The 2012 PDC Pro Tour was a series of non-televised darts tournaments organised by the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC). They were the Professional Dart Players Association (PDPA) Players Championships, the UK Open Qualifiers, and the new European Tour events. This year there were 33 PDC Pro Tour events – 20 Players Championships, 8 UK Open Qualifiers, and 5 European Tour events.
Prize money Prize money for each Players Championship and UK Open Qualifier is £34,600, unchanged from 2011. Prize money for each European Tour event was £82,100.
Stage Winner £15,000 £6,000 £500 Runner-up £7,500 £3,000 £300 Semi-finalists £5,000 £2,000 £200 £3,000 £1,000 £100 Last 16 £1,500 £600 £75 Last 32 £1,000 £400 £50 Last 64 £200 £200 N/A Total £82,100 £34,600 £3,000
In addition, the 32 players who failed to qualify for a European Tour event at the final qualifying stage receive £100. A further £400 per Pro Tour event (£800 per European Tour event) was reserved for a nine-dart finish. If this was not won in an event, it was carried over to the next event, and so on until a nine-dart finish was achieved. Once the prize fund was won, it reverted to the starting value for the next event.
PDC Pro Tour Card 128 players were granted Tour Cards, which enabled them to participate in all Players Championships, UK Open Qualifiers and European Tour events.
Tour cards The 2012 Tour Cards were awarded to: 64 players from the PDC Order of Merit after the 2012 World Championship 20 Tour Card holders from the previous year's Qualifying School not included among the 64 Order of Merit qualifiers no Tour Card holders from the previous year's 2010 PDC Women's World Championship invitations ( Tricia Wright and Stacy Bromberg both resigned their membership) 1 semi-finalist from the 2012 BDO World Championship ( Ted Hankey; the other three semi-finalists Christian Kist, Wesley Harms and Tony O'Shea declined invitations) 1 finalist from the 2012 PDC World Youth Championship ( James Hubbard; the other finalist Michael van Gerwen was among the 64 qualified players from the Order of Merit) 2 highest-ranking players from the 2011 PDC Youth Tour Order of Merit not already qualified ( Paul Barham and Reece Robinson) 40 qualifiers from a four-day Qualifying School in Barnsley (4 semi-finalists from each day, plus the top 24 players from the Q School Order of Merit)
Q School The PDC Pro Tour Qualifying School took place at the Metrodome in Barnsley from January 19–22.
January 19Qualifying School – Day One PDC.tv January 20Qualifying School – Day Two PDC.tv January 21Qualifying School – Day Three PDC.tv January 22Qualifying School Day Four PDC.tv Richie Howson Andy Cornwall Darren Whittingham Tony West Steve West Stuart Kellett Michael Barnard Kurt van de Rijck Dean Winstanley Jeff Smith Adrian Gray Andrew Gilding Dave Smith Johnny Haines Jamie Lewis Bernd Roith
A Q School Order of Merit was also created by using the following points system: Stage PointsLast 8 9Last 16 5Last 32 3Last 64 2Last 128 1
To complete the field of 128 Tour Card Holders, places were allocated down the final Qualifying School Order of Merit. The following players picked up Tour Cards as a result:
Players Championships (All matches – best of 11 legs)
Players Championship 1 Spanish Darts Trophy Players Championship 1 was contested at the Hotel Melia, Benidorm, Alicante on 28 January. Justin Pipe won his fourth PDC ranking title by whitewashing Paul Nicholson 6–0 in the final.
Players Championship 2 Spanish Darts Trophy Players Championship 2 at the Hotel Melia Benidorm, Alicante on 29 January.
Players Championship 3 Players Championship 3 at the Rivermead Centre, Reading on 10 March.
Players Championship 4 Players Championship 4 at the Rivermead Centre, Reading on 11 March.
Players Championship 5 Players Championship 5 at the K2 Centre, Crawley on 26 May.
Players Championship 6 Players Championship 6 at the K2 Centre, Crawley on 27 May.
Players Championship 7 Players Championship 7 at the NIA Community Hall, Birmingham on 16 June.
Players Championship 8 Players Championship 8 at the NIA Community Hall, Birmingham on 17 June.
Players Championship 9 Players Championship 9 at the K2 Centre, Crawley on 30 June.
Players Championship 10 Players Championship 10 at the K2 Centre, Crawley on 1 July.
Players Championship 11 Players Championship 11 at the Barnsley Metrodome, Barnsley on 15 September.
Players Championship 12 Players Championship 12 at the Barnsley Metrodome, Barnsley on 16 September.
Players Championship 13 Players Championship 13 at the Citywest Hotel, Dublin on 6 October.
Players Championship 14 Players Championship 14 at the Citywest Hotel, Dublin on 7 October.
Players Championship 15 Players Championship 15 at the Gleneagle Hotel, Killarney, Ireland on 20 October.
Players Championship 16 Players Championship 16 at the Gleneagle Hotel, Killarney, Ireland on 21 October.
Players Championship 17 Players Championship 17 at the K2 Centre, Crawley on 3 November.
Players Championship 18 Players Championship 18 at the K2 Centre, Crawley on 4 November.
Players Championship 19 Players Championship 19 at the Barnsley Metrodome, Barnsley on 24 November.
Players Championship 20 Players Championship 20 at the Barnsley Metrodome, Barnsley on 25 November.
Youth Tour The PDC Youth Tour consisted of 18 events held across seven weekends, where two events were played on the Saturday and one event on the Sunday with the exception of the final weekend. Events were open to players aged between 14 and 21 at the beginning of the year. The top 32 players from the Youth Tour Order of Merit qualified for the 2013 PDC World Youth Championship.
No. Date Venue Winner Legs Runner-up Ref. 1 Saturday April 21 Derby Arron Monk 4–0 James Hubbard 2 Saturday April 21 Michael Smith 4–2 Daniel King-Morris 3 Sunday April 22 Arron Monk 4–0 Michael Smith 4 Saturday May 19 Reading James Hubbard 4–1 Ben Songhurst 5 Saturday May 19 Michael Smith 4–1 Jamie Landon 6 Sunday May 20 Arron Monk 4–2 Liam Showell 7 Saturday June 2 Cologne Adam Smith-Neale 4–2 Josh Payne 8 Saturday June 2 Chris Aubrey 4–3 Jamie Lewis 9 Sunday June 3 Jamie Lewis 4–3 Arron Monk 10 Saturday July 14 Barnsley Sam Hamilton 4–3 Reece Robinson 11 Saturday July 14 Arron Monk 4–2 Sam Head 12 Sunday July 15 James Hubbard 4–0 Sam Hill 13 Saturday August 4 Derby Jamie Lewis 4–0 Michael Smith 14 Saturday August 4 Jamie Landon 4–3 John de Kruijf 15 Sunday August 5 Michael Smith 4–0 Lee Whitworth 16 Saturday September 29 Wigan Michael Smith 4–1 Ricky Evans 17 Saturday September 29 Keegan Brown 4–1 George Killington 18 Sunday September 30 Michael Smith 4–2 Josh Payne
UK Open Qualifiers No. Date Venue Winner Legs Runner-up 1 Saturday February 11 K2 Centre, Crawley Wes Newton 6–3 Kim Huybrechts 2 Sunday February 12 Michael van Gerwen 6–1 Dave Chisnall 3 Saturday March 24 Barnsley Metrodome, Barnsley Phil Taylor 6–2 Brendan Dolan 4 Sunday March 25 Phil Taylor 6–3 Dennis Smith 5 Saturday April 14 Raymond van Barneveld 6–3 Andy Smith 6 Sunday April 15 Raymond van Barneveld 6–2 Ian White 7 Saturday May 5 NIA Community Hall, Birmingham Terry Jenkins 6–3 Andy Hamilton 8 Sunday May 6 Wes Newton 6–2 Justin Pipe
European Tour No. Event Venue Winner Legs Runner-upRef. 1 Austrian Darts Open Arena Nova, Vienna Justin Pipe 6–3 James Wade 2 German Darts Championship Tempodrom, Berlin Phil Taylor 6–2 Dave Chisnall 3 European Darts Open Maritim Hotel, Düsseldorf Raymond van Barneveld 6–4 Dave Chisnall 4 German Darts Masters Glaspalast, Sindelfingen Adrian Lewis 6–3 Ian White 5 Dutch Darts Masters Van Der Valk Hotel, Nuland Simon Whitlock 6–1 Paul Nicholson
Scandinavian Darts Corporation Pro Tour No. Also known as the Venue Winner Legs Runner-up Ref. 1 SDC Denmark 1 Park Inn Copenhagen Airport, Copenhagen, Denmark Jarkko Komula 6–5 Jani Haavisto 2 SDC Denmark 2 Jani Haavisto 6–5 Robert Wagner 3 SDC Finland 1 Hotel Tallukka, Vääksy, Finland Robert Wagner 6–4 Ulf Ceder 4 SDC Finland 2 Jarkko Komula 6–1 Ulf Ceder 5 SDC Sweden 1 Stockholm, Sweden Jani Haavisto 6–4 Jarkko Komula 6 SDC Sweden 2 Magnus Caris 6–5 Vladimir Andersen 7 SDC Denmark 3 Park Inn Copenhagen Airport, Copenhagen, Denmark Veijo Viinikka 6–4 Magnus Caris 8 SDC Denmark 4 Dennis Lindskjold 6–3 Niels Jørgen Hansen
North American Pro Tour No. Also known as the Venue Winner Legs Runner-up Ref. 1 North American Pro Tour Chicago Hyatt Regency O'Hare, Chicago, Chicago, United States John Part 6–1 Darin Young 2 North American Pro Tour Ontario Hilton London Ontario, Ontario, Canada Andre Carman 6–3 Darin Young 3 North American Pro Tour Atlantic City Resorts Casino & Hotel, Atlantic City, Atlantic City, United States Larry Butler 6–1 Darin Young 4 World Dart Series 1 United States Scott Wollaston 6–1 Larry Butler
Australian Grand Prix Pro Tour
The Australian Grand Prix rankings are calculated from events across Australia. The top player in the rankings automatically qualifies for the 2013 World Championship.
No. Date Also known as Winner Legs Runner-up Ref. 1 Saturday 21 January DPA Australian Matchplay 1 Barry Jouannet Jr 6–3 Bill Aitken 2 Sunday 22 January DPA Australian Matchplay 2 Sean Reed 6–5 Rob Modra 3 Saturday 4 February Mittagong RSL Open 1 Russell Stewart 6–4 Ben Gaiter 4 Sunday 5 February Mittagong RSL Open 2 Harley Kemp 6–4 Phillip Hazel 5 Saturday 18 February Redcliffe Darts Open 1 Shane Tichowitsch 6–5 Gordon Mathers 6 Sunday 19 February Redcliffe Darts Open 2 Sean Reed 6–1 Craig Gwynne 7 Saturday 3 March Victoria Open 1 Jackson Wilson-Young 6–4 Wayne Clegg 8 Sunday 4 March Victoria Open 2 Sean Reed 6–4 Rob Modra 9 Saturday 31 March Boorowa Open 1 Jackson Wilson-Young 6–2 Shane Tichowitsch 10 Sunday 1 April Boorowa Open 2 Rob Modra 6–4 Shane Tichowitsch 11 Saturday 14 April Dosh DPA Kazco Open 1 Shane Tichowitsch 6–3 Beau Anderson 12 Sunday 15 April Dosh DPA Kazco Open 2 Shane Tichowitsch 6–5 Beau Anderson 13 Saturday 28 April Cabbage Tree Hotel Open Shane Tichowitsch 6–3 Ben Gaiter 14 Sunday 29 April DPA Australian Singles Gordon Mathers 6–5 Wayne Clegg 15 Saturday 26 May Redcliffe Darts Open 3 Gordon Mathers 6–0 James Bailey 16 Sunday 27 May Redcliffe Darts Open 4 Craig Gwynne 6–2 Sean Reed 17 Saturday 9 June South Australian Open 1 Shane Tichowitsch 6–3 Sean Reed 18 Sunday 10 June South Australian Open 2 Shane Tichowitsch 6–2 Sean Reed 19 Saturday 23 June Billabong Tavern Darts Open Shane Tichowitsch 6–1 Sean Reed 20 Sunday 24 June Russell Stewart Classic Shane Tichowitsch 6–5 Sean Reed 21 Saturday 14 July SID Darts Open Shane Tichowitsch 6–2 Wayne Clegg 22 Sunday 15 July Warilla Bowls Club Open Sean Reed 6–3 Shane Tichowitsch 23 Saturday 11 August Robina Gold Coast Open 1 David Platt 6–5 Pat Orreal 24 Sunday 12 August Robina Gold Coast Open 2 David Platt 6–5 Jeremy Fagg 25 Friday 17 August Australian Open Phil Taylor 6–2 Simon Whitlock 26 Saturday 18 August DPA Tournament of Champions Phil Taylor 6–3 Masumi Chino 27 Sunday 19 August DPA Australian Masters Simon Whitlock 6–5 Phil Taylor 28 Saturday 6 October Goulburn Open 1 Tic Bridge 6–3 Jackson Wilson-Young 30 Friday 26 October Canberra DPA Event 1 Gordon Mathers 6–4 Russell Stewart 31 Saturday 27 October Canberra DPA Event 2 Kyle Anderson 6–3 Gordon Mathers
Other PDC tournaments The PDC also held a number of other tournaments during 2012. These were mainly smaller events with low prize money, and some had eligibility restrictions. All of these tournaments were non-ranking.