SCOTT Mitchell is set to continue his quest to become a PDC player by taking part in the first weekend of Challenge Tour events.

Bransgore ace Mitchell failed to secure a spot on the main tour during last week’s Q School, so will now have to compete on the second tier throughout 2020.

Having not sealed a main Tour Card, Mitchell can also still compete in BDO and WDF events away from the Challenge Tour, but success in the PDC tournaments could culminate with a position in the World Championship at Alexandra Palace in December.

Asked if he intends to travel to Wigan for the Challenge Tour this weekend after not managing to succeed at Q School, Mitchell told the Daily Echo: “I want to try and get this Tour Card which I can get through the Challenge Tour route through 2020.

“And if I can manage to finish in the top two of that then that will get you a spot at Ally Pally and a Tour Card.

“It’s a big year, it’s going to be a very busy year and it’s one that I haven’t had for the last couple. It’s really getting back on it properly.”

He continued: “I didn’t pay my money to go to Q School to then become a Challenge Tour player, but I also didn’t pay the money to not do it if I didn’t get a card. I’m looking forward to it immensely. It’s going to be another challenge.

“It’s going to be the same as last weekend. I think it’s going to very difficult again, as last weekend was, but I now have a little taster of what it’s about and what it is.

“I think I’m a better player for that experience to be honest, so it hasn’t knocked me back, it’s made me more determined.”

The PDC are set to run two events on both Saturday and Sunday in Wigan, each worth £10,000 in prize money.

The overall money won at each competition is added up to form an order of merit, with the leading players among that invited to various events across the year.

The BDO World Championship in January saw a heavily reduced prize pot and despite reaching the semi-finals, 2015 winner Mitchell admits it has proved to be a costly year as he weighs up his options for the coming 12 months.

“It’s very disappointing,” he said.

“I qualified for all the TV events within the BDO and they haven’t covered my costs of travel. Everybody is saying ‘you’re semi-professional and it’s kind of a job’, well actually no, it’s kind of cost me that year.

“I’m lucky that I have great sponsors. They’ve been wholeheartedly supportive of the situation. I’ve had a few bad days, I’ve had a few tough days where you get up the next morning and they’ve been there with messages of support.

“But quite clearly it’s not ideal.”

Mitchell added: “Now that Q School is done, we’re trying to merge calendars. The WDF have come out and said they’re going to put hopefully a couple of things on TV, so it’s early days for them so there’s nothing guaranteed with that. The BDO’s future is, we’re told, firm and they’re going to turn it round, but with no announcements of what TV tournaments there are.

“We’ve now got to decide where we’re going, what we’re doing and which tour we’re following, or which tours we’re trying to merge to try and get ranking points.

“It is just an absolute headache with not knowing what’s going on.”