Qualifying race World Matchplay 2024: Luke Littler certain of debut, four others likely for first Winter Gardens appearance

The qualifying race for the World Matchplay lasts one year, but Luke Littler has taken just three months to secure a debut at the major tournament in Blackpool.

Littler was already doing excellent business at the beginning of the Pro Tour season by winning the first Players Championship tournament of the season and the first Euro Tour event of the year. In late April, Littler also won the Euro Tour tournament in Graz, allowing Littler to make his final appearance. That will then be through the Pro Tour rankings. The top 16 world rankings and the top 16 Pro Tour players will be invited from the World Matchplay. Littler is currently behind Gary Anderson and Ryan Searle in third place in the cleaned Pro Tour rankings.

Debut at World Matchplay beckons for five players

Alongside Littler, Gian van Veen and Ricardo Pietreczko are also going to be there for the first time at the Winter Gardens. Looking at the virtual field of participants, Ritchie Edhouse and Luke Woodhouse are also on the right side of the line. They also have not been at this tournament before.

Prior to the cut-off on July 7, 2024, two more Euro Tour tournaments and four Players Championship tournaments will be played. These six tournaments thus still count in the qualifying race for the 2024 World Matchplay.

Qualifying race World Matchplay 2024 (as of May 15)

Virtual PDC Order of Merit (top-16 qualifies)

Rank - Name - Prize money (in units of £1000)

1 Luke Humphries 1458.25

2 Michael van Gerwen 1048.5

3 Michael Smith 1016.25

4 Gerwyn Price 606.25

5 Rob Cross 589.25

6 Nathan Aspinall 587.5

7 Dave Chisnall 482

8 Peter Wright 478.5

9 Dimitri Van den Bergh 471.25

10 Jonny Clayton 467

11 Damon Heta 457.75

12 Danny Noppert 430

13 Joe Cullen 411.5

14 Chris Dobey 411.5

15 Ross Smith 409.25

16 Stephen Bunting 395.25

-----

17 Dirk van Duijvenbode 376.25

18 Andrew Gilding 336.75

19 Josh Rock 334.75

20 Ryan Searle 334

21 Gary Anderson 333.5

22 James Wade 319.75

23 Martin Schindler 309

24 Luke Littler 303.5

25 Gabriel Clemens 301

Virtual PDC Pro Tour Order of Merit (top-16 qualifies)

Rank - Name - Prize money (in units of £1000)

1 Gary Anderson 115

2 Ryan Searle 91

3 Luke Littler 86

4 Ricardo Pietreczko 83

5 Martin Schindler 76.25

6 Gian van Veen 74.5

7 Ryan Joyce 72

8 Josh Rock 70.25

9 Daryl Gurney 69

10 Brendan Dolan 59.75

11 Krzysztof Ratajski 59.5

12 Raymond van Barneveld 53.75

13 Ritchie Edhouse 53.25

14 Andrew Gilding 48.75

15 Luke Woodhouse 47.5

16 James Wade 44.5

-----

17 Callan Rydz 44.25

18 Mike De Decker 42.25

19 Kevin Doets 41

20 Gabriel Clemens 38.5

21 Cameron Menzies 37

22 Dirk van Duijvenbode 36

23 Richard Veenstra 35

24 Scott Williams 33.5

25 Jose de Sousa 33.5

26 Jermaine Wattimena 33.25

27 Martin Lukeman 31

28 Jim Williams 28.5

29 Ian White 28

30 Niels Zonneveld 27.25

31 William O'Connor 27.25

32 Madars Razma 26.5

Source: Dartsrankings.com