The race for Blackpool is accelerating at a ferocious pace, with a multitude of players embroiled in a fiercely competitive battle for those coveted and limited places at this year’s World Matchplay darts.
The cut-off does not arrive until the end of July, yet with the season evaporating at an alarming rate, that pivotal juncture will materialise far sooner than many anticipate. Already, those in contention are casting an increasingly vigilant eye over the Pro Tour Order of Merit, where, particularly around the lower qualification berths, congestion is rife.
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Of the fourteen previous Matchplay champions in the tournament’s history, nine remain active on the PDC Pro Tour circuit today. Delving deeper, half a dozen of those are virtually assured of their place in Blackpool. However, first, we turn our attention to three who appear in genuine jeopardy of missing out.
PETER WRIGHT
Since making his Matchplay debut in 2009 – four years after the tournament’s inception – Snakebite has been an almost ever-present figure, missing just two editions, the most recent of which came in 2012. Now languishing well outside the world’s top sixteen, the Scot’s hopes hinge upon qualification via the Pro Tour Order of Merit. Currently stationed in the 40s, he finds himself just shy of £20,000 adrift of a return to the Lancashire coastline this summer.
ROB CROSS
Voltage first graced the iconic Winter Gardens stage in 2017 and, just two years later, found himself hoisting the trophy aloft. His route back this time is less forbidding than Wright’s, though still demands a degree of resurgence. To re-enter the world’s top sixteen, the Target man would need to bridge a deficit in excess of £70,000. However, on the Pro Tour Order of Merit, the gap is a far more surmountable figure of just under £6,000. You’d make Cross more likely to be there than not.
DIMITRI VAN DEN BERGH
At present, the Belgian has more immediate and pressing concerns, foremost among them safeguarding his professional status. Barring a deep Euro Tour run or a sustained sequence of strong performances across both floor and continental events, the 2020 Matchplay champion looks destined to miss out on Blackpool for the first time since his triumphant debut.
The DreamMaker is an astute operator and likely recognises that his focus must shift towards preserving that all-important Tour Card come December.
Beyond that trio of former Winter Gardens conquerors, several other prominent names remain locked in a precarious struggle for inclusion in the summer showpiece:
RAYMOND VAN BARNEVELD
There is a growing sense that the illustrious Dutchman’s halcyon days on the oche are drawing to a close. Regular murmurs of retirement, coupled with a discernible dip in form, suggest that even Barney acknowledges the twilight of an extraordinary career. Yet, irrespective of what lies ahead, his legacy is one most players could only ever aspire to emulate. Encouragingly, his current task is not as insurmountable as it may appear, sitting approximately £10,000 shy of qualification. If experience carries weight, few possess it in greater abundance.
MICHAEL SMITH
When Bullyboy failed to qualify for last year’s World Matchplay, it brought an end to a remarkable streak of appearances dating back to 2014. His deepest run in Blackpool remains a runner-up finish in 2019, supplemented by two semis and quarter-final showings in subsequent years. Much like Van Barneveld, Smith sits around £10,000 adrift of qualification. Form remains the principal concern, though his pedigree and experience offer a significant advantage. Of the two former world champions, if one were to force his way back in, Smith appears the more likely candidate.
More Darts Star To Miss Out?
Of course, when the 2026 World Matchplay draw is eventually finalised, there will inevitably be notable omissions – including players who have previously lifted PDC TV major silverware. Perhaps none quite as illustrious as those mentioned, but still enough to raise a few eyebrows.
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In truth, such absences should not come as a surprise. The depth of talent within the PDC has never been more formidable, and the continual influx of emerging players each year only intensifies the battle for qualification.
All things considered, one certainty remains – the final field assembling in Blackpool this July will be of an exceptionally high calibre.
—–ENDS—–
Images: PDC
