Michael Smith is outside the current 2026 Betfred World Matchplay qualifying line, with the live race showing the former world champion 33rd before the July 8 cut-off.
The latest World Matchplay race table has Smith on GBP301,500, just behind Ritchie Edhouse in the final provisional qualifying place on GBP308,750. That leaves the St Helens player with work still to do before the Blackpool field is locked.
The picture matters because Smith has been a regular presence at the Winter Gardens and remains one of the sport’s biggest names, even after a difficult ranking spell. The current table also has Dave Chisnall, Dirk van Duijvenbode, Cameron Menzies, Kevin Doets, Joe Cullen and Edhouse occupying the lower end of the qualifying block.
Smith Has Little Margin Before Blackpool Cut-Off
The World Matchplay race lists the qualification rule as the top 16 on the main Order of Merit plus the top 16 not already qualified from the ProTour Order of Merit. It also states that the cut-off is July 8, with the rankings updated after European Tour Event Nine.
For Smith, the immediate issue is not reputation but position. He is close enough to force his way in, but far enough outside the line that one strong run from another chaser could sharpen the pressure further.
With Blackpool approaching, every remaining ranking chance now carries obvious weight for a player trying to avoid one of the most significant absences of his PDC career.
