Darren Beveridge, the Scot who stunned Dimitri Van den Bergh 3-0 on his World Championship debut, has revealed the mental battles and personal sacrifices behind his two-year PDC Tour career. After losing his Tour Card at the end of 2025, Beveridge deliberately stepped away from darts to spend more time with his family, but now the fire is burning again as he targets a return via Q-School in 2027.
Speaking after his recent MODUS Super Series debut, Beveridge admitted the step up from the old Online Darts Live League was significant. "Well, it's a lot different to what the Live League used to be. It was just like a little room in an office, but we've got a nice big stage here now, so it's a lot better than it used to be," he said. The 30-year-old, who sought advice from fellow Scot Scott Campbell before arriving, confessed he was still unsure what to expect: "I didn't know how big the stage was, obviously just watching it on TV and stuff. But yeah, it's really nice, I must admit."
Beveridge's journey to the professional ranks was far from straightforward. He initially dismissed darts as "for old men" before being introduced to the sport by a friend on a rainy day at age 13 or 14. After his father set up a dartboard at home, Beveridge quickly showed promise, with his dad noting his composure was "a lot more advanced for my age than other kids he'd seen." However, a weekend-working job put his competitive ambitions on hold until his mid-20s, and his first Q-School experience exposed a "massive gulf in the standard."
When Beveridge finally secured his Tour Card, the overwhelming emotion was relief, but it soon turned to doubt. "I felt like I had imposter syndrome for the first two months," he admitted. "I felt like I shouldn't be here. I'm just a normal guy from Midlothian in Scotland. I don't know why I'm standing here with the best 128 players in the world." That feeling faded as he realised everyone on tour was fighting for the same money, and his form improved in the second half of his second season, including a ProTour quarter-final and a win over Wessel Nijman at a European Tour event in Hungary.
The pinnacle of Beveridge's career came at Alexandra Palace, where he fulfilled a childhood dream by beating Van den Bergh in his World Championship debut. "It was unbelievable," he said. "It was my first time. My partner was watching. All my friends were there. It was just amazing getting that first win on the stage, living my childhood dream and seeing everybody ecstatic. It was once in a lifetime." He lost in the next round to Madars Razma, who "steamrolled" him in the opening sets, but Beveridge now has his sights set firmly on November's World Championship qualifier and then Q-School in January. "I've not looked past Q-School yet," he confirmed. "That's my run-up to that."
