PDC Chief Executive Matt Porter has weighed in on the contentious issue of top players withdrawing from tournaments, stating that he understands their decision. Speaking to Oche180, Porter addressed several topics including the ranking system, European Tour qualifying criteria, and the growing demand for tickets at iconic venues.
Regarding withdrawals, Porter said: "No, not really, if I'm honest. It's up to the players to manage their diaries in the way they think is best for them. As for the Players Championship events, honestly, if I were a top-10 player, I don't think I'd play that many of them. Why would I need to? I'd probably use them for practice as and when I needed to. As long as I'd won enough money early in the season to qualify for the Players Championship Finals, I'd rest and rotate those events as much as I could because my diary would already be intense." He added that attendance among Premier League players on the European Tour should improve in the second half of the year now that the Premier League has finished, noting the difficulty of competing late on a Thursday night and travelling early on Friday.
On the ranking system, Porter revealed ongoing discussions with the PDPA. "For as long as I've been doing this job, we've been talking to the PDPA about ranking changes, and we've made numerous changes based on their feedback and will continue to do so," he said. He acknowledged the challenge of pleasing everyone: "It's very difficult for a player in the world's top 10 to have the same view on direction as a player ranked around 150 in the world." Responding to claims that it is hard to break into the top 16 and 32, Porter argued: "I think the proof will be in the numbers. We've run the numbers based on previous years and they showed that not to be the case. If it does become a closed shop, that's not what we want and we'd review it again." He stressed the need for a pathway for lower-ranked players: "We need that conveyor belt of talent coming through to keep the sport fresh."
On the European Tour qualification process, which sees the top 16 gain automatic entry into the second round, Porter defended the system: "We reviewed it and felt that this was a more appropriate system to bring in. We want to make sure opportunities are there and the doors are open for players further down the rankings. At the same time, we want to reward players who have reached the top of the rankings for that achievement and make sure events are structured in a way that appeals most to live crowds."
Finally, regarding the possibility of moving iconic events like the World Matchplay from the Winter Gardens due to ticket demand, Porter confirmed: "The World Matchplay is so iconic and so synonymous with the Winter Gardens that I don't think there would really be another option. I don't think if we took the World Matchplay away from the Winter Gardens there would be many people who agreed with the decision, and it's certainly not something we've ever discussed." He noted that the PDC World Darts Championship will move to the bigger hall at Ally Pally from the next edition.