Pietreczko 3,500 pounds short of Minehead – Klose seals his first World Championship spot

Darts news from 1 November 2026: Pietreczko is 3,500 pounds short of the Players Championship Finals, Klose seals his first World Championship spot, Self wins at MODUS.

Ricardo Pietreczko still has a chance of reaching the Players Championship Finals ahead of the last two events of the Players Championship season. According to the Players Championship Order of Merit published today – counting up to and including Players Championship 32 – the Nuremberg player sits in 73rd place with 28,250 pounds, putting him 3,500 pounds behind the current last qualifying spot. Also announced today was how the German field for the 2027 World Championship is shaping up: Daniel Klose has secured his first World Championship spot via the Challenge Tour.

The race for Minehead: Pietreczko within striking distance

The provisional qualifying cut-off is set by Wesley Plaisier in 64th place with 31,750 pounds. The top 64 in this annual ranking, which counts only prize money from the Players Championships, play in Minehead. What counts is the standing after the two remaining floor events in Leicester, where a tournament win is worth 15,000 pounds each time.

Besides Pietreczko, two other Germans still have a mathematical chance: Lukas Wenig is 79th with 26,250 pounds, Arno Merk 99th with 20,250 pounds. That would mean around 11,500 pounds in two events for Merk.

Four German pros, on the other hand, can firmly plan for Minehead: Gabriel Clemens (27th, 50,500 pounds), Max Hopp (33rd, 47,250), Niko Springer (38th, 44,000) and Martin Schindler (46th, 37,500). Austria's Mensur Suljovic also looks well placed in 53rd with 36,750 pounds.

It gets tighter for a number of well-known names outside the top 64:

Gary Anderson – 68th, 29,750 pounds
Nathan Aspinall – 78th, 26,500 pounds
Josh Rock – 80th, 26,000 pounds
Raymond van Barneveld – 81st, 25,750 pounds
Peter Wright – 86th, 23,750 pounds

Luke Littler is 128th with 10,500 pounds and has not entered the two events in Leicester – the background is in the report on the world champion's withdrawal.

At the top, Wessel Nijman leads with 154,500 pounds ahead of Chris Dobey (118,750), who recently won Players Championship 32, and Kevin Doets (113,250). A place inside the top 64 is currently just a snapshot and not guaranteed qualification: the field is only settled after the final event. Both events are PDC floor tournaments at the Mattioli Arena and are played without spectators on site.

Darts in Germany: Klose at the Alexandra Palace for the first time

A broad German line-up is taking shape for the 2027 World Championship at the Alexandra Palace. The top 40 in the world rankings are seeded, as are the top 40 of the Pro Tour Order of Merit who are not already qualified. Via the world rankings, Martin Schindler (20th), Niko Springer (33rd) and Ricardo Pietreczko (35th) are set, and via the Pro Tour Order of Merit Gabriel Clemens (13th) and Max Hopp (16th).

Daniel Klose has secured his spot as fourth on the Challenge Tour and will therefore play a PDC World Championship for the first time. Lukas Wenig is 34th on the Pro Tour Order of Merit and thus in a provisional qualifying position, which he still has to defend at the remaining floor events. Jan Schmidt has two routes: the final of the World Youth Championship against Cam Crabtree and the PDC Europe Super League in Hildesheim, where only the tournament winner travels to London.

After the Netflix show: Edgar criticises the portrayal of Sherrock

Matthew Edgar has criticised on his YouTube channel Edgar TV that Netflix presented Fallon Sherrock primarily as a hairdresser on the show “Beat Luke Littler”: “What I have an issue with is them pretending that she's not who she is.” Edgar expressly did not question her right to play (“Was she entitled to play? Yes.”) and he praised the show's production. How Sherrock won the 501,000 pounds is covered in the report on the evening in Manchester.

Phil Taylor highlighted above all the financial side on talkSPORT: “She can buy herself a house, rent-free for the rest of her life, no mortgages, which is brilliant.” Adrian Lewis said of the show: “I loved every aspect of it.”

Mason advises van Gerwen to take a Premier League break

Chris Mason has advised Michael van Gerwen, speaking to Online Darts, to skip the Premier League for a year in 2027: “I would probably knock it on the head for a year personally.” He put that down to the strain of a weekly league during a difficult phase: “If you're struggling and your confidence is a bit shot, do you want to be playing.” At the same time Mason made clear that van Gerwen belongs there on merit and that the decision lies solely with the Dutchman. Nothing has been decided; the PDC decides on the Premier League line-up. Van Gerwen is currently 11th in the world rankings.

ADC Global Championship: opening in Portsmouth

The ADC Global Championship has started at the MODUS Live Lounge in Portsmouth; we already covered the tournament start in the morning round-up, with the details in our separate tournament report. For the first time, 128 players compete without a group stage in a straight knockout, with the first round played as best of nine legs. A total of 126,000 pounds is on offer, 20,000 pounds of it for the winner. Heine Uuldriks allowed Natalie Gilbert just one Leg in a 5-1 win, while four other matches went the full distance.

A selection of results from the last 128:

Maxim Lemahieu 5-2 Wesley van Trijp
Heine Uuldriks 5-1 Natalie Gilbert
M. Caste 5-4 S. Russell
B. van der Velden 5-4 M. Powell
M. Otter 5-4 G. Hayes
M. Wilkinson 5-3 U. McDyer
P. Williams 5-4 M. Hibma
S. Spivey 5-2 L. te Hennepe

Coming up tomorrow

The ADC Global Championship continues tomorrow in Portsmouth with further matches in the last 128. On the PDC ProTour, action only resumes on Wednesday, when Players Championship 33 (PC 33) starts in Leicester, followed by PC 34 a day later.

MODUS Super Series: Self wins Champions Week

The 15th series of the MODUS Super Series has been decided. Archie Self came through the Champions Week final 4-2 against Andy Baetens. The 16-year-old led 3-1, Baetens pulled back to 3-2, then Self finished the match with a 16-darter. In the Average, Self was ahead with 84.51 to Baetens' 80.24. In the semi-final, Self had beaten Scott Robertson 4-2 with an Average of 107.92, while Baetens got past Derek Coulson 4-3.