So, you’ve survived your early years on the PDC circuit without tumbling into the drop zone shredder and held onto your Pro Tour card. Well done. Now though, is when the real fun begins. Not only do you have to defend the cash you’ve already banked, but you also need to start climbing the greasy ladder. Easy, right?
Luckily - no, let’s rephrase that - thankfully, you’ve been smashing it on the floor circuit – those glamorous events held in sports halls or former aircraft hangars where your biggest audience is a bloke in hi-vis putting up chairs. You’ve done well on those and suddenly you’re inside the ranking cut offs and unlocking your entry into the hallowed TV majors. Yes, the ones where people actually watch, rather than stumble across a dodgy stream between episodes of Love Island.
PDC DARTS PART 1 - Where and how it all began
That’s the dream, isn’t it? Get into a TV major. You open your phone to check if you are in the qualifying spots. Then under ‘Race to…’, you see your name – highlighted in green like some chosen one. Stay in that position when the cut-off date arrives and congratulations: you’ve got yourself a ticket to the big stage.
Now it’s not just about prize money – though that’s juicy enough – it’s about sponsors suddenly pretending they’ve loved darts all their lives. Before you know it, companies are queuing up to plaster their logos on your shirt, desperate for a few million eyeballs to notice them while you’re trying not to miss double 16. All that hard work on the oche and suddenly you’re a walking billboard with a decent throw.
Now, not all TV tournaments are created equal. Some are the US Open of darts, others, not so much. And, because the PDC loves to maximise the drama potential, each has its own gimmick.
The Big 5
As in most sports PDC darts has a small group of highly prized events that are well known and hugely prestigious. They are similar to the Grand Slams on the Tennis tour or the ‘Majors’ in Golf, with the exception that we also have a World Championship that is the singular climax of every season.
Like those other sports each event has subtle, or not so subtle, differences to the others in order to provide a variety of viewing experiences and player tests as well as making them saleable for television and sponsorship purposes.
SIGN UP FOR A DARTS WORLD MEMBERSHIP TODAY!
UK Open – Butlins’ Big Bash
Think FA Cup, but with fewer footballs and more lager. If you’ve got a Tour Card, you’re in. That’s the good news. The bad news? It’s a total lottery. Open draw. You could get Luke Humphries in round one or a bloke who sells car insurance in Crewe. And because of the format - and the fact it’s Butlins - you could be called to play at 11pm in a tent or 11am in a side room next to the bingo. Fans love it because it’s chaos; players tolerate it because they have to.
World Matchplay – Blackpool Heatstroke Classic
The majority of player’s favourite and second only to the Worlds in prestige. Blackpool in July is less seaside glamour and more Ibiza for people who think early morning shots of Sambuca are wise. The Winter Gardens, though, is iconic. The field is stacked, the format long, and you need to win by two clear legs. Don’t expect an early night.
WORLD MATCHPLAY MOMENTS: Watch Our Top 10 here
The roll call of winners is basically darts royalty dominated by the person who now has the trophy named after him - Phil Taylor. To win it, you need talent, stamina, and a strong intolerance to heat.
World Grand Prix – Double Trouble
The only event where you start on a double. Sounds quirky until you see pros miss ten darts at double 16 and want to shrink into none existence. Short early rounds mean shocks galore. In 2024 Mike De Decker went full fairytale, winning the whole thing from outside big guns at 200/1. Proof that anything is possible if you can actually hit your finish while your opponent is still trying to start their leg.
Talk about the World Grand Prix within earshot of Brendan Dolan and his ears pop up like a dog who has just caught a whiff of next doors steak on the BBQ. Over a decade ago, the lovable Northern Irishman became the first player to hit the perfect leg in this format.
RECORD-BREAKING NINE-DARTER: Brendan Dolan First Ever Double-Start
It’s not an understatement to say Dolan has milked it. He’s now called The History Maker and the actual checkout shot is depicted on his darts shirt. Then just for good measure - they’ve stuck the date on there too. Makes Keith Deller’s 138 reminders look mild.
PDC DARTS PART II - What's the system and how does it work?
Grand Slam of Darts – Group Therapy
Originally born out of a turf war between the PDC and the now-dead BDO, the Slam is the only event with a group stage. Every player gets at least three matches, which is great for the fans and even better for the bloke who travelled 200 miles to watch his favourite get smashed in straight sets.
Now the BDO is long gone and the PDC had already changed the format and made it ranked. To qualify, it’s basically straight forward with a strong twist of complication towards the end of the criteria. Either win or reach the final of a televised event and you’re in - that includes the Premier League and World Cup. After that, well, it almost seems like on a need to know only basis.
No idea why they bothered to add the ’.....of Darts’ to the tournament name. Hardly likely to be confused with the Grand Slam of Polo. Anyway, I digress. Outsiders occasionally thrive here – Scott Waites won it as a BDO lad – but mostly it’s the usual suspects lifting the trophy. Lose early? Don’t worry. It’s the only major where you can be rubbish on your first game, get beat, and still win the whole thing.
PDC DARTS (Part III): You too can be a pro dart player
World Championship – Christmas at Ally Pally
The big one. The three-week beer-soaked pantomime at Alexandra Palace that doubles as a plethora of combined Christmas office parties. Set play, daft costumes, and more renditions of Sweet Caroline than your sanity can handle. Winning it transforms careers. Finalists often get Premier League invites. Winners get instant immortality – plus a cool million quid and the Sid Waddell Trophy.
It’s brutal. It’s magical. It’s also where shocks happen: Rob Cross turned up, won the whole thing on debut, and left Phil Taylor speechless in his final match. More recently, a 16-year old Luke Littler showed up, reached the final and almost broke the internet. Then a year later, the trophy was sat on his family mantelpiece. Dreams to come true.
PDC DARTS (Part IV) : Want to reach the major leagues?
Final Word
So yes, majors are darts’ golden tickets. Some are chaos, some are tradition, some are downright weird. But win one, and you’re in the darting aristocracy. Win more than one, and you’re booking your spot in history. And if you win the Worlds? Congratulations: you’re now famous enough that strangers will bother you for a selfie in Costco.
For the full stories and more in depth coverage of everything darts, together with the latest issues of their legendary publications, head on over to dartsworld.com