Taylor Lanning/PDC

Disaster for Dave Chisnall | Two time World Grand Prix finalist fails to qualify for double-in event for first time in his PDC career

Originally posted on Dartsnews.com | Last updated Sep 29, 2025 6:00 AM ET

Dave Chisnall’s 2025 season has been a study in frustration, and those concerns are now starting to hit home. After a 6–2 second-round defeat to Luke Woodhouse at the Swiss Darts Trophy last weekend, Chizzy has now ended any hope of qualification for the World Grand Prix in Leicester this October, marking the first time the 45-year-old Englishman has missed the event since his move to the PDC in 2011.

Chisnall has long been a staple of televised majors, appearing in 54 of the 56 Sky Sports broadcasts since joining the PDC. Only the Grand Slam of Darts in 2018 and 2021 saw him miss out. He has twice reached the final of the World Grand Prix — in 2013, losing 6–0 to Phil Taylor, and in 2019, falling 5–2 to Michael van Gerwen — proving he has the game to run deep when he’s on form. But this year, consistency has deserted him.

Euro Tour struggles

His struggles on the European Tour are stark. Chisnall has lost in the opening round of his last nine events on that circuit, a streak that continued in Switzerland. Once a player who lifted two European Tour titles in a single season, his recent results have seen him slide out of the world’s top 16, now sitting 17th just behind Martin Schindler. On the Pro Tour Order of Merit, he’s also fallen to 17th, just behind Andrew Gilding.

Scoring has never been the issue. Chisnall can still post heavy averages and punish opponents with big checkouts. What has gone missing is the ruthless finishing and match temperament needed to translate that firepower into wins — particularly under the unique pressures of the World Grand Prix’s double-start format.

Worrying times

For a player of Chisnall’s calibre, this is a notable absence. He remains a dangerous competitor capable of dismantling anyone on his day, but missing a major reshuffles expectations and seedings, and highlights the thin margin between brilliance and disappointment at the elite level of the PDC.

Chisnall now faces a crucial run of Pro Tour events to arrest the slide, regain confidence, and remind the darts world why he has been one of its most consistent threats for more than a decade. For fans of the game, it’s a rare moment where a familiar face will be missing from a marquee stage — and a stark reminder that even established contenders can have seasons that turn sour fast.

Since switching from the BDO to the PDC in 2011, Dave Chisnall has played in 54 out of 56 televised ranking events on Sky Sports (DNQ for the 2018 and 2021 Grand Slam of Darts).

The 2025 World Grand Prix will be only the third one Chizzy has not qualified for.
— Weekly Dartscast (@WeeklyDartscast) September 28, 2025