Stephen Bunting's next European Championship match holds extra significance as PDC scenario emerges
Stephen Bunting's European Championship quarter-final against Gerwyn Price will take on extra significance for 'The Bullet' - as it means he will be one victory away from an achievement that could yet define his next 12 months.
Bunting progressed through the first two rounds in Dortmund with a 6-5 victory over Danny Noppert, before thrashing Kim Huybrechts 10-3 on Saturday afternoon.
The 41-year-old hasn't won a competitive event of any kind in 2026 - though doesn't have to win this one to potentially cause a key rankings shake-up.
Why Stephen Bunting may need two wins at the European Championship
Bunting has not yet secured his place at the Grand Slam of Darts, with the European Championship being one of the final two opportunities this season to do so.
He has also reached the Players Championship Finals competition, though the chances of winning that are even tougher given that 64 players, rather than the 32 in Dortmund, are entering. Luke Humphries, who pulled out of the European Championship with illness, should be back in action by the time the players travel to Minehead on November 21.
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If Bunting doesn't make it to the Grand Slam, he would only stand to lose, in terms of ranking points, the £12,250 in prize money he earned at the 2024 event. But with an increased prize pot of £1,000,000 on offer to all players at the Grand Slam, including £200,000 for the winner, it is a major opportunity for players to rise up the rankings ahead of the World Championship.
Bunting is currently ranked eighth in the two-year PDC Order of Merit and will overtake Josh Rock into seventh if he reaches the final in Dortmund. And if he wins the entire tournament, he'll move ahead of James Wade into sixth.
When it comes to the World Championship, 'The Bullet' is defending £100,000 in prize money from reaching the semi-finals in 2025, with Gerwyn Price - who occupies fourth place in the rankings - defending £50,000 in comparison.
Again, the increased prize pot for Alexandra Palace - which was brought in for last year - means that, if a player reaches the same stage as they did in 2025, they will receive double the prize money, effectively making it something of a clean slate when it comes to the rankings.
With Premier League picks then on the horizon after Ally Pally, Bunting's lack of TV success in 2026 may not stand him in good stead. But he will get in automatically if he gets into the top four of the rankings - and that isn't completely out of the question if he can make it to the Grand Slam.
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European Championship state of play
Bunting's results - and those of Martin Schindler - could also affect Henry Coates, the Players Championship 20 winner who is still waiting to find out if he'll get into the Grand Slam for the first time.
Put simply, if Bunting and Schindler face off in the final in Dortmund, they will both qualify automatically for the Grand Slam, which would leave Coates sweating on the results of the final four Players Championship events to find out if he gets in.
The problem for Schindler is that he first has to beat Jonny Clayton in the quarter-final - and could run into Luke Littler afterwards in the semis.
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Littler produced the second-highest average in European Championship history (114.47) to defeat Nathan Aspinall in round two on Sunday night, and faces the in-form Krzysztof Ratajski in the quarter-finals.
European Championship fixtures (quarter-finals, all Sunday afternoon)
Ross Smith vs Luke Woodhouse
Gerwyn Price vs Stephen Bunting
Martin Schindler vs Jonny Clayton
Krzysztof Ratajski vs Luke Littler
Topics: Darts, Stephen Bunting
Ryan Smart