The finale of the Development Tour delivered drama in Wigan, with Jamai van den Herik not only sealing a World Darts Championship berth but also securing a Tour Card for 2027 and 2028. Jurjen van der Velde snatched an Alexandra Palace ticket at the last moment as well, while Cam Crabtree and Jack Drayton also confirmed their Tour Cards.
It was a nerve-racking weekend especially for Van den Herik. Thanks to a title during the previous Development Tour weekend, he had thrust himself back into contention and continued his surge on Saturday. He first reached the semi-finals, where Cole Davey proved too strong with a 5-4 win. Later in the day he added a quarter-final after victories over, among others, Leon Weber and Liam Maendl-Lawrance. As several rivals went out early, Van den Herik kept climbing the rankings.
On Sunday, Van den Herik reached the semi-finals again. He lost there to Owen Bates, but the result did move him up to third place. In the final event he could no longer safeguard that position himself. Cam Crabtree swept the Dutchman 4-0, leaving Van den Herik dependent on results elsewhere. The margins finally broke his way. Dominik Grüllich had more than ten match darts against Duyane Wade Decena but failed to finish the job. Bates could not overhaul Van den Herik either. He lost his semi-final to Kaya Baysal in a deciding leg. The main objective was achieved. Van den Herik, like last year, is heading to the Worlds and additionally holds a Tour Card for the next two seasons.
Jack Drayton endured a nightmare closing weekend. The Englishman started with a healthy cushion in second place but suffered multiple early exits. In the final event he lost in the last 64 to Decena, which saw him slide further down. Drayton seals a Tour Card alongside Van den Herik, while not claiming a World Championship spot such has been his poor weekend.
Van der Velde also looked set to miss out on the Worlds for a long time. The 23-year-old Dutchman had lost ground after a strong start to the season, but during the final event he suddenly saw a path to Alexandra Palace reopen. As rivals fell away, Van der Velde kept winning. In the semi-final he knew one more victory would be enough for a Worlds ticket. Decena, who had earlier taken out several key contenders, could not halt him. He then lost the final to Baysal, but that no longer altered the Dutch success story. Van der Velde is back at the Worlds.
Baysal wrapped up the Development Tour with the tournament win. Despite playing only nine of the 24 events, he secured places at next year’s UK Open and World Masters. The final PDC Development Tour standings saw Sebastian Bialecki top the list with 21900 prize money, followed by Jurjen van der Velde and Cam Crabtree on 12350, Jamai van den Herik on 12250, Owen Bates and Jack Drayton on 12200, Leon Weber on 11350, Dominik Gruellich on 11300, Archie Self on 10550, James Beeton on 10400, Henry Coates and Dylan Slevin on 9050, Adam Gawlas on 8550, Charlie Manby on 8500, Kaya Baysal on 8350, and Nathan Potter on 8100.
