Gian van Veen will head to Auckland and Wollongong in August with a clear World Series opportunity after Michael van Gerwen, Luke Littler and Luke Humphries all opted out of the Down Under double-header. The PDC season now turns that absence into a meaningful opening for the Dutchman, who sits fourth in the World Series Order of Merit after his US Darts Masters semi-final run in New York.
Van Gerwen still leads the table on 32 points, with Littler on 28 and Humphries on 26 after his Madison Square Garden title defence. But Dartsnews reports on the confirmed Down Under fields that none of the top three are scheduled to play the New Zealand Darts Masters on August 14-15 or the Australian Darts Masters on August 21-22, leaving Van Veen as the highest-ranked World Series contender in the confirmed PDC line-up.
Van Veen Gets A Ranking Window
The field gives Van Veen a cleaner route than usual. Jonny Clayton, James Wade, Josh Rock, Gerwyn Price, Stephen Bunting, Ross Smith and Damon Heta are also listed as PDC representatives for both events, but Van Veen starts with the strongest ranking position of that travelling group.
The consequence is bigger than another invitational week. The World Series table shapes the route into the Amsterdam Finals, and the top eight positions carry seeding value. Van Veen’s World Championship final run and World Cup campaign already made him a central PDC name in 2026. Now the calendar gives him a chance to turn that status into a practical advantage.
If he converts in either Auckland or Wollongong, the race behind Van Gerwen could tighten quickly.
