Darts results: Lisa Ashton first female player to earn PDC Tour card after Qualifying School heroics

• Scroll down for a full list of Tour card winners
• PDC Qualifying Schools: Day One report
• PDC Qualifying Schools: Day Two report
• PDC Qualifying Schools: Day Three report
• PDC Qualifying Schools: Day Four report

The 49-year-old, who is the women's world number one and four time BDO champion, claimed the 12th and final spot available via the Order of Merit thanks to her consistent performances over four days of action in Wigan.

Ashton's success means she has won the opportunity to compete on the PDC Tour for the next two years.

However, the Lancashire Rose had to endure a nervous wait after going down 5-2 to Justin Smith in her second game of the day resulting in no points being added to her Order of Merit tally.

However, results over the course of the day meant that Ashton's nine points, the bulk of which were won in her run to the last eight on Day Two, were enough to secure her place on the PDC professional circuit for the first time.

Ashton was one of six players tied on nine points, but she and Darren Penhall held the advantage in number of legs won over the four days to take the final two qualification spots.

"I am so, so happy to finally get my Tour Card," said Ashton, who missed out by one point at 2019 Q School.

"I was sat there all day with people trying to work out if I had qualified so I just said 'tell me at the end, I can't deal with the stress!

"So when I found out I'd done it, that was a great moment.

"I want to play all the tournaments I can. I'm going to have a damn good go at whoever I play, they need to be ready.

"To come through a field of over 500 men, I couldn't be any happier.

"But I know I've got more in the tank and now I'm going to take my dreams wherever I can."

Ashton is a four-time women's world champion and competed at the men's PDC World Championship in 2018, only to suffer a first-round defeat to Jan Dekker.

She will now have the opportunity to compete on the full PDC circuit, having triumphed on the final day of qualifying school.

Fallon Sherrock, who made history by becoming the first women to win a match at the PDC World Championship before Christmas, failed to win a tour card.

Sherrock has already been awarded a 'challenger' place to appear on the second night of the Premier League in Nottingham on February 13 as well as a host of lucrative World Series events.

Worth the Waites!

Two-time BDO Champion Scott Waites will compete on the PDC circuit for the first time in 2020 after winning his Tour Card outright on the final day along with Welshman Nick Kenny.

Having struggled on the opening three days of Q School, former Grand Slam winner Waites found his form on the final day, culminating in a 5-0 whitewash of teenage Irish sensation Keane Barry in their Tour Card decider.

"To do this is amazing," said Waites. "I knew I had to come here today and just win it outright, and I've played my game all day.

"Keane is a fantastic player so to beat him 5-0 is amazing, but with a bit of experience he's going to be an awesome player.

"The time has never been right for me to move over before but now I think it is right to have a go so let's see what happens.

"I'm going to put a lot of practice in now, this is going to give me the 'get up and go' I need."

Two-time Development Tour winner Kenny will also be a new addition to the PDC circuit after he saved his best performance till last as he averaged 110.5 to defeat Scott Taylor 5-2 in their Tour Card play-off.

Joining Ashton in winning Tour Cards via the UK Q School Order of Merit are 11 players headed up by former World Championship runner-up Andy Hamilton.

Junior Darts Corporation chairman Steve Brown was unable to attend the final day of Q School due to JDC-related commitments in China, but his runs on the first two days were enough to ensure a return to the PDC Tour after a five-year absence.

Brisbane Masters winner Damon Heta was successful in his first Q School appearance and he will be joined on the circuit by fellow-Australian and surprise package Darren Penhall.

Scottish duo Ryan Murray and William Borland are also new names on tour, along with Wigan's Martin Atkins.

Adam Hunt, Alan Tabern and Wayne Jones all secured immediate returns after losing their Tour Cards at the end of 2019, while Peter Jacques returns after a one-year absence.

At European Q School Germany's Steffen Siepmann booked his place on the PDC Tour for the first time by defeating Wesley Harms 5-3 in the Day Four final in Hildesheim.

However, two-time BDO Championship semi-finalist Harms did enough over the four days to earn a PDC Tour Card for the first time.

"It has been a really tough four days," Harms admitted.

"My goal was to make the quarter-final every time but after I went out in the last 32 on the first day I was worried, but my last day made up for it.

"Everything will be new for me but I am looking forward to playing in the PDC for the first time."

Harms' fellow-Dutchmen Derk Telnekes and Martijn Kleermaker also secured Tour Cards for the first time, while Dirk van Duijvenbode won back his card at the first time of asking.

Sweden's Daniel Larsson, Croatia's Boris Krcmar and Poland's Krzysztof Kciuk also won Tour Cards for the first time via the European Q School Order of Merit.

• Scroll down for full list of Tour Card winners

Lisa Ashton Q&A

Who is Lisa Ashton?

The 49-year-old from Bolton has been one of the leading contenders in the women's game since she won the first of her four world titles in 2014. Ashton successfully defended the trophy the following year, and after being knocked out in the quarter-finals in 2016, returned for two more back-to-back triumphs in 2017 and 2018. Ashton reached her sixth world final in London earlier this month, but she was defeated 3-0 by defending champion Mikuru Suzuki.

How did she qualify?

Ashton was one of 16 female players, along with the likes of Suzuki and Fallon Sherrock, to enter this week's four-day qualifying school event. She almost qualified directly on Friday night, when she beat seven consecutive opponents - all men - before coming up short in the final four. But ultimately Ashton was one of those players who ranked highly enough in the Order of Merit - effectively the event's overall rankings - to secure her place on the tour for the next two years.

What about Fallon Sherrock?

Sherrock made history when she beat both Ted Evetts and Mensur Suljovic to reach the third round of the PDC World Championship last month. In doing so she was rewarded with a challenger place in the Premier League next month, and a spot in all this year's World Series events. But the qualifying school proved a different matter and despite a good start, Sherrock finished well down the four-day rankings, likewise Suzuki.

How will Ashton fare?

Sherrock's success has proved there is no reason why female darts players cannot compete with - and beat - the men. And Ashton's own achievement is no flash in the pan - she was one point away from earning her tour card last year. It is also worth noting that Ashton took the first set - with a 107 average - in her first-round match at this year's PDC World Championship against Jan Dekker before losing 3-1.

What is the future for the women's game?

The success of the likes of Ashton and Sherrock suggests the future for leading women's players lies on what has been traditionally known as the men's tour. And the future for women's darts is in good hands after the performance of Doncaster's Beau Greaves, who reached the semi-finals of the Women's World Championship last month at the age of just 16. But the future of the major women's event in itself has been cast into doubt due to the much-publicised financial issues afflicting its governing body, the rival British Darts Organisation.

PDC Tour Card winners

UK Qualifying School

• Jason Lowe (Day One winner)
• Gary Blades (Day One winner)
• Kai Fan Leung (Day Two winner)
• Jeff Smith (Day Two winner)
• Aaron Beeney (Day Three winner)
• Nick Kenny (Day Three winner)
• Scott Waites (Day Four winner)
• Adam Hunt (Day Four winner)
• Ryan Murray (Order of Merit)
• Peter Jacques (Order of Merit)
• Damon Heta (Order of Merit)
• Andy Hamilton (Order of Merit)
• Alan Tabern (Order of Merit)
• Wayne Jones (Order of Merit)
• William Borland (Order of Merit)
• Martin Atkins (Order of Merit)
• Steve Brown (Order of Merit)
• Darren Penhall (Order of Merit)
• Lisa Ashton (Order of Merit)

European Qualifying School

• Harald Leitinger (Day One Winner)
• Mike De Decker (Day Two Winner)
• Karel Sedlacek (Day Three Winner)
• Steffen Siepmann (Day Four Winner)
• Dirk Van Duijvenbode (Order of Merit)
• Wesley Harms (Order of Merit)
• Derk Telnekes (Order of Merit)
• Martijn Kleermaker (Order of Merit)
• Daniel Larsson (Order of Merit)
• Boris Krcmar (Order of Merit)
• Krzysztof Kciuk (Order of Merit)

UK Qualfying School Day Four results

Last 16

• Wayne Jones 5-4 Thomas Lovely
• Scott Taylor 5-3 Alexander Morrison
• Stephen Burton 5-0 Darren Johnson
• Nick Kenny 5-3 Darren Penhall
• Matthew Dennant 5-0 Wes Newton
• Keane Barry 5-1 Graham Usher
• Scott Waites 5-3 Connor Scutt
• Adam Hunt 5-4 Steve Hine

Last Eight

• Scott Taylor 5-1 Wayne Jones
• Nick Kenny 5-1 Stephen Burton
• Keane Barry 5-2 Matthew Dennant
• Scott Waites 5-4 Adam Hunt

Last Four (both winners earn a Tour card)

• Nick Kenny 5-2 Scott Taylor
• Scott Waites 5-0 Keane Barry

European Qualfying School Day Four results

Last 16

• Steffen Siepmann 5-4 Zoran Lerchbacher
• Jose Justicia 5-4 Gino Vos
• Lukasz Sawicki 5-0 Wesley Plaisier
• Danny van Trijp 5-3 Dennis Nilsson
• Wesley Harms 5-3 Boris Krcmar
• Kevin Blomme 5-3 Michael Unterbuchner
• Dirk van Duijvenbode 5-3 Derk Telnekes
• Cody Harris 5-0 Daniel Larsson

Quarter-Finals

• Steffen Siepmann 5-4 Jose Justicia
• Danny van Trijp 5-4 Lukasz Sawicki
• Wesley Harms 5-0 Kevin Blomme
• Dirk van Duijvenbode 5-2 Cody Harris

Semi-Finals

• Steffen Siepmann 5-1 Danny van Trijp
• Wesley Harms 5-1 Dirk van Duijvenbode

Final

• Steffen Siepmann 5-3 Wesley Harms

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