Luke Littler missing from Dutch Darts Championship; Michael van Gerwen and Luke Humphries lead entries

Luke Littler will be the big absentee at the end of May when the Dutch Darts Championship is on the schedule in Rosmalen from Friday, May 23 to Sunday, May 25. The event in the Netherlands is the seventh Euro Tour tournament of the season. Besides Littler, Nathan Aspinall and Dimitri van den Bergh are also missing from the Dutch Darts Championship.

Leading the seedings is world number one Luke Humphries. Other top players include Stephen Bunting, Rob Cross, James Wade, Gerwyn Price, Gary Anderson and defending champion Josh Rock. Rock took the title in Rosmalen last year by defeating Jonny Clayton in the final.

No fewer than eight Dutchmen have sealed an automatic spot through the rankings. Michael van Gerwen and Danny Noppert are among the top-16 seeded players and may enter the tournament from the second round as well as Wessel Nijman and Raymond van Barneveld among others.

Familiar names like Cameron Menzies, Ryan Searle, Joe Cullen and Michael Smith have secured a spot on the Pro Tour and will start from the first round. Ten more players will be added to the field through the qualifying tournament for Tour Card holders on Wednesday, May 14. There is also a Host Nation Qualifier for Dutch darters, where four starting spots can be earned. Completing the lineup are the Nordic & Baltic Qualifier and the East Europe Qualifier. These qualifying tournaments produce one winner.

Dutch Darts Championship (ET7) field.

Top-16 seeded players

1. Luke Humphries

2. Michael van Gerwen

3. Stephen Bunting

4. Rob Cross

5. Jonny Clayton

6. Damon Heta

7. Chris Dobey

8. James Wade

9. Gerwyn Price

10. Dave Chisnall

11. Peter Wright

12. Gary Anderson

13. Josh Rock

14. Danny Noppert

15. Ross Smith

16. Martin Schindler

Pro Tour qualifiers

Gian van Veen

Cameron Menzies

Ryan Searle

Mike De Decker

Wessel Nijman

Dirk van Duijvenbode

Andrew Gilding

Daryl Gurney

Luke Woodhouse

Raymond van Barneveld

Jermaine Wattimena

Joe Cullen

Ritchie Edhouse

Michael Smith

Ryan Joyce

Niels Zonneveld