PDC Order of Merit update: Nathan Aspinall making strides back into top 15 after Munich title run as Bunting and Price circle on Rock

Nathan Aspinall thrust himself back into the spotlight in emphatic style by lifting the German Darts Grand Prix title in Munich. The Englishman claimed his first crown at this event and rises to 14th on the PDC Order of Merit.

The Stockport thrower delivered relentless scoring all weekend and charged to his fourth European Tour title. With the £35,000 top prize in the bag, he overtakes Ross Smith in the world rankings. It is also his first ranking title since last October, a result that reignites his season.

Aspinall’s start to the season had been solid rather than spectacular. A runners-up spot at Players Championship 1 and a last-16 berth at the Poland Darts Open were his standout results. In Munich, however, everything clicked, pushing his prize money above the £500,000 mark. That also gives him a comfortable buffer of over £70,000 towards the top 16.

The chase pack is exceptionally tight. Despite a last-16 finish, Josh Rock slipped to ninth. Stephen Bunting and Gerwyn Price benefited and moved up to seventh and eighth respectively. The gap between seventh and 11th is only £12,500, while Rock and Bunting are separated by just £1,500.

Danny Noppert’s run to the final in Munich did not yield a ranking rise. The Dutchman stays 11th, although victory would have launched him straight to seventh. He did extend his lead over Ryan Searle to nearly £30,000 and is now just £1,000 behind Gary Anderson.

Noppert has started the season steadily, with quarterfinals at the UK Open and the Belgian Darts Open among his highlights. The 35-year-old Frisian looks well placed to force his way back into the top ten later this year.

Niels Zonneveld is also making serious strides. The 27-year-old Dutchman reached a third successive European Tour quarterfinal and climbs to 38th. With semifinals at the European Darts Trophy and the Belgian Darts Open, he is mounting a real push for the top 32.

That could happen in the coming months, as “Triple Z” is already virtually assured of places at the World Matchplay, World Grand Prix, and the European Championship. The same applies, to a lesser extent, to Kevin Doets. “Hawkeye” is posting excellent results on the Pro Tour and is on track to feature regularly at the majors this year.

Kim Huybrechts also underlined his strong 2026 form. The Belgian reached the last 16 on the European Tour for the second event running and climbs to 57th. In Munich he defeated Peter Wright and Luke Woodhouse before Jonny Clayton stopped him. With two averages over 100, he underlined a flying start to the season. Retaining his Tour Card was Huybrechts’ main concern at the start of the year, but he has played his way clear of that danger. “The Hurricane” can even target spots at a few majors in 2026.

The coming weeks offer plenty of chances for movement in the rankings. April features four more Players Championship events and the European Darts Grand Prix, which will only intensify the battle at the top.