Michael Smith has secured his spot at the Austrian Darts Open after a tense 6-5 victory over Shane McGuirk in the final round of the PDC European Tour 6 qualifier. Smith, who averaged 99.17, was one of ten players to book their place in Graz for the tournament scheduled for May 8-10, 2026. The day, however, proved disappointing for Beau Greaves and Dimitri van den Bergh, who both fell short in their qualification bids.
Gabriel Clemens ended Greaves' hopes with a 6-3 win in the final round, averaging 85.10 to her 88.34. Cristo Reyes also advanced, defeating Cor Dekker 6-4 with a 97.01 average. Robert Owen produced a standout performance, averaging 108.82 in a 6-1 demolition of Niall Culleton. Other qualifiers included Ian White, who edged past Madars Razma 6-4, and Chris Landman, who beat Stefan Bellmont by the same scoreline.
James Hurrell sealed his place with a dominant 6-2 win over Adam Leek, firing a massive 110.03 average. Alan Soutar prevailed 6-3 in an all-Scots clash with David Sharp, while Kim Huybrechts edged past Max Hopp 6-4. Nick Kenny rounded out the qualifiers by defeating Mervyn King 6-3. The event also saw early exits for notable names, with van den Bergh falling 6-3 to Thibault Tricole in the Last 80 round.
While the qualifiers are set, the main tournament in Sindelfingen will be led by Premier League trio Gian van Veen, Michael van Gerwen, and Jonny Clayton. Top stars Luke Littler and Luke Humphries are set to skip the event. The full results from the Tour Card Holder Qualifier, including earlier rounds, detailed victories for players like Ritchie Edhouse, Jim Long, and Sebastian Bialecki, among others.
