Year-to-date Order of Merit update: Luke Littler narrowly holds of Wessel Nijman for top spot as Van Gerwen sits barely inside top-20

The Year-to-date Order of Merit is based on the performances of all players in 2026. Unlike the regular PDC Order of Merit, this ranking only includes the prize money players have earned during this season and does not cover the past two years.

As expected, it is Luke Littler who tops the list. The 19-year-old sensation has already won the World Masters, Premier League Darts, the UK Open, and the World Cup of Darts this year. Although the Premier League and World Cup do not count towards the ranking, he has still earned enough prize money to occupy the number 1 spot. “The Nuke” has amassed £260,000 so far this year.

Littler is, however, closely chased by Wessel Nijman, who follows the world champion with £246,000 earned. The Dutchman has excelled on the floor this year and has already won six Players Championship events in total. That is more than a quarter of all tournaments played so far. In addition, Nijman has also claimed two European Tour titles. It is fair to say that alongside Littler, Nijman is the man in form this year.

Another Dutchman enjoying an excellent year is Kevin Doets. “Hawkeye” won his first Players Championship title earlier this year in Hildesheim. He also reached three semifinals and multiple quarterfinals, making him perhaps the most consistent floor player this year alongside Nijman. He has also impressed on the European Tour. For instance, he reached the final of the Austrian Darts Open but unfortunately lost there to Josh Rock. Even so, Doets’ performances show he is a player to watch this year.

The rest of the top 10 is mainly filled by Englishmen. Ross Smith sits third with £166,000. “Smudger” has already won two floor events this year and also lifted the International Darts Open. He is followed by Gerwyn Price, who has collected a total of £149,000. “The Iceman” won PC6 in Leicester and also took the title at the European Darts Grand Prix. Still, the Welshman will be hoping for a major triumph again, as his last truly big title dates back to 2022.

James Wade is fifth on the list and has earned £146,500 so far this year. “The Machine” reached the UK Open final and won the very first Players Championship event of the year. He is followed by Luke Humphries, who is just £2,000 behind in sixth place. The current world number two has added two floor titles as well as the Belgian Darts Open this year. Chris Dobey (£133,750), Josh Rock (£131,500), and Luke Woodhouse (£131,250) complete the top 10. Danny Noppert sits just outside in 11th with £126,250.

There are also several big and familiar names who, given their status and position on the overall PDC Order of Merit, sit relatively low in this ranking. Jonny Clayton, for example, is in 12th place with £117,500. “The Ferret” has not won a single title this year. He did reach two floor finals and one European Tour final, but lost them all.

Michael van Gerwen has also not had a great year so far. The Dutchman is 19th with £88,000, a position that does not befit a player with his pedigree. He has, however, been struggling with his form for some time and is no longer as consistent as in his peak years. High peaks alternate with very mediocre spells, resulting in inconsistent performances. With the big majors approaching, “Mighty Mike,” who at the time of writing is still world number 4, must seriously fear a slide on the regular ranking. If he underperforms at the big TV tournaments, Van Gerwen risks dropping out of the world’s elite.

Someone for whom it does not seem to be moving that fast yet is Gian van Veen. The Dutchman has been the world number 3 since the last World Championship, but this year has not quite clicked. “The Giant” sits 21st with £82,000 earned. Partly due to his Premier League debut, where he also had to deal with kidney stones, the Dutchman has delivered too many inconsistent performances this year. As a result, he is lower in this ranking than he ought to be.

While some players have disappointed this year, others are enjoying standout seasons. Niels Zonneveld sits a fine 22nd with £76,500. The Dutchman has already reached two European Tour semifinals this year and also made two quarterfinals on the floor. That has secured his spot at the World Matchplay and put him in a strong position for the World Grand Prix. Zonneveld is currently 36th on the regular Order of Merit, but strong performances at those events could see him push towards the top 32.

Beau Greaves is another name that stands out on this list. The female darts sensation has only just earned her Tour Card but is playing on tour as if she has been there for years. In total, she has already earned £57,500, which puts her in 34th place. This is partly thanks to her title at Players Championship 11, where she made history by becoming the first woman ever to win a title within the PDC.

Cristo Reyes and Kim Huybrechts also deserve a mention. Reyes regained his Tour Card via Q-School in January for the first time since 2021, and that seems to have given him wings. The Spaniard has already collected £59,750 this year. This is partly due to the fact that he has qualified through the qualifiers for almost every European Tour event. In addition, he regularly reaches the last 16 on the floor.

Huybrechts is also enjoying a resurgence. The Belgian endured a few difficult years, but this year he is performing consistently again, which earns him 32nd place on this list with £62,250. “The Hurricane” reached the last 16 three times on the European Tour, and on the floor he also regularly wins enough matches to scrape together some prize money.