Much like the tour itself, the manners of qualifying has changed. Here, for your edification, is a timeline of these changes:
Some of these changes are a function of the spread of the game’s popularity across Europe, with more opportunities for those farthest from the epicenter of the game — The UK, the Netherlands and Germany — like those in the Nordic/Baltic and Eastern parts of Europe to qualify in region-specific tournaments.
But, sometimes — as was the case for the Order of Merit vs. Pro Tour qualifiers, a desire to provide “better” outcomes for the fans by putting higher-ranked players in better positions to win their first round matches and make it to the second day of the tournament. You can see that play out in the chart below, which breaks out finishes by qualifying method.
Check out the podcast for a more in-depth discussions of the numbers and what they all mean, at least according to Brad and I.
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