Holding a PDC Tour Card grants you access to the Pro Tour for at least two years and certifies you as a professional darts player.
If a player who has had a card for two years fails to finish within the top 64 of the order of merit, they will be forced to relinquish their tour card and lose their PDC privileges.
Here, The Darts Insider looks at the biggest names in danger of losing their professional status.
5. Jeffrey De Zwaan
Jeffrey De Zwaan was supposed to be the next superstar from the Dutch conveyor belt of talent.
He burst onto the scene in 2018 when he stunned Michael van Gerwen in both the opening rounds of the World Matchplay and the UK Open.
‘The Black Cobra’ continued his form and entered the coveted top 32 of the world in 2019 courtesy of picking up two titles.
Injury issues to his shoulder have left the 28-year-old’s career in peril and despite early promise, he is very likely to be without a card after the World Championship.
Provisionally he sits at world number 70, over £13k behind 64th place.
4. Vincent van der Voort
Another Dutchman plagued by injury issues is Vincent van der Voort.
Van der Voort is a legend of Dutch darts.
His career has spanned over two decades, landing him four PDC titles and a career-high ranking of 14.
The towering figure has long suffered from back problems owing to his pronounced lean with his throw due to his height.
The 48-year-old has had to adapt his throw to prolong his career, but time may be catching up with ‘The Dutch Destroyer’.
He has struggled to impact the tour in the past couple of years and has gravitated towards more punditry work in his home nation as his active playing career appears to wind down.
Provisionally he is set to plummet to world number 80 and is almost certain to lose his PDC Tour Card.
3. Mensur Suljovic
A few years ago it seemed unfathomable that Mensur Suljovic would find himself in such a perilous position so quickly.
Suljovic lifted his first and only major in 2017 after beating Gary Anderson in an epic Champions League of Darts final.
The following year, he narrowly lost the longest World Matchplay final in history to ‘The Flying Scotsman’ despite a ton-topping average.
The big Austrian was rewarded with a Premier League spot on two occasions and was inside of the world’s top ten between 2016 and 2019.
His form since those glory years, however, has plummeted and the lay-off due to the Covid pandemic affected him.
‘The Gentle’ is fighting though.
He had a great run to the quarter-final of the most recent Players Championship event which has rescued his hopes of qualifying for Alexandra Palace.
Austria’s World Cup of Darts final run has also guaranteed a spot in the Grand Slam of Darts in November.
His outlook was bleak but recent performances have given him hope and provisionally he is 63rd in the world after the World Championship by less than £2k.
If this proves to be the case, he will just cling on to his PDC Tour Card for at least another year.
2. Simon Whitlock
Simon Whitlock is undoubtedly the most successful player on this list.
The iconic arrowsmith has two majors to his name as well as two World Championships finals – one in the BDO and one in the PDC.
He has racked up an astonishing 17 PDC titles and has featured in the Premier League six times, finishing runner-up to Phil Taylor in 2012.
The Aussie has been on a slippery slope over the past 18 months, however, and any victory is difficult to come by.
As it stands, he is set to miss out on the World Championship for the first time since 2004 and has currently not qualified for any of the upcoming majors this year.
Fortunately for ‘The Wizard’, his current money on his ranking may be enough to save him for another year.
Despite his rapid descent, he is provisionally set to end the season as the world number 57, £6k above the top 64 cut-off.
Only heroics from those beneath him will deny the Aussie a stay of execution.
If the 55-year-old does save his card, he will almost certainly lose it 12 months later barring a monumental turnaround in form.
1. Mervyn King
Mervyn King is the oldest player on this list at 58 years old.
He’s played darts since he was 13 years old and has a plethora of titles to his name including seven in the PDC.
Whilst a big PDC major has eluded him, he has made seven major finals and lost the Masters final as recently as 2021.
‘The King’ reached the pinnacle of the rankings in his time with the BDO and rose as high as number five in the PDC, a testament to his versatility and longevity.
Only Steve Beaton, Phil Taylor and Raymond van Barneveld have been able to compete on the tour at similar ages in the modern era.
It appears Father Time has finally caught up with King after a successful career that has spanned 30 years.
Provisionally, King is set to finish the season as the world number 73 and it appears a near certainty that ‘The King’ will finally bow out of the professional game after leaving an indelible mark.
Long Live the King.