PDC Development Tour Order of Merit Update: Beau Greaves loses lead, still way ahead of third spot

The PDC Development Tour Order of Merit has been updated after the latest two events which were won by Charlie Manby and Jamai van den Herik but bigger news comes from the fact that there is a new leader on the Order of Merit.

Beau Greaves throughout has led the charge when it has come to the Order of Merit. The current WDF Women's World Champion has been the forerunner most of the season on the Development Tour but she has been caught. Albeit it is not all doom and gloom yet.

Greaves has been consistent in picking up results but Cam Crabtree has too. 'Shazam' as he is known leads the way now with £12,175 compared to £11,975 from Greaves who came into the weekend leading. But the fly in the ointment and one that was thought to be done away with the new rules surrounding the Development Tour not being as open to Tour Card Holders is that Crabtree is already a Tour Card holder.

He is into his first year so is not yet into the top 64 so he can still play Development Tour darts but this is good news for Greaves as even if he wins the Order of Merit, he only claims the PDC World Darts Championship spot and the Grand Slam of Darts spot. There are no Tour Card incentives and given the top two get a Tour Card and top three qualify for the World Championship, Greaves in theory is safe.

Albeit there are still six events to go including the two today so it matters very little right now. Especially given that Owen Bates who perhaps may need a Tour Card at the end of the year Order of Merit dependent is further back on £9,275 so while he can be just behind Greaves with a title, if the leading duo keep adding money he is unlikely to catch them.

Charlie Manby is also one to look out for. The 19-year-old hit a 130 average earlier in the year and showed he isn't just a flash in the pan averaging around 95 in winning through on Friday. He is now in fourth ahead of Sebastian Bialecki by some distance. Jamai van den Herik is also in the top six who has been one of the leading success stories of this year's Development Tour scooping yet another title this past weekend. Jurjen van der Velde concludes the top seven.

Dominik Gruellich is the one to catch with the German decidingly not playing this weekend. He has Patrik Williams and Jannis Barkhausen behind him. Albeit Gruellich is into his first year of being a Tour Card holder so like Bialecki and Crabtree isn't really needing it to further ambitions on that end. He is unlikely to end the weekend in the top 10.

Others in the top 20 include Ryan Branley who produced staggering form recently on the MODUS Super Series, Adam Gawlas, James Beeton, Henry Coates and former ProTour winner Danny Jansen. There are two more tournaments today and one more tomorrow in Wigan. Then there are four more and also the World Youth later in the season which will dictate who wins what when it comes to the Order of Merit.

But the main takeaway is that Greaves has lost her top spot but in reality all is not lost for 'Beau n Arrow' especially if she wins a title or two today with action starting shortly.