The Grand Slam of Darts 2026 could have major implications for several players on the PDC Order of Merit. After the tournament, the prize money from the 2024 edition will come off the rankings.

Martin Lukeman, Mickey Mansell and Gary Anderson are among those facing a significant drop. For other players, including Michael van Gerwen, Luke Humphries and Wessel Nijman, the tournament offers an excellent chance to gain ground.

The Grand Slam of Darts will be played in Wolverhampton from 14 to 22 November. For the first time, the field will feature 48 players, while the total prize fund has also increased considerably. Two years ago, the total prize money stood at £650,000, with £150,000 going to the winner. Every player received at least £3,500.

This year, the prize fund has risen to £1 million. The winner will receive £200,000, and every player is guaranteed at least £5,000. That means players who have qualified again are guaranteed to earn more than the minimum payout from two years ago. Those who went further in 2024 will, of course, have to account for the prize money coming off the rankings.

Luke Littler has £150,000 to defend

Luke Littler has more prize money to defend than any other player. 'The Nuke' won the 2024 Grand Slam of Darts, claiming his first ranking major. In the final, the then 17-year-old Englishman beat surprise finalist Martin Lukeman by a commanding 16-3.

That victory earned Littler £150,000. The amount will come off his ranking total after this year’s tournament. However, the current world number one has little to worry about. Littler leads the second-placed player by more than £2 million, leaving him firmly at the top.

The Englishman could also earn £200,000 with another title, boosting his ranking total by £50,000.

Luke Littler is the defending champion at the Grand Slam of Darts

Martin Lukeman risks losing his Tour Card

The impact is much greater for Martin Lukeman. The Englishman enjoyed the biggest success of his career in 2024, reaching the Grand Slam of Darts final as a surprise contender. His runner-up finish earned him £70,000.

Lukeman failed to qualify for this year’s tournament, however. He will therefore lose the full amount without a chance to earn replacement prize money in Wolverhampton.

The Englishman is currently 43rd in the world rankings, but will fall outside the top 64 once his prize money is removed. His PDC Tour Card will also be under serious threat.

Mickey Mansell will also take a significant hit. The Northern Irishman reached the semi-finals as a surprise package two years ago, earning £50,000. With no place in this year’s field, he is expected to drop from 41st to around 57th.

Gary Anderson was the other beaten semi-finalist in 2024. The two-time world champion has also failed to qualify for the upcoming edition. The Scot is currently 14th in the world rankings, but will drop out of the top 16 when £50,000 comes off his total.

Four quarter-finalists have £25,000 to defend

Cameron Menzies, Rob Cross, Jermaine Wattimena and Gian van Veen reached the quarter-finals of the 2024 Grand Slam of Darts. Each of the four earned £25,000.

All four have qualified again and will have the chance to defend that amount. This time, they must reach at least the last 16 to do so, as the increased prize fund means that round is now worth £20,000. A place in the quarter-finals is worth £35,000 this year.

Wattimena and Van Veen, in particular, have an opportunity to strengthen their positions in the world rankings.

Players with the most prize money at stake

Dimitri Van den Bergh also under pressure

Eight players exited in the last 16 in 2024. James Wade, Danny Noppert, Ross Smith, Ritchie Edhouse, Dimitri Van den Bergh, Mike De Decker, Stephen Bunting and Ryan Joyce each earned £12,500. Of those eight, Wade, Smith and Bunting have qualified again. The other five are absent this year and will lose their full amounts.

Dimitri Van den Bergh, in particular, can ill afford that. The Belgian has fallen sharply down the world rankings in recent months and is closing in on the top-64 cutoff.

Van den Bergh also has yet to secure a World Championship place. To retain his Tour Card, he must qualify through one of the final two World Championship qualifiers and then reach at least the third round of the tournament.

Michael Smith, Dave Chisnall, Peter Wright, Keane Barry and Mensur Suljović are also absent this year, despite competing in 2024. They were all eliminated in the group stage, however, so their losses in the world rankings remain relatively small.

Dimitri Van den Bergh also risks missing the World Championship and losing his Tour Card

Michael van Gerwen could make a big leap

While several players have a lot of prize money to defend, others have very little to lose. Luke Humphries was surprisingly eliminated in the group stage two years ago. The same happened to Michael van Gerwen, Josh Rock and Wessel Nijman, among others.

As a result, they have only a small amount to defend and could benefit significantly from the increased prize fund with a strong result.

The tournament comes at an important time for Van Gerwen in particular. The three-time world champion is currently 11th in the PDC Order of Merit, but has already slipped to 21st in the virtual world rankings after the World Darts Championship.

The Dutchman therefore needs to earn plenty of prize money in the coming months to maintain his place among the world’s elite. With little ranking money to defend at the Grand Slam of Darts, the tournament in Wolverhampton offers an ideal chance to improve his position.