Ultra-rare World Darts Championship scenario emerges as three stars can benefit from PDC rule

Two emerging darts stars could benefit from a rare PDC regulation that would allow them to secure tour cards at this year's World Darts Championship - while a third can also benefit.

Qualification places for Alexandra Palace are still up for grabs, with a PDC Tour Card Holder qualifier set for November 30 to decide a further 12 qualifiers from the main tour that haven't already qualified.

There are a number of players in danger of potentially losing their tour card that are effectively in last-chance saloon territory when it comes to that qualifier - but their situations have been made all the more challenging this year by the sheer number of new tour card holders who are pushing their way towards the top 64 positions.

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Three darts stars can benefit from rare PDC scenario

The likes of Beau Greaves and Charlie Manby are already well on their way to reaching the provisional top 64 of the Order of Merit inside the first year of their two-year tour cards.

Manby had to start effectively from scratch, in terms of ranking points, this year as his £60,000 prize money for reaching the fourth round of the World Championship was wiped from the rankings table.

But he has had a sensational year on the PDC circuit, netting £60,000 from Players Championship events, and he will also play in the Grand Slam, Players Championship Finals and the World Championship to boost his position further.

The same can be said for Greaves, the best-performing new tour card holder not named Cristo Reyes in 2026. She is guaranteed to amass a sensational £105,750 in prize money by the end of the year - a figure that will only be boosted by victories at the final three major events of the season.

But three fellow new stars - Tommy Morris, Joe Hunt and Henry Coates - are all in a fascinating position in the season's run-in, and it is a scenario we don't see all that often.

What those three names have in common is that none of them are PDC tour card holders, meaning their only way of competing in ProTour events is as replacement players via their performances on the Challenge Tour.

They have taken full advantage of their opportunities; Morris and Coates have both won a Players Championship title this season, while Hunt has also performed strongly to win the Challenge Tour. All three will play at the Grand Slam, Players Championship Finals and the World Championship.

That is where things get interesting. The PDC's regulations state that a player's prize money from one season does not carry over to another unless they are in the top 64 come season's end.

That applies specifically to Morris, who has amassed £57,250 in prize money, Hunt, who has collected £48,000, and Coates, who has £37,250.

Should any of those three players secure enough ranking points in the final events, they would climb into the top 64 of the Order of Merit and secure a PDC tour card for next season. In Hunt's case, he has already secured his two-year tour card via the Challenge Tour but will hope to keep his spot in the rankings.

It would also take some of the pressure off their shoulders next season, as they would not be defending any prize money from 2025 and would therefore only need a handful of positive results to keep themselves in the top 64 for another 12 months.

Dimitri van den Bergh among darts stars in PDC tour card danger

Dimitri van den Bergh, once regarded as one of darts' top prospects, is a two-time winner of the PDC World Youth Championship and comfortably occupied a place in the top 16 after reaching the semi-finals of the 2023 World Championship proper.

But he hasn't gone beyond the last 16 stage in any of the 34 Players Championship events this season, meaning he won't be playing at the Players Championship Finals in Minehead later this month. He has also missed out on the prestigious Grand Slam of Darts.

All that means that Van den Bergh currently occupies 60th place in the two-year PDC Order of Merit, with the top 64 players securing their tour cards for another year.

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But there are two major issues. Van den Bergh will defend the £25,000 he won for reaching the third round of the 2025 World Championship at Alexandra Palace this year. And he hasn't yet qualified for the worlds.

If Van den Bergh does not play in darts' biggest tournament, he would be guaranteed to slip out of the top 64, with players beneath him in the rankings having already qualified. His last-chance saloon is at the PDC Tour Card Holder qualifier, which takes place on November 30 and will see 12 more players book their spot at Alexandra Palace.

Ricky Evans, who provisionally sits in 56th in the Order of Merit, qualified for the Grand Slam via the Tour Card Holder qualifier earlier this week, netting him at least £5,000 in prize money from that event. He is not yet qualified for the World Championship but a good run at the Grand Slam would likely push him into position; if he doesn't play at Ally Pally he is another who could face a nervous wait.

Like Van den Bergh, Ryan Meikle must win the last-chance qualifier to reach the World Championship and save his card. Even then, the Ipswich-born dartist would need a good run at Ally Pally: he carries a provisional £28,500 deficit to 64th place in the Order of Merit, and would need to reach the third round at least.