Scarborough darts stars continue preparations for PDC Q-School
Scarborough dart players Graham Usher, Sam Spivey and Oliver Mitchell are continuing to ramp up preparations for 2026 PDC Q-School, all with the aspirations of gaining full tour privileges.
Q-School takes place at the Marshall Arena between January 5 and 12.
Usher, who is looking to gain a PDC Tour Card for a second time, previously held between 2023 and 2024, is continuing to ramp up his preparations with an upcoming week on the Modus Super Series.
He is playing in the “Double Trouble” week, starting on Monday December 15, shown on Pluto TV.
Usher has scooped a weekly win at the Super Series already this year in July, beating fellow Yorkshiremen Tom Sykes and Carl Wilkinson on the way.
He finished 36th on the PDC’s Secondary tour, the Challenge Tour.
He also reached the final of the 2025 edition of the World Seniors Championship, losing to Ross Montgomery, following up the week later by reaching the third round of the UK Open.
Usher said: “I am looking forward to returning to Q-School, obviously at the start of the year the aim was to try and gain my Tour Card through the Challenge Tour system, but it wasn’t to be and I am feeling positive heading into a busy period of Q-School preparation.”
“It’s a huge few months for myself, and I am looking forward to the challenge. The PDC Tour is a really brutal place and you have to be sure that you’re ready if you are successful in gaining your card, but I learnt so much in my first two years on the tour and I am keen to get the opportunity to showcase my skills against the worlds best once again.
“My year away from the tour has had its ups and downs, the seniors final and winning the title at the Super Series were massive for me, proving after a tough couple of years on the tour that the levels were still there to beat some elite players.
"I also enjoyed my run to the third round of the UK Open, getting to play a legend like Raymond and get back on TV was a special moment.
"Q-School comes at such a cost, not just financially but time away from work and my family, I am lucky to have a really good support network around me who make it so much easier to focus on darts. To have multiple people on the tour from the town in my eyes can only be a good thing.”
During his first stint on the tour, Usher secured victories against many of the world's elite players, such as, Nathan Aspinall, James Wade, Gian Van Veen and Michael Van Gerwen. He also made the last 32 of the UK Open in 2024.
Spivey, who is also a Super Series regular, finished in eighth place on the Challenge Tour after picking up his maiden PDC title in the 24th and final event of the season in October and in doing so had secured his place in the second stage of Q-School, as well as a guaranteed spot to make his debut in the PDC Winmau World Masters in January and The UK Open event at Minehead in March.
Appearances on the Pro Tour have also come Spivey’s way in 2025, due to his success on the Challenge Tour.
In May of this year he made his first appearance in the PDC Pro Tour in Hildesheim, Germany, before going on to play in six events in the year, in one of them losing out to five-time World Champion Raymond Van Barneveld.
Spivey said: “I am really proud of what I have accomplished this year.
"This is only my second year playing at this level and to have finished eighth on the Challenge Tour is huge. My game feels like its progressed into a much better place and I am hopeful that will continue.
“I am practicing hard and its going well. I am really excited to get down there in January and hopefully all three of us can have a real go at it!”
Usher and Spivey also teamed up recently to play in the Red Dragon Doubles Cup in Aylesbury, where they managed to reach the quarter-final from more than 150 pairs in the event, losing out narrowly 4-3.
In the same weekend both Spivey and Oliver Mitchell reached the final of the open knockouts which each featured more than 200 players, Mitchell losing Saturday’s final to former tour card holder Callum Goffin, and Sam losing out to 13-year-old sensation Jack Johnson in Sunday’s event.
Mitchell will also be returning to Q-School for a second time after a successful year.
He scooped the 2025 WDF British Classic Title at The Bridlington Spa in September, beating highly-rated teenager Mitchell Lawrie in a high quality final.
Mitchell has also picked up more than 20 ADC Vault titles across the region in 2025.
Mitchell said: “2025 has been a successful year for me. I feel like I have made solid progress.
"Winning the British Classic was a real boost for me. Despite a lot of changing circumstances at home with a baby on the way, I am really hopeful that 2026 will go the same way and I can make a real push towards that end goal of a tour card, and if not, another successful year on other circuits.”
There will be numerous notable names heading to Q-School in 2026, expected names there include 2021 PDC World Cup winner John Henderson, World Championship Nine Dart hero William Borland and 2020 PDC Grand Slam Champion Jose De Sousa, failing a miraculous run in the upcoming World Championship.
With numerous local competitions upcoming including on December 13 at The Flask Inn and December 28 at Whitby Cons Club, they will be all hoping to sharpen their skills in one of darts toughest environments against the worlds best players outside of the PDC Tour.