"One way or another, I'll have to win one" - Last chance saloon for Michael van Gerwen with holiday dampening his chances of qualifying for Minehead

For the first time in its history, the Players Championship Finals may possibly be held without the seven-time champion Michael van Gerwen, with his qualification in doubt due to a lack of prize money run in the previous 30 events this year. There are four events for him to turn it around, but a planned holiday will leave him just two events to rise inside the top 64.

Players Championship 31 and 32 will be the Dutchman's last chance to make it to Minehead, with the events being held on the 14th and 15th October in Wigan. Van Gerwen has stated the importance of these events, echoing the significance a win could make.

"I'll be in Dubai on holiday for the last two," Van Gerwen said in an interview on the Darts Draait Door podcast. "So it has to happen in those two tournaments after the Grand Prix. One way or another, I'll have to win one."

After 30 events, the three-time World Champion finds himself 92nd in the race to Minehead having earned £14.5k from the 14 events he has featured in this year. If he wants to climb up the rankings, he will need to earn a substantial amount of money. Keane Barry currently sits in 64th with £22k, but that tally will rise as other players fight for those lavished spots.

Normally van Gerwen would be on the beach having accumulated a hefty sum of money, but it has not worked out this year. While other top players such as Luke Humphries and Luke Littler find themselves low down due to not participating much, the Green Machine has just suffered with poor results, being knocked out of the first round in half of the events participated in. His best result was a quarter-final, meaning that this could be the first time since 2011 where van Gerwen fails to win a floor title, and first campaign ever where he fails to even reach the last four.

"If I'm still not in the final, I've had plenty of chances. I should actually be in the final, but my own lack of skill hasn't helped. And the last few months haven't helped," van Gerwen said. "There's no point in giving up now. If I'm not in the final, then unfortunately, I'll have to wait until next year. But I'm going to give it my all for two more days.

"If I miss the Players Championship Finals, that's a shame, of course, but don't worry, I'll be back next year. I'm going to give it my all now. I just need to improve a bit more."