Stephen Bunting's Shock World Darts Championship Exit Creates Disaster Scenario
Stephen Bunting's shock defeat to James Hurrell at the World Darts Championship has created a disaster scenario.
Hurrell secured a thrilling 4-3 victory over Bunting in their third round clash on Saturday.
He could have whitewashed 'The Bullet' if not for two outrageous 161 and 121 checkouts in deciding legs at the end of the second and third sets.
But the 'Hillbilly' eventually wore down Bunting, who appeared to be suffering from a cold, to book his spot in the next round.
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Bunting, world No.4, became the highest seed to fall in this year's tournament.
He could now drop down the rankings following his crushing defeat at Ally Pally.
What's more, he may miss out on the Premier League Darts if he loses his No.4 position given the four highest-ranked players are automatically selected.
Jonny Clayton, who beat Niels Zonneveld 4-3 on Saturday, is set to leapfrog the 40-year-old in the rankings if he wins his next match at the World Darts Championship.
Bunting endured a poor 2025 Premier League Darts campaign after finishing bottom of the table.
He claimed just one nightly win during the league stage.
Who is in the Premier League Darts 2026?
As mentioned, the top four players in the world are automatically selected, with the likes of Luke Littler, Luke Humphries and Michael van Gerwen set to be included.
The remaining four spots are invitations from the PDC.
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They are typically awarded to players who are among the most in-form at the time and are deemed deserving of a place.
But PDC chief executive Matt Porter has previously said they consider 'star quality' and players who can 'perform on the big stage' so they can attract people to watch.
When is the Premier League Darts 2026?
The Premier League will take place shortly after the World Championship.
The season will begin in Newcastle on February 5, with the final to take place in London on May 28.
There will be 16 nightly events across the UK and Europe before the final, where a winner will be crowned.
Topics: Darts, World Darts Championship
Nasir Jabbar