Simon Whitlock will miss out on representing Australia at this year’s World Cup of Darts, ending his ever-present run at the tournament.
Instead, Damon Heta is set to be partnered by a new face after a second Australian secured PDC Tour Card status this week. Adam Leek enjoyed an outstanding opening day at the final stage of UK Q-School in Milton Keynes on Thursday, winning six matches to earn a Tour Card for the next two years.
Leek’s run included notable victories over former Tour Card holder Dylan Slevin and darts legend Steve Beaton. He then sealed his place on the PDC Tour alongside Heta with a dramatic 6–5 win over Tyler Thorpe.
Elsewhere, Rhys Griffin of Wales also reached the final two at UK Q-School, while Filip Bereza and Arno Merk came through the EU Q-School in Kalkar, Germany.
Will Whitlock feature at the World Cup?
The arrival of another Australian on the PDC Tour means Whitlock will not appear at the World Cup of Darts for the first time in the event’s history. The 56-year-old is one of only three players to have competed in all 16 previous editions, alongside Willie O’Connor and Mensur Suljovic.
World Cup pairings are determined by a nation’s two highest-ranked PDC Tour Card holders. Last year, Whitlock was able to play despite losing his Tour Card because Heta was the only Australian on the PDC Tour at the time.
The Whitlock–Heta partnership proved highly successful, most notably lifting the World Cup of Darts title in 2022. Whitlock had also previously finished runner-up in the competition alongside Paul Nicholson a decade earlier.
His distinguished career includes reaching the 2010 PDC World Darts Championship final and winning the European Championship. More recently, he qualified for last month’s World Championship at Alexandra Palace by winning the ANZ Premier League, but exited in the first round following a 3–2 defeat to Connor Scutt.
Leek’s place in Australia’s World Cup team in June is not yet guaranteed, however. He could yet be challenged by another familiar name, with Mason Whitlock — Simon’s son — competing at EU Q-School this week. Mason progressed to the final stage after three days of action and, although he won his opening match on Thursday, he was later knocked out in the last 64 and currently sits 36th on the Order of Merit.
Across UK and EU Q-School, the final two players on each of the four days earn a Tour Card, with additional places awarded via the respective Orders of Merit.
Should Simon Whitlock regain Tour Card status alongside Leek and Heta, Australia’s World Cup pairing would again be decided by the two highest-ranked players at the selection cut-off. For now, though, Heta, who has been on the PDC Tour since 2020 and sits 17th on the two-year rankings, appears certain to lead a new-look Australian challenge.
