Jelle Klaasen qualified for European Darts Grand Prix

Wim Blokpoel - Last afternoon the PDC Associate Member European Tour Qualifiers were held for the Eurotours in Leverkusen and Stuttgart, which both will be played in may. A lot of Dutchmen were invovled, and with success.

The associate member qualifiers are available for all players who played at the 2022 PDC Q-School but failed to win a tourcard. In the qualifier for Leverkusen, Roemer Mooijman, former Lakeside World Champion Christian Kist and Jurjen van der Velde all made the last 16. Recent Eurotour quarter-finalist Wesley Plaisier was two wins away from qualifying again, but then lost 2-5 to Stefan Bellmont. Davy Proosten beat fellow Dutchmen Robbie Smeets and Jimmy van Schie, and then averaged 100,8 in a 5-2 win over Belgian Kevin Blomme. 2 wins away, and Proosten beat another Belgian in Ronny Huybrechts 5-1 with an average of 98,9. In the final game, Proosten played against Challenge Tour number 1 Scott Williams for a place in Leverkusen, but was unfortunately edged out 4-5.

In the qualifier for Stuttgart, Robin Smeets, Wesley van Trijp, Jeremy van der Winkel and once again Wesley Plaisier made the last 16. Owen Roelofs and Danny van Trijp were 1 win away from qualifying but lost in all Dutch battled. Christian Kist beat Canadian Shaun Narain, Dutch Jimmy van Schie and Belgian Roberto Vandaele. 2 wins away. Kist beat Ryan O’Connor 5-2, however in his final game Kist lost 2-5 himself to Bellmont. Ryan de Vreede beat Andy Bless and then 2 Dutchmen in Wesley van Trijp and Owen Roelofs. Jelle Klaasen first edged out Brazilian Diogo Portela 5-4, then beat fellow Dutchman Chris Landman 5-1, and edged out Darren Penhall 5-4. 2 wins away, Klaasen beat Danny van Trijp and it was an all Dutch final between Klaasen and De Vreede! It was former Lakeside World Champion Jelle Klaasen, who averaged 104,4 in a 5-0 win over De Vreede! It will be a first European Tour appearence for Klaasen this year, a second great result this year after qualifying for the UK Open earlier on as well after losing his tourcard!