Steve Beaton has made a surprising comeback, storming through Q-School in Milton Keynes to leave himself in pole position to reclaim his PDC Tour Card. Despite falling just short of securing the card on Thursday's quarter-final stage, 61-year-old Beaton is now well-placed in fifth spot in the order of merit.
The former Lakeside world champion had stepped away from professional darts at the end of 2024 but returned after a year away with a dramatic U-turn. This latest resurgence has been marked by impressive form, with Beaton dispatching Devon Peterson and Jose De Sousa to make it two wins on the trot.
Beaton's quarter-final exit to Adam Leek was a disappointing end to his run but he remains just five players from securing his coveted Tour Card. The top five winners will be awarded Tour Cards after four days of action, with the current standings being closely contested.
A stellar debut at Alexandra Palace has given Arno Merk the edge in his pursuit of a Tour Card, as did a dramatic comeback from Filip Bereza against Davy Proosten. Meanwhile, Rhys Griffin and Adam Leek have also secured Tour Cards, with Griffin whitewashing Scott Waites 6-0 to earn his first Tour Card, while Leek edged out Tyler Thorpe in a deciding leg.
Some high-profile players fell short of securing their Tour Cards, including Fallon Sherrock and Charlie Manby. The current Premier League Darts defending champion, Luke Humphries, will be looking to retain his title when the tournament gets underway in February.
The former Lakeside world champion had stepped away from professional darts at the end of 2024 but returned after a year away with a dramatic U-turn. This latest resurgence has been marked by impressive form, with Beaton dispatching Devon Peterson and Jose De Sousa to make it two wins on the trot.
Beaton's quarter-final exit to Adam Leek was a disappointing end to his run but he remains just five players from securing his coveted Tour Card. The top five winners will be awarded Tour Cards after four days of action, with the current standings being closely contested.
A stellar debut at Alexandra Palace has given Arno Merk the edge in his pursuit of a Tour Card, as did a dramatic comeback from Filip Bereza against Davy Proosten. Meanwhile, Rhys Griffin and Adam Leek have also secured Tour Cards, with Griffin whitewashing Scott Waites 6-0 to earn his first Tour Card, while Leek edged out Tyler Thorpe in a deciding leg.
Some high-profile players fell short of securing their Tour Cards, including Fallon Sherrock and Charlie Manby. The current Premier League Darts defending champion, Luke Humphries, will be looking to retain his title when the tournament gets underway in February.
! 61 years old and still throwing darts like a pro? that's insane! i was watching the Q-School thing and was on the edge of my seat when he beat those top players 
Devon Peterson and Jose De Sousa didn't stand a chance against him. his form is incredible and i'm loving every minute of it 
. who else can say they've beaten two pros in a row at their age? Beaton's definitely got the magic still 
So I'm loving Steve Beaton's comeback story - who wouldn't want a 61-year-old former world champ making a stunning return to the darts scene? 
The guy's still got it, and it's amazing to see him adapting to the game after taking a year off. His quarter-final loss to Adam Leek was tough to watch though 
. But Beaton's definitely in the mix now, and I'm rooting for him to reclaim his Tour Card spot. 
The darts community must be buzzing with excitement about this - it's like he never left! 
! Steve Beaton is proof that you're never too old (or tired 
) to make a difference on the darts scene. I mean, 61 and still throwing like a pro? That's dedication right there 
. This Q-School thing has been pretty unpredictable so far, but Beaton's on fire 
. It'll be interesting to see how this whole Tour Card situation unfolds – fingers crossed for the comeback king 
!
It's like he never left, you know? The old guy is still throwing darts like a pro and getting those wins under his belt 
It's like they're saying you've gotta be 25 to make it in this game 
And then Filip Bereza just wails against Davy Proosten 
Like, what's going on over there?