Jimmy van Schie has qualified for a European Tour event for the first time in his career, securing a debut at the tournament in Kiel at the end of May. The 32-year-old Dutchman, who won his PDC Tour Card in January, described the qualification as a mental boost after a difficult start to his first professional season. Van Schie's breakthrough came alongside fellow Dutchman Jeffrey Sparidaans, while Christian Kist fell twice 6-5 in the final round of qualifying.
Van Schie admitted to feeling pressure in his early months on the PDC circuit, having previously been a top player in the WDF where he became world champion in 2025. "There I was the very best, but here at the PDC you get to take part. There are simply 127 other top darters and I had to deal with that," he said. The qualification came later in the season than he expected, providing much-needed relief after receiving many messages from people with high expectations.
The Dutchman's recent form showed signs of improvement, including an impressive win over former UK Open champion Andrew Gilding at a Players Championship in Wigan. "That win over Gilding gave me a huge boost. I thought: 'You see, you can do it, it's in there,'" Van Schie explained. His qualification path included a dramatic first-round escape against Mensur Suljovic, where both players missed multiple match darts—Suljovic six and Van Schie seven—before Van Schie prevailed.
After beating Adam Gawlas, Van Schie secured his Euro Tour spot by defeating Richard Veenstra in the decisive match. "Against Richard I was really firing. I needed a good game," he said. Travel disruptions added an unexpected twist, as Van Schie, Kist, and Sparidaans missed their return journey due to bad weather and a slow taxi, forcing them to stay an extra day. Van Schie took it in stride, relaxing at an additionally booked hotel.
