PDC European Tour Order of Merit Update: Stephen Bunting rises above Littler & Humphries to 2nd; Ritchie Edhouse misses out on title defence in Dortmund

Ritchie Edhouse will not get the chance to defend his European Championship crown later this year after slipping out of contention on the European Tour Order of Merit. The Englishman, who stunned the sport with his fairytale triumph in 2024, sits 33rd in the standings with just one event left — and, crucially, has not qualified for the season-ending German Darts Championship in Hildesheim.

Edhouse was whitewashed 6-0 by Raymond van Barneveld at the Swiss Darts Trophy, a defeat that sealed his fate. With no further opportunities to add to his tally, he will finish outside the all-important top 32 who book their place in Dortmund from 23–26 October.

For Van Barneveld, Edhouse’s misfortune was part of a weekend that delivered huge rewards. The five-time World Champion reached the quarter-finals in Basel with wins over Ansh Sood, Damon Heta and Edhouse, before bowing out 6-2 to eventual champion Stephen Bunting. That run earned him £6,000 and lifted him to 28th in the Order of Merit, securing a late qualification for the World Grand Prix and giving him a healthy cushion in the race for Dortmund.

With one Euro Tour stop remaining, Van Barneveld holds a £4,500 advantage over Edhouse in 33rd, while Dave Chisnall, in 34th, still has an outside chance at the German Darts Championship but trails the Dutchman by £6,000. That leaves Van Barneveld with a relatively secure position, while Edhouse’s reign as European Champion comes to an abrupt end without the chance of a title defence.

After winning the Swiss Darts Trophy, Stephen Bunting is the new number two on the European Tour Order of Merit. 'The Bullet' dealt with successively Chris Landman (6-3), Krzysztof Ratajski (6-3), Raymond van Barneveld (6-2), Gian van Veen (7-6) and Luke Woodhouse (8-3). This title earned him 30,000 pounds for the ranking.

It was already his second Euro Tour title of the season for Bunting, after the Englishman was also the best at the International Darts Open in Riesa earlier this season. After thirteen of the fourteen Euro Tours, Bunting is in second place in the rankings with 82,000 pounds, trailing only Nathan Aspinall (83,500 pounds).

The differences are small at the top of the leaderboard, as Luke Littler follows in third place with 81,000 pounds. Number four Martin Schindler stands at 80,500 pounds, while Luke Humphries (73,000 pounds), Gerwyn Price (62,000 pounds), Jonny Clayton (60,500 pounds), Josh Rock (59,500 pounds) and Niko Springer (58,500 pounds) also theoretically have a chance of finishing first in the final standings.

Ross Smith, who had to cancel last-minute for the Swiss Darts Trophy, rounds out the top-10 with 52,500 pounds. Also following in his wake are Gary Anderson (£50,500) and James Wade (£50,000).