The 2014 PDC Pro Tour was a series of non-televised darts tournaments organised by the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC). Professional Dart Players Association Players Championships, UK Open Qualifiers, and European Tour events are the events that make up the Pro Tour. This year there were 34 PDC Pro Tour events held – 20 Players Championships, 6 UK Open Qualifiers, and 8 European Tour events.
Prize money Prize money for each UK Open Qualifier was increased from £35,000 to £50,000 to match the 2013 Players Championships, which themselves remained unchanged for this year. European Tour events offered £100,000 per event, the same as in 2013.
Stage Winner £20,000 £10,000 £2,000 £1,000 Runner-up £8,000 £5,000 £1,000 £500 Semi-finalists £4,000 £2,500 £500 £250 £3,000 £1,500 £300 £150 Last 16 £2,000 £1,000 £200 £100 Last 32 £1,250 £500 £100 £50 Last 48 £1,000 N/A N/A N/A Last 64 N/A £250 £50 £25 Total £100,000 £50,000 £10,000 £5,000
PDC Pro Tour Card 128 players were granted Tour Cards, which enabled them to participate in all Players Championships, UK Open Qualifiers and European Tour events.
Tour Cards The 2014 Tour Cards were awarded to: (63) The top 64 players from the PDC Order of Merit after the 2014 World Championship. Co Stompé, Jani Haavisto and Steve Coote resigned their cards. (42) The 42 qualifiers from 2014 Q-School. (16) The 16 qualifiers from 2013 Q-School not ranked in the top 64 of the PDC Order of Merit following the World Championship. (1) Four semi-finalists of the 2014 BDO World Darts Championship, only Stephen Bunting accepted his tour card. (1) The winner of the 2013 Scandinavian Order of Merit ( Per Laursen). (1) The winner of the 2012 Scandinavian Order of Merit ( Jarkko Komula). (2) Two highest qualifiers from 2013 Challenge Tour ( Ben Ward and Adam Hunt). (2) Two highest qualifiers from 2012 Youth Tour ( Chris Aubrey and Josh Payne).
Lakeside Champion Stephen Bunting accepted his offer of a Tour Card, while a further 16 players won automatic Tour Cards at Qualifying School. To complete the field of 128 Tour Card Holders, places were allocated down the final Qualifying School Order of Merit, with 26 of the top 27 players taking a Tour Card.
Q School
The PDC Pro Tour Qualifying School took place at the Robin Park Tennis Centre in Wigan from January 15–18. The following players won two-year tour cards on each of the days played:
January 15 January 16 January 17 January 18 Kyle Anderson Benito van de Pas Antonio Alcinas Andrew Gilding Tomas Seyler Andy Parsons Gerwyn Price Dave Bird Gary Stone Matt Padgett Robert Owen Tony Newell Steve West Nigel Heydon Joe Murnan Jason Hogg
A Q School Order of Merit was also created by using the following points system: Stage PointsLast 8 9Last 16 5Last 32 3Last 64 2Last 128 1
To complete the field of 128 Tour Card Holders, places were allocated down the final Qualifying School Order of Merit, with 26 of the top 27 players taking a Tour Card. Stuart Bousfield turned down his chance to take up a Tour Card from the rankings, and as such is removed from the standings for 2014.
Players Championships (All matches – best of 11 legs)
Players Championship 1 Players Championship 1 was contested on 15 March 2014 at the Barnsley Metrodome. The tournament was won by Gary Anderson, who defeated Andrew Gilding 6–5 in the final.
Players Championship 2 Players Championship 2 was contested on 16 March 2014 at the Barnsley Metrodome. The tournament was won by Michael van Gerwen, who defeated Dean Winstanley 6–1 in the final.
Players Championship 3 Players Championship 3 was contested on 22 March in Crawley. The tournament was won by Gary Anderson, who defeated Phil Taylor 6–5 in the final.
Players Championship 4 Players Championship 4 was contested on 23 March in Crawley. The tournament was won by Phil Taylor, who whitewashed Ian White 6–0 in the final.
Players Championship 5 Players Championship 5 in Wigan on 12 April.
Players Championship 6 Players Championship 6 in Wigan on 13 April.
Players Championship 7 Players Championship 7 in Wigan on 3 May.
Players Championship 8 Players Championship 8 in Wigan on 4 May.
Players Championship 9 Players Championship 9 was contested on 24 May 2014 in Crawley. The tournament was won by Peter Wright who defeated Justin Pipe 6–2 in the final.
Players Championship 10 Players Championship 10 was contested on 25 May 2014 in Crawley. The tournament was won by Terry Jenkins, who defeated Stephen Bunting 6–3 in the final.
Players Championship 11 Players Championship 11 in Coventry on 14 June.
Players Championship 12 Players Championship 12 in Coventry on 15 June.
Players Championship 13 Players Championship 13 in Crawley on 13 September.
Players Championship 14 Players Championship 14 was contested on 14 September in Crawley. The tournament was won by Michael van Gerwen, who defeated Michael Smith 6–4 in the final.
Players Championship 15 Players Championship 15 in Dublin on 4 October.
Players Championship 16 Players Championship 16 in Dublin on 5 October.
Players Championship 17 Players Championship 17 in Crawley on 18 October.
Players Championship 18 Players Championship 18 in Crawley on 19 October.
Players Championship 19 Players Championship 19 in Coventry on 22 November.
Players Championship 20 Players Championship 20 in Coventry on 23 November.
UK Open Qualifiers No. Date Venue Winner Score Runner-up Ref. 1 Friday 7 February Robin Park Tennis Centre, Wigan Andy Hamilton 6–2 Adrian Lewis 2 Saturday 8 February Stephen Bunting 6–5 Andrew Gilding 3 Sunday 9 February Phil Taylor 6–2 Adrian Lewis 4 Friday 21 February Brendan Dolan 6–1 Jamie Lewis 5 Saturday 22 February Gary Anderson 6–2 Robert Thornton 6 Sunday 23 February Michael van Gerwen 6–0 Michael Smith
European Tour European Tour events had 48 players competing in each event this year instead of the 64 previously used. The top 16 on the one year Pro Tour Order of Merit entered each tournament at the last 32 stage. Twenty players from the UK Qualifier, eight from the European Qualifier and four from the Host Nation Qualifier in each event met in the first round with the 16 winners going on to face the 16 seeded players.
There were eight European Tour events this year:
No. Date Also known as the Venue Winner Score Runner-up Ref. 1 31 January–2 February German Darts Championship Hildesheim, Halle 39 Gary Anderson 6–5 Justin Pipe 2 14–16 February Dutch Darts Masters Veldhoven, NH Hotel Koningshof Michael van Gerwen 6–4 Mervyn King 3 19–21 April German Darts Masters Berlin, Maritim Hotel Phil Taylor 6–4 Michael van Gerwen 4 20–22 June Austrian Darts Open Salzburg, Salzburgarena Vincent van der Voort 6–5 Jamie Caven 5 27–29 June Gibraltar Darts Trophy Gibraltar, Victoria Stadium James Wade 6–4 Steve Beaton 6 11–13 July European Darts Open Düsseldorf, Maritim Hotel Peter Wright 6–2 Simon Whitlock 7 5–7 September European Darts Grand Prix Sindelfingen, Glaspalast Mervyn King 6–5 Michael Smith 8 19–21 September European Darts Trophy Leipzig, Kohlrabizirkus Michael Smith 6–5 Michael van Gerwen
PDC Youth Tour The PDC Unicorn Youth Tour was open to players aged 16–21. The players who finished first and second on the Order of Merit will receive two-year Tour Cards to move onto the PDC ProTour in 2015 and 2016. In addition, the players who finished from third to eighth will receive free entry to the 2015 PDC Qualifying School. Dimitri van den Bergh and Josh Payne were the top two players at the end of the year.
No. Date Winner Legs Runner-up Ref. 1 Saturday 1 March Nick Kenny 4–2 Josh Payne 2 Lewis Venes 4–1 Josh Payne 3 Saturday 29 March Mike Zuydwijk 4–0 James Hubbard 4 Saturday 5 April Dimitri Van den Bergh 4–2 Shaun Narain 5 Saturday 26 April Sam Hewson 4–0 John de Kruijf 6 George Killington 4–2 Max Hopp 7 Saturday 17 May Dimitri Van den Bergh 4–3 Adam Hunt 8 James Hubbard 4–2 Reece Robinson 9 Saturday 31 May Adam Hunt 4–3 Rowby-John Rodriguez 10 Nick Kenny 4–1 Sam Hewson 11 Saturday 5 July Dean Reynolds 4–2 Max Hopp 12 Reece Robinson 4–2 Dimitri Van den Bergh 13 Saturday 27 September Dimitri Van den Bergh 4–1 Adam Smith-Neale 14 Josh Payne 4–3 Keegan Brown 15 Saturday 1 November Keegan Brown 4–3 Jake Jones 16 Dean Reynolds 4–3 Josh Payne
PDC Challenge Tour The PDC Unicorn Challenge Tour was open to all PDPA Associate Members who failed to win a Tour Card at Qualifying School. The players who finished first and second will receive two-year Tour Cards to move onto the PDC ProTour in 2015 and 2016. In addition, the players who finished from third to eighth will receive free entry to the 2015 PDC Qualifying School. Mark Frost and Alan Tabern were the top two players at the end of the year.
No. Date Winner Legs Runner-up Ref. 1 Sunday 2 March Jamie Robinson 5–4 Matthew Edgar 2 Ron Meulenkamp 5–4 Alan Tabern 3 Sunday 30 March Alan Tabern 5–4 Ian McFarlane 4Sunday 6 April Matthew Edgar 5–4 Mark Frost 5 Sunday 27 April Colin Fowler 5–2 Mark Frost 6 Colin Fowler 5–2 Matt Clark 7 Sunday 18 May Alex Roy 5–4 Mark Lawrence 8 Alan Tabern 5–3 Dave Honey 9 Sunday 1 June Alan Tabern 5–0 Luke Woodhouse 10 Jay Foreman 5–4 Max Hopp 11 Sunday 6 July Mark Frost 5–2 Jamie Robinson 12 Brett Claydon 5–4 Aden Kirk 13 Sunday 28 September Mark Frost 5–4 Prakash Jiwa 14 Mark Frost 5–1 Steve Douglas 15 Sunday 2 November Colin Fowler 5–1 Dirk van Duijvenbode 16 Matt Clark 5–4 Steve Douglas
Scandinavian Darts Corporation Pro Tour The Scandinavian Pro Tour had eight events this year, with a total of €40,000 on offer. The winner after all nine events (Jani Haavisto) will play in the 2015 World Championship.
No. Date Also known as Venue Winner Legs Runner-up Ref. 1 Saturday 1 MarchSDC Finland Hotel Tallukka, Vääksy, Finland Vesa Nuutinen 6–1 Uki Takkinen 2 Saturday 1 March Ulf Ceder 6–2 Jarkko Komula 3 Sunday 2 March Jani Haavisto 6–4 Ali Roberts 4 Saturday 26 AprilSDC Sweden Scandic Molndal, Gothenburg, Sweden Jani Haavisto 6–3 Jarkko Komula 5 Saturday 26 April Marko Kantele 6–4 Jarkko Komula 6 Sunday 27 April Jarkko Komula 6–3 Sami Sanssi 7 Saturday 30 AugustSDC Denmark Park Inn Copenhagen Airport, Copenhagen, Denmark Per Laursen 6–2 Daniel Larsson 8 Saturday 30 August Kim Viljanen 6–4 Madars Razma 9 Sunday 31 AugustSDC European Championship Qualifier Robert Wagner 6–4 Magnus Caris
Eurasian Darts Corporation (EADC) Pro Tour The 2 EADC Pro Tour events and the 2015 World Championship Qualifier will be played at Omega Plaza Business Center, Moscow. Players from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Ukraine are eligible to play. No. Date Venue Winner Legs Runner-up Ref. 1 Saturday 26 April Moscow, Omega Plaza Business Center Evgenii Zhukov 6–5 Andrey Ponomarenko 2 Sunday 27 April Evgenii Izotov 6–4 Nikolay Mikhalin
Australian Grand Prix Pro Tour
The Australian Grand Prix rankings are calculated from events across Australia. The top player in the rankings (Laurence Ryder) automatically qualified for the 2015 World Championship.