There has been some late changes to the Flanders Darts Trophy which will take place from September 11-13 in Antwerp.
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The 13th European Tour event has huge implications for such events as the World Grand Prix with some players desperate for more ranking money as well as for the European Championship with there only three more European Tour events of 2026.
The likes of Gian van Veen, Michael van Gerwen, Gerwyn Price, James Wade, Stephen Bunting, Josh Rock, Nathan Aspinall and Wessel Nijman headline the tournament as they look to seal glory on Belgian soil.
Humphries, Clayton and Anderson all withdraw
The news of Luke Littler's withdrawal was already confirmed earlier in the week. 'The Nuke' hinted it following winning the Czech Darts Open in his return to the European Tour with the European Championship qualification seemingly wrapped up. He is the reigning champion after defeating Rock 8-7 last year, but will not return to defend his title.
The field has been blown wide open with Luke Humphries also not participating following his final run in Prague. The world number two almost pulled out of the prior tournament due to shoulder pain, and may be opting to rest up ready for another busy period in the darting calendar.
Jonny Clayton will not be in the Flanders Darts Trophy lineup as his wait for a PDC ranking title in 2026 prolongs. It seems that it could also be that for Gary Anderson on the European Tour in 2026. He sparkled in Budapest with a final run but the early exit last week has all-but ended his ambitions of qualifying for the European Championship in Dortmund.
Gary Anderson has seemingly thrown in the towel for his European Championship participation
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Huge opportunity for Huybrechts
Kim Huybrechts was already scheduled to play in his home event thanks to the reigning champion pulling out. He was third reserve with the other names finally being revealed. The fortunate names to participate are Gabriel Clemens, James Hurrell and Brendan Dolan.
For the Belgian, this is not only a golden chance to perform well on home soil, but to rack up enough money to confirm his qualification for the World Grand Prix. He sits £2,500 behind Cristo Reyes in the final qualification spot with this set to be a dramatic weekend.
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Martin Schindler's Leicester chances have also taken a boost with him boosted up to a seed, guaranteeing a bye to the second round. Luke Woodhouse, Jermaine Wattimena and Krzysztof Ratajski also benefit from this.
Lucas MichaelDarts Journalist
Lucas Michael is a darts journalist and reporter based in Cambridge, UK, and has been part of the DartsNews team since 2025. He covers professional darts through reports, analysis, round-ups, and live coverage, with a focus on clear context and accurate reporting across the PDC calendar.
A key part of his work is liveblogging major tournaments throughout the year, providing real-time updates, match coverage, and contextual reporting across the professional circuit. He also reports regularly from events on site and has covered the PDC World Darts Championship from the venue, delivering first-hand insight throughout the tournament.
Within the newsroom, Lucas works closely with the editorial team and supports coverage alongside Chief Content Officer Samuel Gill and reporter Kieran Wood.
Lucas holds a BA (Hons) in Sports Journalism. In his work, he places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating content promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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- Well,I suppose if you don't play the tournaments ,then why should any player qualify? There are players who enter every tournament,and if they don't win it,they carry on, spending money they haven't won,yet certain players seem to think they should qualify. Winners only I thinkrick6714-11-2026
- Everyone knows what a fantastic champion Taylor was,but his performances in the seniors were poor. He wouldn't throw littler off stage,as he'd miss these days!!rick6712-11-2026
- He produced some impressive numbers in that qualifying campaign. I'm excited to see him compete at the World Championship once again, even if it will be difficult to replicate last year's success even with an improved performance, with the draw playing a huge role in determining his fortunes.Deduce635811-11-2026
- I often think about this very question. I think they should revive the format. They could even invite representatives from MODUS Super Series, with four series winners from the past year, and the ADC, with finalists from the Global Championship and perhaps other events. Why not throw in eligible representatives from the JDC and even the soft-tip game too?Deduce635811-11-2026
- So what if littler missed out, he doesnt have to enter everythingant10-11-2026
- Good, absolutely no loss if we never see this dancing goof ever again......no that is not fair. He absolutely cannot and has never been remotely able to dance!richieburnettrocks10-11-2026
- Yes Phil,now the money in the game is bigger than ever,you'd play littler. Well so would I! Retire on your memory Phil,and your successful careerrick6709-11-2026
- And why should he listen to you?Deduce635807-11-2026
- Ultimately it is a bye for whoever draws Barney. It will be another stroppy and sulky performance once he goes behind. Barney was excellent but really must completely call it a day now.richieburnettrocks07-11-2026
- I'm disappointed he was not able to secure a spot at the Grand Slam. With Carl Sneyd taking care of Daryl Gurney, he would have had to beat Andy Boulton before facing the winner of Sneyd vs Mensur Suljović for a Grand Slam spot. Unfortunately, after beating Filip Bereza comfortably, he succumbed to Boulton, and the board would ultimately be won by the highly inconsistent Carl Sneyd. Since he could instead have been drawn against the likes of Cristo Reyes, Dirk van Duijvenbode and Stephen Bunting, I think once Gurney was out of the picture he would have been favourite to win his board, and it seems like a massive missed opportunity to put 5 grand on his ranking and seal another major TV appearance ahead of the Worlds. The highs and lows of following Raymond van Barneveld!Deduce635806-11-2026