As Niels Zonneveld claimed the first tour card of Q-School, a Dutch lad who finished in the top 10 of the Development Tour last year on the back of two finals, one of which he won, we're also just a couple of days from Lakeside - let's do a one line preview of everyone who's there, at least on the men's side for now:
Mark McGeeney - #1 seed. Dutch Open back to back winner. Beaten finalist last year. Not sure how he's number one.
Derk Telnekes - Youngish Dutch player. Second time here having lost to de Vos last year. Two games away from stealing Meeuwisse's Ally Pally spot.
Martin Phillips - Hugely experienced Welsh international. Twice semi finalist earlier in the decade. Former World Master.
Conan Whitehead - 32 year old Englishman who had a good run in the UK Open in 2013 and a couple of years in the PDC to follow, ranking in the 20's seems accurate based on his record this year.
Richard Veenstra - Semi finalist three years ago and Finder Masters finalist this year. Winner of three BDO titles this year, probably having the best year of his career.
Jim Widmayer - USA! USA! USA! Here through their regional table after a four year absence. Got to the last 16 once.
Nigel Heydon - Qualifier, nicknamed the Undertaker given he used to be an undertaker. Had a nice PDC run 7-8 years ago, and made the latter stages of the 2010 UK Open.
Scott Waites - Twice world champion. Only Grand Slam winner from the BDO. Still only in his early 40's and should have switched long ago.
Jeffrey van Egdom - Belgian who's one of the last men in on the main ranking table, nearly beat Jim Williams in the Finder Masters this year, but doesn't even appear to have a quarter final anywhere?
Wesley Harms - Dutch player still with plenty of time on his side, back after a bit of a hiatus and looking to match his semi final runs from 2012 and 2013. Got out of his Grand Slam group.
Willem Mandigers - Eindhoven native making his fifth straight appearance. Only once made the last 16, last year. Won the Denmark Open in 2018.
Paul Hogan - Legend. Guaranteed last 16 in the UK Open every single year. Guaranteed to lose to Gerwyn Price every single year. Twice quarter finalist, gave Durrant real trouble in 2017.
Wes Newton - Former Premier League player and multiple PDC major finalist. In the BDO for the first time after losing his card, in as the first alternate.
Michael Unterbuchner - Possible German number one regardless of code. Semi finalist twelve months ago, best performer in this year's Slam, World Trophy finalist.
Mal Cuming - Australian debutant at the age of 53, won several events there to claim a spot through their ranking table.
Justin Thompson - Also Australian, here for a second appearance after giving Fitton a good game last year. Very impressive in his domestic WDF scene.
Wayne Warren - Veteran Welshman who was a bit of a surprise quarter finalist last year and gave McGeeney issues at that stage. Added a World Masters and Finder Masters quarter as well.
Mark Layton - Even more experienced Welshman, making his debut in his sixties. There's hope for some of us yet! Been in the UK Open a few times and has cashed, semi finalist in the Worthington champions event in 2017.
Glen Durrant - Two time defending champion. Clear best player in the BDO. Can he complete the hat trick?
Mark McGrath - New Zealander who's had several appearances in the worlds in both codes. Beat Michael Smith in the Auckland Masters earlier this year.
Adam Smith-Neale - Current World Master. Wouldn't fear Durrant as he already beat Durrant to do so. Then he broke his leg, so who knows.
Ross Montgomery - Hugely experienced Scot with over ten appearances on this stage, but only one quarter final to his name. British Open winner last year.
Scott Baker - Englishman who narrowly lost to Andy Baetens on debut last year. Won a BDO event in Wolverhampton in July, and a quarter finalist in the World Trophy.
Gary Robson - Been in the game for more than 20 years, arguably having his best season ever, definitely since earlier in the decade. Multiple finalist this season, just made the Slam and got a win over Joe Murnan.
Dave Cameron - Not the former Prime Minister, the Canadian is making a sixth straight appearance but has only got past the prelims once.
Andy Hamilton - Former PDC world finalist and Premier League player, the Hammer lost his tour card and opted to rebuild through the BDO. Needed the qualifiers to get here, but is playing better darts of late.
Chris Landman - Lost in the prelim on debut last year, but is seeded this year thanks to multiple quarter final or better runs. Clearly his best season to date.
Kyle McKinstry - Big Northern Irish hope, has had a bit of a weird major record but makes his second appearance after losing to Veenstra last year. Won the England Open this year.
Jim Williams - Welsh number one, has won multiple events this year to be the three seed, reaching the semi finals in all of the World Trophy, World Masters and Finder Masters. Lost a thrilling quarter to Durrant this time last year.
Roger Janssen - Belgian who's qualified through the regional tables, lost in five sets to McGrath two years ago. Good consistent record in the European opens in 2018 nearly got him here through the main ranking table.
Wouter Vaes - Second appearance here, like Janssen he made it two years ago, losing to Fitton. Decent runs in the Dutch Open and World Masters in 2018, he also won the Antwerp Open.
Daniel Day - Peripheral name on the PDC circuit earlier in the decade, now having his best season on the BDO side, claimed a couple of titles to sneak into the seeds.
Dean Reynolds - Young Welsh talent who declined a tour card from the Development Tour a couple of years ago but has been missing a bit since then. Just crept in through the main ranking list.
Scott Mitchell - Winner in 2015 after years of trying. Twice World Masters semi finalist. Has wins in Spain, Denmark, Germany and England this year, schooled Schindler in the Slam but missed out on the knockout stages on leg difference.
Oliver Ferenc - Serbian making his Lakeside debut having played the PDC event in 2012, losing to Joe Cullen in a prelim. Want to say he's a soft tip player primarily?
Ryan Hogarth - Scottish debutant who won through the qualifiers, young enough to have played the Development Tour in 2017, has had a few quarter finals in the second half of the year.
Dave Parletti - Multiple time UK Open qualifier, turned the BDO form on this year to get a seed, won the Welsh Masters and made the latter stages of the World Masters. Weekly Dartscast alumni.
Brian Lokken - First Dane here for a while I think? Good record in the Scandi and Baltic scene, best of a final in Lithuania where he lost to Labanauskas. On debut.
Krzysztof Kciuk - Pole who played the PDC worlds in 2010 and nearly again last year, knocking Ratajski out before losing himself in the final. Won through the main qualifier and reached the TV stages of the World Masters this season.
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