Kevin Doets has spoken of his relief at no longer having to play European Tour qualifiers, after his recent surge up the PDC Order of Merit secured him automatic spots in the events. The Dutchman, who claimed his first PDC ranking title recently, told the Weekly Dartscast: "It's such a relief because it's not just about hoping to qualify. It's the fact that you've got one less day of playing. It's not only wanting to play the EuroTour, it's also the stress that comes with playing the qualifiers."
Doets' strong ranking has opened doors to the biggest majors. "They're very important for the rankings and where I am now in the rankings just opens so many doors for all the majors, the top 32, and maybe even better than that. Yeah, I'm just in a very good place right now," he said. He believes he has already secured spots at both the World Matchplay and the World Grand Prix, adding: "I'm pretty sure I've already qualified for both the Matchplay and the Grand Prix, especially now after my win on Monday. I'm basically in the top five for both on the ProTour, I guess."
The prospect of playing at the World Matchplay is especially meaningful after he missed out two years ago. "It feels really good because two years ago I missed out on the Matchplay by one spot. James Wade got spot 16 and I was spot 17, so that was a bit of a blow," Doets recalled. He described the current situation as confirmation that he is on the right path, saying: "These are the moments you dream of as a player when you win your Tour Card. Now it's finally really happening."
