STRENSALL’S Chris Quantock has earned a place on the PDC tour for 2017.

The 25-year-old, former Huntington School pupil was one of 28 qualifiers from a 450-strong field at the Q-School held at Wigan’s Robin Park Tennis Centre.

Others to also win their card during the four days of competition were three-time world champion John Part, former World Championship runner-up Kirk Shepherd, ex-Premier League ace Ronnie Baxter, 1995 BDO world title winner Richie Burnett and one-time top-16 player Paul Nicholson.

Those who failed to make the circuit, meanwhile, included ex-world number one Peter Manley, former World Championship finalist Mark Dudbridge, 1996 World Matchplay champion Peter Evison and one-time UK Open runner-up Colin Osborne.

Quantock was one of 12 players who qualified after finishing in the Q-School Order of Merit’s top-dozen, while the final four left in each day’s competition winning automatic tour cards.

He clinched his tour place with a 5-3 final-day, third-round victory over experienced world number 65 Mark “Frosty the Throwman” Frost, having missed out on the chance to give himself a good night’s sleep 24 hours earlier when he lost a last-16 contest against Scott Derbyshire by the odd leg in nine after leading 5-4.

Victory in that match would have given Quantock an unassailable position in the Order of Merit or left him one win away from gaining automatic qualification.

Prior to meeting Frost, Quantock was also forced to hang around after receiving byes through the first two rounds after Manuel Vilerio conceded a match due to illness.

“In the last leg against Scott Derbyshire on Saturday, he had left five and I was on 122,” Quantock recalled. “I left double top, but he then checked out with his last dart.

“I was gutted, but just knew I had to come back and pick up more points the next day. The game against Mark Frost was very hard and it was almost a do-or-die match for us both.

“Everyone was saying I needed a couple more points at the start of the day and that’s what I knew I’d get if I beat him. The byes meant I was waiting around to play for about three hours and I went into that match having had no game time, so I was a bit nervous, but got through it.

“I was then hoping to beat Stuart Kellett, because I knew another point would make absolutely sure, but that was a hard game and I didn’t throw great. I lost 5-3 and then had a bit of a wait to see if I’d done enough.”

Consistency over the four days was sufficient, though, to see Quantock through, having also reached the fourth and fifth rounds during the Thursday and Friday heats.

Quantock, who works for Yorkshire Warehousing, already has one PDC title to his name, meanwhile, on the 2015 Challenge Tour – the circuit for players trying to win their full card.

He also plays for The Mitre and Half Moon in Strensall and, having beaten former top-32 ace Andy “The Pieman” Smith in the past, is now targeting more star scalps.

“I’d like to have a good season and pick up as much money as possible, while beating some of the big names,” Quantock reasoned. “It would be great to earn enough to be full-time and get in the top 16 but, realistically, I’ll be trying to keep my place on the tour.”

He cannot wait either to rub shoulders with the planet’s best players, adding: “Everyone looks up to Michael van Gerwen and would love to throw like him every day.”

More locally, his mentors have been dad John, who used to play on the PDC circuit, as well as fellow York arrows ace Richie Corner, who he will now join on the tour.

Acomb’s former World Championship qualifier and UK Open quarter-finalist Chris Thompson has also offered words of encouragement.

“I played darts with my dad for hours and hours in the kitchen, so he’s been a big part of all of this,” Quantock pointed out. “Richie was my travelling partner on the Challenge Tour before he got on the full circuit and he helps me massively by keeping my head up after a defeat and just telling me it’s history now.

“Chris has also been nice. He was the best in York and was an awesome player and he said to me that he reckons I am the only person around who can be his successor.

“Peter Manley, who is a good friend of my dad’s, has also always offered me lot of advice on stuff like pratice regimes.”

Rawcliffe’s Martyn Turner failed to earn a place back on the tour.