Michael van Gerwen drops to lowest position in over 13 years on PDC Order of Merit after early World Matchplay exit
PDCWednesday, 22 July 2026 at 16:20
Michael van Gerwen not only bowed out of the World Matchplay on Tuesday evening, but also relinquished his place in the top four of the PDC Order of Merit.
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The three-time world champion lost in the second round after a pulsating thriller 14-12 to Dirk van Duijvenbode and sees the impact immediately on the PDC Order of Merit. Due to his early exit, Van Gerwen drops at least to sixth on the world rankings, while the damage could worsen over the coming days.
The World Matchplay was a pivotal tournament for Van Gerwen. Two years ago he reached the final in Blackpool, a result that earned him £100,000 in prize money at the time. He needed to defend that amount this edition to safeguard his position at the very top of the rankings.
That mission failed. With his second-round elimination, Van Gerwen collects only £22,500 in prize money. As a result, he loses a net £77,500 on the world rankings, a hefty blow with immediate consequences.
End of an impressive run
The defeat means more than just an early World Matchplay exit. Van Gerwen drops out of the world’s top four for the first time in over thirteen years.
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Since reaching the World Championship final at the start of 2013, the Brabant native had been continuously among the world’s top four players. Even more remarkable was his stint as number one: from January 2014 through January 2021, Van Gerwen led the world rankings without interruption.
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That long streak now comes to an end. With four second-round matches still to play and the rest of the tournament ahead, it is certain that Van Gerwen will return from the World Matchplay ranked at least sixth in the world.
Michael van Gerwen has definitively lost his place in the world’s top four
Even steeper drop looms
It may not stop there, however. Several players can still overtake Van Gerwen during the remainder of the tournament. Josh Rock will pass the Dutchman if he gets past Luke Littler in the quarterfinals.
Gerwyn Price can also leapfrog Van Gerwen. For that to happen, the Welshman must first beat Rob Cross in the second round and then also defeat the winner of the tie between Cameron Menzies and Ross Smith.
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The other chasers face a much tougher task. Gary Anderson, Ryan Searle, and Wessel Nijman can only move ahead of Van Gerwen if they reach the final. Ross Smith would even need the title to overtake the Dutchman in the rankings. In the worst-case scenario, Van Gerwen could slip to as low as tenth in the world.
Tougher draws at majors
A lower position on the world rankings also has immediate implications for draws at the biggest TV tournaments.
Whereas Van Gerwen for years met the outright favourites relatively late as one of the highest seeds, he could now run into players like Luke Littler and Luke Humphries much earlier. That makes the road to new major titles significantly harder.
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Big challenges ahead towards the Worlds
The concerns are not limited to the World Matchplay. Towards the end of the year, Van Gerwen risks slipping further down the world rankings.
At the upcoming World Championship he again defends a substantial amount of prize money. His runner-up finish last winter earned him £200,000, a sum he needs to maintain to protect his place in the top 16 on the Order of Merit.
The outlook on that front is worrying. On the projected PDC Order of Merit after the next Worlds, Van Gerwen currently sits only nineteenth. Should that scenario materialise, it would be the first time since his World Grand Prix win in 2012 that ‘Mighty Mike’ falls outside the top sixteen of the world rankings.
PDC Live Order of Merit (as of 22/07)
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| Rk | +/- | Name | Prize Money | R1 | R2 | QF | SF | Final | Champion |
| 1 | Luke Littler | 2953.5 | 2931 | 2941 | 2953.5 | 2983.5 | 3043.5 | 3143.5 | |
| 2 | Luke Humphries | 1008 | 1008 | ||||||
| 3 | Gian van Veen | 956 | 946 | 956 | 968.5 | 998.5 | 1058.5 | 1158.5 | |
| 4 | +1 | Jonny Clayton | 684.5 | 674.5 | 684.5 | ||||
| 5 | +1 | James Wade | 644.75 | 634.75 | 644.75 | 657.25 | 687.25 | 747.25 | 847.25 |
| 6 | -2 | Michael van Gerwen | 643 | 633 | 643 | ||||
| 7 | +1 | Josh Rock | 639.5 | 617 | 627 | 639.5 | 669.5 | 729.5 | 829.5 |
| 8 | -1 | Gerwyn Price | 622.5 | 612.5 | 622.5 | 635 | 665 | 725 | 825 |
| 9 | Stephen Bunting | 618.25 | 608.25 | 618.25 | |||||
| 10 | Danny Noppert | 604.25 | 604.25 | ||||||
| 11 | +1 | Gary Anderson | 601.75 | 579.25 | 589.25 | 601.75 | 631.75 | 691.75 | 791.75 |
| 12 | -1 | Ryan Searle | 597.25 | 587.25 | 597.25 | 609.75 | 639.75 | 699.75 | 799.75 |
| 13 | +1 | Wessel Nijman | 577.25 | 567.25 | 577.25 | 589.75 | 619.75 | 679.75 | 779.75 |
| 14 | -1 | Chris Dobey | 570.5 | 570.5 | |||||
| 15 | +1 | Nathan Aspinall | 531.75 | 521.75 | 531.75 | ||||
| 16 | -1 | Ross Smith | 522.75 | 512.75 | 522.75 | 535.25 | 565.25 | 625.25 | 725.25 |
| 17 | Jermaine Wattimena | 510.25 | 510.25 | ||||||
| 18 | Luke Woodhouse | 492 | 492 | ||||||
| 19 | Martin Schindler | 447.75 | 447.75 | ||||||
| 20 | Krzysztof Ratajski | 430.5 | 430.5 | ||||||
| 21 | +2 | Damon Heta | 430.25 | 430.25 | |||||
| 22 | Mike De Decker | 428 | |||||||
| 23 | -2 | Rob Cross | 424 | 414 | 424 | 436.5 | 466.5 | 526.5 | 626.5 |
| 24 | Ryan Joyce | 396.25 | 396.25 | ||||||
| 25 | +3 | Dirk van Duijvenbode | 395.75 | 373.25 | 383.25 | 395.75 | 425.75 | 485.75 | 585.75 |
| 26 | +1 | Cameron Menzies | 385.75 | 375.75 | 385.75 | 398.25 | 428.25 | 488.25 | 588.25 |
| 27 | -2 | Andrew Gilding | 364.25 | 364.25 | |||||
| 28 | +1 | Dave Chisnall | 361.75 | 361.75 | |||||
| 29 | -3 | Daryl Gurney | 353.5 | ||||||
| 30 | Kevin Doets | 343.5 | 343.5 | ||||||
| 31 | Joe Cullen | 316 | 316 | ||||||
| 32 | Ritchie Edhouse | 298.75 |
Prize money in units of £1,000. Source: Dartsrankings.com
Plenty of chances left to limit the damage
Yet it has not come to that. Over the next few months, Van Gerwen still has ample opportunities to reclaim valuable ranking points. In fact, at the major TV events in the autumn, the Dutchman has relatively little to defend.
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At the World Grand Prix, the European Championship, the Grand Slam of Darts, and the Players Championship Finals, Van Gerwen did not produce strong results in 2024. That means there is relatively little prize money at stake for him to defend at those events.
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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