Players Championship Order of Merit update: Littler, Humphries, Van Gerwen & Aspinall in danger of missing Minehead

With 22 of 34 floor events completed, only the top 64 on the Players Championship Order of Merit will secure a place in Minehead later this year — but four of the sport’s biggest stars are either hovering just above that line or sitting below it altogether.

Reigning World Matchplay and World Champion Luke Littler, and current World Number 1 Luke Humphries, have both skipped several Players Championship events this year — and it shows in the rankings. Littler is currently 57th on the Order of Merit, while Humphries is 53rd, with neither man guaranteed a place at the Finals unless they return strongly after the summer break.

Things look even more precarious for Nathan Aspinall and Michael van Gerwen, who are both currently outside the qualifying spots. Aspinall — the 2023 World Matchplay champion — sits 70th, while Van Gerwen, who has barely featured on the floor this season, is down in 118th. With just 12 events remaining, both men face an uphill battle to avoid missing out on one of the calendar’s key TV tournaments.

Elsewhere, the top of the Order of Merit remains unchanged following Players Championship 22, with Gerwyn Price and Damon Heta holding the top two positions after skipping the event. Third-placed Gian van Veen reached the quarter-finals but couldn’t take full advantage.

The biggest story on the day was Sebastian Bialecki, who claimed his first PDC ranking title with a surprise run to victory, beating Niels Zonneveld in the final. The win earned the Pole £15,000 and lifted him to 25th on the Order of Merit, well inside the provisional qualification zone.

Much of the attention in the coming months will be on Littler, Humphries, Aspinall, and Van Gerwen, as the high-profile quartet fight to avoid the embarrassment of missing out on the Players Championship Finals altogether.