JOE Cullen thought he had done just enough to make the top 16 of the PDC Pro Tour Order of Merit, which would have allowed him to be seeded for next year’s European Tour events.
The Bradford darts ace was in action for the final regular-season European Tour event of the year over the weekend, the German Darts Championship in Hildesheim, losing out in a 6-5 thriller to Michael van Gerwen in the last-16
The Dutchman made the semis, before he suffered a shock 7-6 defeat to home hero Ricardo Pietreczko in the semis.
Pietreczko went on to beat Peter Wright 8-4 in the final to claim his first ranking title and become just the second German to win a European Tour title, after Max Hopp in 2018.
It also saw him qualify for next month’s Grand Slam of Darts in Wolverhampton.
And as it stands, Cullen has slipped out of the top 16 of the Pro Tour Order of Merit, currently sitting 18th, meaning he has to qualify for European Tour events for the foreseeable future.
Meanwhile, the draw for the European Championship major at the end of this month has been confirmed, with 18th seed Cullen going up against 15th seed Krzysztof Ratajski in his opening match.
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