Another familiar name on the PDC circuit has lost his Tour Card following a defeat at the 2026 World Darts Championship, in what has been described as a major setback for the organisation.
Before the tournament at Alexandra Palace began, it was confirmed that 15 players would drop out of the professional ranks in January 2026. Any player finishing the season outside the top 64 in the rankings will lose their Tour Card and must return to Q-School to try to regain it.
Florian Hempel, a PDC professional for the past five years, is currently 70th in the live Tour Card standings after losing to Robert Grundy in a first-round World Championship qualifier, meaning he will also have to go through Q-School. Former BDO world champion Jelle Klaasen is set to lose his card as well, alongside Scotland’s William Borland and Welshman Jim Williams.
Earlier in the week, ex-Grand Slam champion Jose de Sousa also lost his Tour Card after a 3–1 defeat to Ricardo Pietreczko. Now, two-time PDC North American champion and Canada’s top-ranked player, Matt Campbell, has suffered the same outcome following a 3–1 loss to World Championship debutant Adam Sevada.
Darts Actueel co-founder Jetze Jan Idsardi labelled Campbell’s exit “a disaster” for the PDC, arguing that he was the only North American player making a real impact on the tour.
Campbell joins a growing list of players losing their Tour Cards, including Dylan Slevin, Berry van Peer, Patrick Geeraets, Nathan Rafferty and Jitse van der Wal. Others such as Martijn Dragt, Benjamin Reus, George Killington, Michele Turetta, Tim Wolters and Jules van Dongen will also need to return to Q-School if they want to remain on the tour for the next two years.
Meanwhile, William Borland has spoken openly about his absence from the sport in 2025. The Scottish player, famous for hitting a nine-dart finish at the 2022 World Championship, revealed he stepped away to care for his mother and grandmother during serious health issues. Borland explained that family had to come first, even though the time away made qualifying for the Worlds extremely difficult.
Over his two-year spell on the PDC circuit, Borland earned £28,000 in prize money and admitted the decision to support his family brought him some peace of mind, despite the professional cost.
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