Rodriguez relishing new chapter after Tour Card win
Rowby-John Rodriguez is looking forward to starting a 'new chapter' in his career after regaining his PDC Tour Card last weekend.
Austria's World Cup runner-up Rodriguez won a two-year Tour Card via the European Q School Order of Merit having spent a year off the professional circuit in 2021.
The 27 year-old came perilously close to missing out, as Dragutin Horvat missed a handful of darts to beat Tony Martinez in the semi-finals which would have denied Rodriguez a Tour Card.
"I was actually asleep when that match was on," admitted Rodriguez, who starred in five TV events in 2021.
"I knew I needed some points on the last day but I lost to Jimmy Hendriks [in the last 32] and after that it was nerve-racking watching all the games, so I went for food and then went to bed because I couldn't watch it anymore.
"I called my girlfriend and she was crying, it was painful for her because she knew how much I wanted it.
"But as soon as it was confirmed that I had done it she called me, it was a massive relief.
"Last year I came away from Q School not too disappointed not to win a Tour Card but this year, with how I played in 2021, I was aiming to win one.
"Even though I didn't perform that well at Q School, I'm really happy to get my Tour Card back.
"I promised my girlfriend that if I won a Tour Card, darts will be my job now; I'm going to practice every single day."
Rodriguez will be among the 128 Tour Card Holders and Associate Members in action at Players Championships 1 and 2 in Barnsley from February 5-6 with action shown live on PDCTV.
