Former World Championship finalist Simon Whitlock has lost his PDC Tour Card.
The brutal realisation was confirmed after Wesley Plaisier’s 3-2 victory over Ryusei Azemoto on Monday at the World Darts Championship.
Although Plaisier’s win played a role, the Australian’s inability to qualify for this year’s World Championship was a significant reason as to why Whitlock lost his tour card.
The Australian cult hero, who has sport’s one of the most recognisable hairstyles and beards in darts, failed to make the cut for the showpiece tournament for the first time in 15 years.
However, Whitlock is looking at his absence from the World Championships with a glass-half-full mentality.
“I’ve always wanted to play in, and strive for the World Championships,” Whitlock told Online Darts.
“But I’m not there and I’m looking forward to new things in my life.”
Results wise, it was a year to forget for Whitlock as he failed to qualify for five of the PDC’s ranked televised events.
The Australian put part of his misfortune down to constantly being on the wrong end of the draws.
“At the start of the year, I just got bad draw after bad draw after bad draw,” Whitlock said.
“I was playing the top seeded players every single round, and then I wasn’t getting flogged by anyone, they were all close games, but I knew then that the year wasn’t going to end well.”
Despite his poor form over the course of the year, Whitlock held out hope he could land a last-minute spot at the World Championship through a Tour Card Holder Qualifier.
However, fifth-seed Whitlock’s plan fell to pieces.
The Aussie was beaten 6-5 in his first match by Germany’s Paul Krohne, ensuring he would miss the World Championship for the first time since 2009.
It was a brutal reality check for Whitlock, who had made the final, the quarter-finals and the semi-finals twice between 2010 and 2014.
For players who lose their Tour Card, the only way to return to the PDC’s biggest events is by going to Q-School.
Despite his age of 55, Whitlock confirmed he would do all he could to earn his Tour Card back.
However, he is excited at the prospect of having plenty more options for tournaments on the table.
“I will go to Q-School, I’ll try and get my card back,” Whitlock said.
“If not, then I’ve got other options. Seniors Tour, Modus (Super Series) and other things.
“It has opened a lot of doors for me and I’m excited to try new things and that hunger back to win in different events now.
“So it’s actually a really good thing for me.”
