Race to World Grand Prix 2026: Beau Greaves likely to fall short in qualification efforts as big names including Michael Smith and Peter Wright certain to miss out

PDC
Wednesday, 02 September 2026 at 19:00
Beau Greaves (4)
The race for a place at the World Grand Prix 2026 is entering its decisive phase. With two European Tour events left before the qualification window closes, several players are not yet safe. Especially around the final berths, plenty can still shift over the next week and a half.
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The World Grand Prix runs from 28.09.2026 to 04.10.2026 and, thanks to its unique format, is one of the most distinctive tournaments on the PDC calendar. It is the only major where every leg must not only finish on a double, but also start on a double.
A total of 32 players will line up. The top 16 on the PDC Order of Merit receive invitations, supplemented by the 16 highest-ranked non-qualified players from the ProTour Order of Merit.
The cut-off falls on 14.09.2026. Before then, two Euro Tour events remain with significant prize money on offer. The Czech Darts Open takes place in Prague from 04-09-2026 to 06-09-2026. A week later, from 11-09-2026 to 13-09-2026, the Flanders Darts Trophy in Antwerp offers a last chance to alter the picture.

Van Veen chasing Humphries for the second seed

The field is headed by defending champion Luke Littler. The Englishman took the title last year by beating Luke Humphries 6-1 in sets in the final.
Who starts the tournament as the second seed is still open. Humphries currently holds that spot, but Gian van Veen is right on his heels. The next two Euro Tours could therefore decide who sits behind Littler as the No. 2 seed.
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In the main Order of Merit, Gerwyn Price then follows as Jonny Clayton, James Wade, Josh Rock, Michael van Gerwen, Gary Anderson and Danny Noppert are completing the top 10.

Reyes defending the final spot, Greaves likely too much too soon

The tightest battle sits around the very last qualifying place. That berth is currently held by Cristo Reyes. The Spaniard would return to the World Grand Prix for the first time since 2017.
His cushion is slim, though. Sebastian Bialecki is the first chaser, only £1,500 behind Reyes. The young Pole also has a potential debut at stake. Bialecki faces one key disadvantage in the run-in: he will play only one of the two remaining Euro Tours, while Reyes can collect prize money in both Prague and Antwerp.
Kim Huybrechts is not out of it either. The Belgian sits 18th on the relevant ProTour ranking, £2,500 adrift of Reyes, but likewise has only one Euro Tour left to bridge the gap. For Karel Sedlacek, currently 19th, the task is far bigger. The Czech trails Reyes by £7,750 and also has just one remaining Euro Tour start. Beau Greaves too is unlikely to make her debut. She sits 21st.
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Beau Greaves looks on.
Beau Greaves too soon?
But others are perhaps more surprising that they won't make it as Martin Schindler's drop off is there for all to see when it comes to him not qualifying. He is sat in 23rd in the main Order of Merit and in 20th in the ProTour. Mike de Decker, former champion is also likely to miss out. While Daryl Gurney, RItchie Edhouse, Ricardo Pietreczko are also set to miss out.
The same can be said for Michael Smith and Peter Wright who are well clear and so neither will be there. The same for Raymond van Barneveld showing the true changing of the guard.
That makes the Czech Darts Open and Flanders Darts Trophy pivotal not only in the title races. For several players, much more is on the line. The final decision falls on 13-09-2026, when we will know which 32 players can begin the hunt for the World Grand Prix title later that month.

PDC Order of Merit

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Rank Name Prize money (in units of £1,000)
1 Luke Littler 3100
2 Luke Humphries 993.5
3 Gian van Veen 980.75
4 Gerwyn Price 713
5 Jonny Clayton 669
6 James Wade 626.25
7 Josh Rock 607.5
8 Michael van Gerwen 594.5
9 Gary Anderson 594.25
10 Danny Noppert 589.75
11 Stephen Bunting 583.25
12 Wessel Nijman 560.25
13 Ryan Searle 554.75
14 Chris Dobey 537.25
15 Ross Smith 536.75
16 Nathan Aspinall 536
17 Jermaine Wattimena 516.75
18 Luke Woodhouse 490.5

PDC Pro Tour Order of Merit

Rank Name Prize money (in units of £1,000)
1 Luke Woodhouse 167.5
2 Kevin Doets 163.75
3 Jermaine Wattimena 154.75
4 Krzysztof Ratajski 144.5
5 Andrew Gilding 119.5
6 Rob Cross 104
7 Dirk van Duijvenbode 102.75
8 William O'Connor 102.25
9 Damon Heta 99.75
10 Niels Zonneveld 99
11 Ryan Joyce 93.5
12 Dave Chisnall 87.5
13 Cameron Menzies 87.25
14 Niko Springer 83.5
15 Joe Cullen 82.75
16 Cristo Reyes 82
17 Sebastian Bialecki 80.5
18 Kim Huybrechts 79.5
19 Karel Sedlacek 74.25
20 Martin Schindler 72
21 Beau Greaves 66.25
22 Jeffrey de Graaf 65
23 Daryl Gurney 63
24 Richard Veenstra 62.5
25 Mickey Mansell 60
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