Maik Kuivenhoven was one of four players to win a direct PDC Tour Card on Q School 2025, winning the last day European Q School in Kalkara. The Dutchman was already sure that he would receive a Tour Card thanks to the Order of Merit on the last day, but he still managed to end the week in good style, advancing to the final, where he defeated Croatian Pero Ljubic 6-3.
Kuivenhoven won the PDC Tour Card at Q-School for the third time in his career. The Dutchman already held a Tour Card in recent years, but after a disappointing 2024 he dropped in the world rankings and lost it, which made for a nervous and dramatic return to Q-School. “You can imagine the unique atmosphere during this four-day qualifying event. This is a decisive decision for everyone. As the tournament progresses, you can feel the tension building between the “all or nothing” participants. – he explains in quotes collected by AD.
“Especially on the last day there were many surprises. Not everyone can bring out the best in themselves in such circumstances,” said Kuivenhoven, who managed to control his nerves well. “Of course I had nerves too, but luckily I managed to stay as calm as possible.”
Despite securing another two years in the PDC Professional trip on Sunday, Kuivenhoven had to quickly return to work on Monday morning. The 36-year-old is employed as the head of the assembly department in a company dealing with garden lifts.
So the next challenge will be to combine his work with darts next year, although he hopes to find the right balance. “I talk at work about whether I can take more time off at certain times. To prepare optimally. If I can train every day before a big tournament, it will definitely pay off,” Kuivenhoven sums up.
