Scotland’s former World Cup champion John Henderson headlined the list of players to progress to the Final Stage of PDC Qualifying Schools, as First Stage concluded on Wednesday in Milton Keynes and Kalkar.
Day Three of the 2026 PDC Qualifying Schools marked the end of First Stage action, with players battling for the chance to secure a coveted two-year Tour Card for the 2026-27 season.
Henderson, who guided Scotland to World Cup of Darts glory in 2021, was among the 16 players to claim automatic qualification from UK Qualifying School at Arena MK. The 52-year-old delivered a dominant display, conceding just two legs throughout the day.
He opened with a hat-trick of whitewash victories – including a brace of 101.55 averages – before defeating fellow Scot Darren Armstrong to keep alive his push for a return to the professional circuit.
Former Lakeside champion Scott Mitchell and 2005/06 World Championship semi-finalist Wayne Jones also secured automatic qualification, joined by a further 47 players advancing via the UK Qualifying School Ranking List.
Three-time World Champion John Part claimed the final available place in UK Final Stage, as the Canadian icon looks to reclaim a Tour Card for the first time since 2018.
At European Qualifying School, Switzerland’s World Cup representative Bruno Stoeckli featured among the 16 automatic qualifiers on Day Three, while Italian star Massimo Dante topped the overall standings after three days of competition. Mason Whitlock finished fourth on the Rankings, with Brian Raman, Liam Maendl-Lawrance and Jose Justicia also booking their spots.
Final Stage, running from January 8-11, will award Tour Cards to the last two players each day at both venues, with the remaining places decided via the Qualifying School Ranking List.
A host of established names await in Final Stage, including Charlie Manby, Fallon Sherrock, Devon Petersen, Mervyn King, Andreas Harrysson, Jose de Sousa and Jelle Klaasen, setting the stage for a fiercely contested showdown.
Source: PDC.TV
