Luke Humphries has urged the PDC to review its ranking methodology to reward those who perform better throughout the season.
Humphries lost his position at the summit on November 16 following his Grand Slam final defeat, and Luke Littler has since claimed five consecutive major titles.
A massive £1,754,500 now separates the pair in the Order of Merit, making it an impossible task for the world No. 2 to catch his closest rival.
| Rank | Player | Prize Money (Total) |
| 1 | Luke Littler | £2,961,000 |
| 2 | Luke Humphries | £1,206,500 |
| 3 | Gian van Veen | £948,250 |
| 4 | Michael van Gerwen | £710,250 |
| 5 | Jonny Clayton | £649,000 |
| 6 | James Wade | £637,250 |
Littler reaffirmed his dominance at the top of the PDC by claiming £1,000,000 after winning the World Championship, and Humphries has raised his concerns about how this can heavily skew the rankings.
Luke Humphries calls for change to PDC Order of Merit
“The Worlds is very heavily headed now. If some random person goes on to win the World’s next year, I won’t be number two anyway. It might not be deserving,” Humphries told GB News.
“So maybe the rankings will be checked and looked at one day to reward the player that is playing the most consistent.”
To stand any chance of catching Litter, Humphries believes it could realistically take him around 18 months, acknowledging the enormity of the task facing him.
“If you are not world No.1, there is nothing to chase. I need a good 18 months to catch that back, to be fair,” he added.
LITTLER GOES BACK-TO-BACK! ☢️🏆
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) March 8, 2026
Luke Littler retains the Ladbrokes UK Open title!
The world number one defeats James Wade for a second straight year to triumph in Minehead!
Live Scores & Streaming 📲 https://t.co/gFQK4rQ2wU#UKOpenDarts | Final pic.twitter.com/xEqJzHpMjQ
Littler extended his lead at the top of the darting world with victory in the UK Open at the start of March, with the 19-year-old claiming £120,000 in prize money after beating James Wade 11-7 in the final.
Humphries, meanwhile, exited the tournament in the last 16 following a 10-6 defeat against Danny Noppert.
Humphries eyeing Premier League glory
An attack on the world No. 1 can begin with a triumph in the Premier League, the tournament with the second-highest prize money available.
The prize pot has increased to £1.25 million in 2026, with £350,000 for this season’s champion, and Humphries is looking to retain his crown at the 02 Arena.
Cool Hand beat Littler 11-8 in last year’s final to lift his first Premier League title, but his defence of that trophy isn’t going as planned.
| Pos | Player | Pts | Nights Won |
| 1 | Jonny Clayton | 19 | 2 |
| 2 | Luke Littler | 11 | 1 |
| 3 | Gerwyn Price | 9 | 1 |
| 4 | Gian van Veen | 9 | 0 |
| 5 | Luke Humphries | 9 | 0 |
| 6 | Michael van Gerwen | 8 | 1 |
| 7 | Stephen Bunting | 7 | 1 |
| 8 | Josh Rock | 0 | 0 |
Humphries is currently sitting just outside of the play-offs, level on points with Gian van Veen and Gerwyn Price, while facing the arduous task of beating an in-form Jonny Clayton in Dublin on Thursday.
The 31-year-old was thrashed 6-1 by Clayton in last week’s final, as poor finishing at the back end of legs continued to cost him dearly.
A return of just 12.5% (1/8) on the doubles highlighted his biggest issue, with Humphries posting the second-lowest checkout percentage (34.69%) in this year’s Premier League.
To stand any chance of winning the tournament and closing the gap to Littler, he must become deadly on the outer ring, and then he would become an unstoppable force.
