Often, newbies – or, in many cases, returnees – to the PDC Pro Tour take a little while to find their feet in the big leagues. Most spend a while gently dipping a toe in the water. Some have got a little wet before. Then there are the odd few who have barely finished drying themselves off before diving straight back in without a break.
For all of them, though, it’s a new year, a fresh start, and getting off to a flyer in year one is about as welcome as discovering Nando’s have accidentally charged you £4.27 for a full chicken after a long Players Championship day.
So, let’s dive in and see who’s producing triple somersaults before a textbook entry into the water… and who are making such a spectacular splash they’re turning a tsunami into nothing more than a car driving through a puddle.
First up, Mr Cristo Reyes.
The Spaniard hasn’t just taken to life back on the circuit like a duck to water. He’s more like an aquatic bird that’s bought itself a speedboat and is now tearing around the lake at 60mph, terrifying every living creature unfortunate enough to be nearby.
Not only has he racked up £43,000 on the Players Championship circuit (at the time of press), including a runner-up finish, but he also seems to possess a supernatural gift for qualifying for European Tour events.
In the opening dozen qualifiers – with two still yet to be played – The Spartan has failed to qualify just three times. Okay, so he’s only converted those appearances into quarter-finals. But still. Reaching that many is about as straightforward as shooting five under par on a golf course on the Moon.
Then we have the remarkable Beau Greaves sitting just behind Cristo.
She would probably be top of the pile if she had the Spaniard’s knack of treating Euro Tour qualifiers like they’re compulsory attendance. That’s where the biggest difference lies.
The Doncaster Ace has banked over £55,000 on the floor this season, including a famous Players Championship title. But when it comes to packing the suitcase and heading off across Europe, things haven’t quite gone to plan.
As popular as Beau is, I’m sure that’s just as disappointing for the countless European fans hoping to see her in person. Still, she’s incredibly young and has more than enough time not only to experience plenty of European adventures—along with the traditional airport luggage roulette of guessing which country her suitcase has decided to holiday in—but also to win more than her fair share while she’s at it.
Then, at the other end of the spectrum, you have one or two players who simply make you want to throw an arm round them and say, “Ah come on mate… it’s early days.”
The trouble is… it really isn’t. And they’d better get their arse into gear.
Second from bottom sits Filip Bereza, who has been an ever-present on the Players Championship circuit this season. Unfortunately, once he arrives at the venue, he generally isn’t there for very long. More often than not, he’s back at the hotel in time to catch the weather forecast before lunch.
The Pole has won just three matches all season. There are Spurs fans who would happily take that record. Yet even that pales into insignificance when compared with the man currently propping up the entire table, Matthias Ehlers.
It’s difficult to feel too sorry for the German because, ahead of this week, he’d skipped the previous dozen Players Championships altogether. That’s not exactly the ideal strategy when you’ve been handed a Tour Card and want to make the most of the opportunity.
It’s a bit like someone giving you the keys to a Ferrari, only for you to use it once a month to pop to the corner shop for a pint of milk and a loaf of bread.
Ehlers has managed just a solitary win on tour this year. Mind you, that total might have been slightly higher had he actually turned up. I guess we’ll never know.
Come December next year, when Tour Cards are on the line once again, just how much will he regret all those missed opportunities?
Quite a lot, I’d imagine.
