PDC chief Matt Porter has defended the changes made to the European Tour following criticism from stars.
Last month the PDC announced players in the top 16 in the Order of Merit would receive a bye to the second round at European Tour events.
GettyPDC chief Matt Porter has defended the changes to the European Tour[/caption]
GettyRyan Searle has been a vocal critic of the new ruling[/caption]
That means the likes of Luke Littler, Luke Humphries and Michael van Gerwen would not have to compete in the first round, but those in the top 16 of the ProTour Order of Merit would, such as Dave Chisnall.
There has been a considerable backlash to the change but PDC chief executive Porter believes there are now more opportunities for players to earn a living.
He told Online Darts: “That product is there for the player’s benefit. That product is not a particularly commercially prolific product.
“It doesn’t have a crowd, it doesn’t have broadcasters, it’s a product that is live-streamed on our website and on certain betting websites for obvious reasons.
“Ultimately, it is a product that is there to give the players an opportunity to make a living.
“If you’re a Tour Card holder now, you’ve got the equivalent of 104 tournaments, one a week over the two years of your Tour Card now. That’s a lot of opportunities.
“When you look at individual sports, if you’re being given the opportunity, on average, once a week to go and earn a living, then there comes a time when you have to deliver. Otherwise, maybe you’re not ready for the status that you’ve got.”
World No18 Ryan Searle was one of several stars to hit out at the change, saying: “What is the point of the ProTour Order of Merit? The one that shows the true form and consistency of players. Asking for a friend.”
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He later doubled down on the comment, adding: “The top 16 are protected as it is anyway, and that only makes it worse. So yeah, obviously I do a lot of travelling going to all the Euro Tours, I try and do as many Pro Tours as I can and it just feels like a bit of a kick in the teeth.
“It’s just one of those things and I’ll deal with it. I try not to moan too much, I’ve said this year that I’m not going to moan. I’m just going to get my head down, put a lot more effort in than I have in the past and see where that takes me.”
Fellow player Willie O’Connor hit out at the ruling, which he labelled “soul destroying”.
He said: “It’s relentless, it’s so difficult.
“Like, the tour is, it’s soul destroying. You can go in and play in the best darts of your life and still go home with no money in the bank.
“So yeah, the tour is so hard, it’s the best players in the world.
“It’s not the best players in Ireland or England or Germany, it’s the best players in the world, and that’s what you’re against every week.
“The European Tour is such a huge part of the Pro Tour, and now eight qualify for the Pro Tour?
“I’m sorry for the Europeans, it’s like we haven’t a chance. How do you break into the top 32?
“How do you break in? I mean like whatever opportunity I have to pull it out from under you, and it makes it so difficult.
“So even if you qualify for one or two of those in the year, it’s going to be huge.
“You can’t catch the big boys. They are where they are and they’re going to stay there.”
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