PDC Challenge Tour 2020

[MancheStar]

PDC Unicorn Challenge Tour Update
Entries are now open for the first PDC Unicorn Challenge Tour weekend in Wigan on January 25-26.

PDPA Associate Members will be able to compete in 24 Challenge Tour events during 2020, with each worth £10,000 in prize money.

The year's opening weekend will be held at the Robin Park Tennis Centre in Wigan on January 25-26, with two events set to be held per day.

However, following a record entry for the 2020 PDC Qualifying Schools, more players than ever will become eligible to play on the Challenge Tour this year.

Should entries reach a level which make running two events per day impractical, one event will be played per day and the remaining two events will be rearranged.

[Ginge]

Hmm those last two lines are a bit vague. Surely people want to book hotels and travel to play in 4 events, not two?

[ChrisW]

40k prize pot but if a lot of you turn up it will be 20k.

[Ginge]

Aye its a load of bollox that at five days notice.

[MancheStar]

Gonna be interesting to see what the numbers for this weekend.

[MancheStar]

Potentially 40 days of challenge tour events

[Ginge]

Potentially 40 days of challenge tour events

24 events over 40 days? Eh?

[MancheStar]

Haha yeah my bad over 24 days

[Bag Carrier]

Players only want 1 event per day and not 2.

If they add extra weekends on, will they look to clash them with WDF/BDO ranked weekends or county.

I will they steer clear in the hope of keeping the entries up

[Ginge]

Players only want 1 event per day and not 2.

Aye but potentially changing it at a few days notice? Not on. People may do the tour on the expectations its only 6 weekends so only 6 weekends worth of hotel and travel needed. Doubling the number of weekends doubles the cost for that bit.

[Bag Carrier]

Players only want 1 event per day and not 2.

Aye but potentially changing it at a few days notice? Not on. People may do the tour on the expectations its only 6 weekends so only 6 weekends worth of hotel and travel needed. Doubling the number of weekends doubles the cost for that bit.

There is obviously these added costs, But I'm sure all that can afford to go to Q School can afford a few extra nights hotel and some travel.

But making the decision a day or 2 before the event is mad.

[greatkingrat]

Stupid but could be easily rectified next year by saying that if you didn’t win a point at Q school you are not eligible for challenge tour.

The problem is the nature of the event means there will always be some good players who get unlucky with the draw and don't win a point. This year there were 23 players with a tournament average over 80 who still didn't win any points - including Arron Monk and Mikuru Suzuki.

[fling]

The other issue is that the entry deadline is only the day before the 1st event.
So quite a few could enter last minute which is similar to Q School

[clemy1989]

This is yet another reason to look at upping the number of pro tour places, or even splitting the Challenger tour into separate ones for Uk and Europe. The numbers need to be manageable. Its a combination of the PDC's success and the BDO's failings.

[MancheStar]

Next step should be to offer more tour cards to challenge tour players over the 24 events. Possibly 8 cards for the top 8 in the final table more fairer than over 4 days at Q-School.

[ILAD]

Players only want 1 event per day and not 2.

Aye but potentially changing it at a few days notice? Not on. People may do the tour on the expectations its only 6 weekends so only 6 weekends worth of hotel and travel needed. Doubling the number of weekends doubles the cost for that bit.

There is obviously these added costs, But I'm sure all that can afford to go to Q School can afford a few extra nights hotel and some travel.

But making the decision a day or 2 before the event is mad.

Thank god it is not a problem for you.

[Bag Carrier]

Players only want 1 event per day and not 2.

Aye but potentially changing it at a few days notice? Not on. People may do the tour on the expectations its only 6 weekends so only 6 weekends worth of hotel and travel needed. Doubling the number of weekends doubles the cost for that bit.

There is obviously these added costs, But I'm sure all that can afford to go to Q School can afford a few extra nights hotel and some travel.

But making the decision a day or 2 before the event is mad.

Thank god it is not a problem for you.

I thank God every day several times a day. It cleans the soul.

[Deleted User]

The other issue is that the entry deadline is only the day before the 1st event.
So quite a few could enter last minute which is similar to Q School

Probably the reason for the announcement.

They've realised they won't know the numbers until very late so are putting in a contingency plan.

It's not ideal but better than ignoring the issue and hoping it will go away.

[Bag Carrier]

I bet there won’t be everyone that attended Q school that didn’t win a card attending.

I know a few that ain’t going that played.

Will be some surprises who doesn’t turn up I think.

[Jowinho1987]

I bet there won’t be everyone that attended Q school that didn’t win a card attending.

I know a few that ain’t going that played.

Will be some surprises who doesn’t turn up I think.

Last year 43% of the Q-school participants attended the first challenge tour