losses in the final qualifying matches. Huybrechts’ ongoing struggle underscores just how unforgiving the current qualification format can be, even for established names.
Similarly, Richard Veenstra, the 44-year-old Dutch stalwart, shares the unenviable distinction of five final-round qualifier defeats. The same goes for Irishman Dylan Slevin, whose persistent near-misses echo the cruel lottery of darts qualification where a single bad leg can undo months of preparation and form.
Yet, the story is far from over. Huybrechts, for one, is preparing for what could be a pivotal opportunity at the Flanders Darts Trophy — the tenth European Tour event of the year, scheduled for 29–31 August at Antwerp Expo. Rather than enter the standard PDC Tour Card holder qualifiers, Huybrechts, like some of his Belgian compatriots, has opted to try his luck in the Host Nation Qualifier, which offers four places in the main draw and takes place just a day before the tournament starts.
For these three players, their qualification struggles serve as a stark reminder of just how fine the margins are on the European Tour. It’s a brutal system that can cruelly dash hopes but also one that, on the right day, offers any determined competitor a chance to shine.
As the season unfolds, darts fans will be watching closely to see if Slevin, Huybrechts, and Veenstra can finally break their unlucky streak and cement their place among Europe’s elite once more.
