Who are the best players to have never won a Major title? An exclusive list of PDC's forgotten stars

The Professional Darts Corporation is Darts' Premier organisation, and with that comes some very exclusive tournaments that only the very best of the best can win. But what happens when a world-class talent just can't get over the line? Well, they end up in this list, as today I will be giving you my opinion on the best players that have never won a PDC Major title.

A Major title in the PDC is considered a victory in one of the following events, the World Championships, the Grand Slam of Darts, World Grand Prix, World Matchplay, UK Open, Premier League of Darts, Players Championship Finals, the European Championship and/or the World Cup of Darts.

Winning a Major title has always been incredibly difficult due to the array of talent the PDC has had including the likes of Phil Taylor, Raymond Van Barneveld, Micheal Van Gerwen and Gary Anderson.

Even if certain players haven't won a Major that should not deter from recognising the huge amount of talent and dedication to their craft that most have. At the highest level it requires hard work as well as luck so for some of these athletes discussed today it just wasn't meant to be, not for a lack of effort.

Qualifying for Major tournaments changes depending on the event. Qualifying for the World Championships now requires you to be top 32 in the order of merit as well as an additional 32 players that are not otherwise qualified on the Pro Tour order of merit. An additional 32 invites are sent out by the PDC at their discretion, these can include international qualifier events and PDPA qualifiers, as well as more which have not yet been released for this years event. The top 32 ranked players on the order of merit will receive bye's into the second round to play against one of first round victors.

However, generally as a rule of thumb it is the top 32 ranked players on the order of merit that earn themselves spots in the Major tournaments. Unless it is for the Premier League as in this instance the PDC give the top Four ranked players a spot and then also give out Four invitations to players they think deserve the spots.

Steve ‘The Bronzed Adonis’ Beaton is one of the sport’s all-time icons, with his storied career coming to an end following the conclusion of the 2024 season. As a former World Champion, it may seem strange for Beaton not to be regarded as a ‘major’ winner, as his world title came while competing in the BDO. ‘The Bronzed Adonis’ did manage to pick up a Euro Tour title during his time in the PDC, winning the German Darts Masters in 2013.

Beaton’s personal bests include reaching the final of the European Championship in 2009, the semi-finals of the Grand Slam in 2010, and the last 16 of the World Championship in 2002, 2004, and 2020. A tremendous effort that highlights the longevity of Beaton, who had been competing in the PDC since 2001 following a 10-year career in the BDO.

Steve Beaton has since handed in his Tour Card at the end of the 2024 season and can subsequently now be found playing on the World Seniors Darts Tour (WSDT) where he has earned an invite to play in 2026's World Championships. It looks like the former BDO World Champion is happy and settled playing on the WSDT so it's looking unlikely one of the most iconic players ever will ever pick up a Major title anytime soon.

Mervyn 'The King' was as his name suggests one of Darts' most enigmatic characters all throughout his playing career. Being involved in feisty Darting affairs a lot it's clear that the passion for the game we all know and love was always there. King definitely had the ability to match his intensity as well as he has posted a 115.62 average at the World Series of Darts Finals in 2021.

Making it to the Premier League of Darts in both 2009 and 2010, King would reach the final in his first appearance but suffered a frustrating defeat at the hands of James Wade where he lost 13-8. King has also had further multiple Major final losses including the World Grand Prix (2012), Players Championship Finals (2010,2020) and The Masters in 2014 and 2021. King had his best run at the World Championships in 2009 where he reached the semi final as well as also making the World Matchplay in the same year.

At the end of the 2024 season, Mervyn King lost his Tour Card following a slip down the rankings and has since been playing on the Modus Super Series, as well as the Challenge Tour, where he is currently fourth in the Challenge Tour Order of Merit. King has also confirmed his entry for the Seniors World Championship in 2026, looking to bounce back and find some form.

Brendan ‘The History Maker’ Dolan is a very popular figure among fans, as many still remember his iconic 9-darter at the 2011 World Grand Prix, where he became the first player in history to achieve this feat. Dolan would go on to reach his first and only major final at the very same event, where he was defeated by Phil Taylor.

‘The History Maker’ went on to reach the quarter-finals of the World Championship in both 2019 and 2024, as well as the last 16 of the World Matchplay in 2013, 2015, 2016, and 2023, showing his consistency across a long career. Dolan also secured Players Championship victories in 2013, 2014, 2019, 2021, 2022, and 2024.

So far in his career, Dolan has amassed total winnings of £1,506,445 across a 23-year career, giving him an average of £65,497.60 in prize money each season. Time hasn’t run out for Dolan, as he still holds a PDC Tour Card and is ranked 34th in the world, so perhaps in the near future we could see a career-defining moment for the 51-year-old as he looks to end on a high.

Dave ‘Chizzy’ Chisnall is a hugely successful figure despite the absence of major victories on his resume. Chisnall has won at least one Players Championship in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2022, 2023 and 2024, so it’s clear the quality is there and has never really left. On top of this, ‘Chizzy’ has amassed wins on the European Tour in 2019, 2022, 2023 and 2024, once again showing that he is capable of mixing it with the best.

Chisnall has reached multiple major finals within the PDC, including the Players Championship Finals in 2016, the World Grand Prix in both 2013 and 2019, the Grand Slam in 2014, as well as the Masters final in 2016 and 2022. For whatever reason, ‘Chizzy’ just hasn’t been able to get over the line so far; however, at the age of 44, there is definitely still time for the current world number 12 to achieve what would be a crowning moment in a very underrated career.

If Chisnall is never to get his major-winning moment, it would be a real shame for himself and fans alike. Having thrown fifteen 9-dart finishes across his PDC career, it is abundantly clear that the magic needed to be a serial winner is somewhere deep down, and if he can find a way to unleash that, it could be game over for the rest of the competition. Having only entered the PDC in 2011, the man from St Helens has already collected over £3 million in prize money, and I’d be surprised to see that slow down any time soon.

Last on our list is Ian ‘Diamond’ White, a player who was almost a guaranteed fixture in the top 16 during his prime years and even spent time within the sport’s top 10. White is a classic example of a player who struggled to translate his strong form in floor events (Players Championships) to the televised majors.

Over the course of his career, Ian White has won more than a dozen Pro Tour titles, with Players Championship victories coming in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, and 2020. In addition, White has enjoyed success on the European Tour, claiming titles in 2018 and 2019.

‘Diamond’ has never come especially close to winning a major, which is surprising given the quality he has consistently shown over the years. His best run in a major came in the 2019 Players Championship Finals, where he reached the semi-finals before being defeated 11–8 by Michael van Gerwen. Other notable results include reaching the quarter-finals of the World Championship in 2014 and the World Matchplay in 2015.

Since 2021, White hasn’t managed to reach the quarter-finals of a major tournament, with his last appearance at that stage coming in the European Championship. It looks unlikely that the former top-10 ranked player will ever return to his previous heights, as his current position of World No. 52 only appears set to decline in the coming years. Still chasing that elusive major title, he’ll be hoping to find a ‘diamond in the rough’ to add a final sparkle to his otherwise illustrious career.

Having only joined the PDC in 2010, Ian White has collected £1,561,125 in prize money. So, despite not winning a major event, his earnings have still been substantial.

Overall, not winning a major can be considered by some as a reason not to include a player in conversations about the best, but as illustrated in this article, that’s not always the case. Especially in a sport like darts, where there have been so many top players such as Phil Taylor and Michael van Gerwen, the pursuit of major trophies becomes even more difficult. For most of these players, there is still time in their careers, and I would expect someone like Dave Chisnall to challenge for one of darts’ major honours in the very near future. As more and more talented youngsters enter the sport, there will be many others who have fantastic careers but just don’t quite get over the line in majors. It’s important to remember that this should not diminish their achievements in any way when looking back.