Jim Long has laid bare the travel and cost burden behind life as a Canada-based PDC Tour Card holder, with the Ontario thrower saying the ProTour grind is shaped by long-haul flights as much as match practice.
The 58-year-old is trying to hold down a place on the PDC circuit while continuing to live in North America, a setup that turns routine European ProTour blocks into repeated transatlantic trips. Long told Dartsnews that flights from Canada, hotels and spending money are largely his own responsibility.
Long targets Ally Pally route
That detail matters because Long is not only fighting rankings pressure. He is also fighting the drag of jet lag, bookings and recovery time before facing players who can often drive to Leicester, Wigan or Hildesheim.
Long said last year’s travel left him struggling mentally for long spells, while a permanent UK move was never seriously on the table. He also admitted the Challenge Tour would mean less than half the travel if he ever returned to Q School.
The immediate target is still clear. Long wants to qualify for the World Championship through the ProTour and prove he belongs while his card is active. For North American players, his case underlines the sport’s wider access problem: the talent pool is there, but the PDC calendar still rewards those who can base themselves close to Europe’s weekly circuit.
