Michael van Gerwen’s summer now carries a sharper ranking edge after the latest year-to-date table left the Dutchman only 19th for prize money won in 2026.
The figure is stark because the main PDC Order of Merit still has Van Gerwen fourth, with DartsRankings listing him on £714,250 as of June 21. On the season-only table, however, the same rankings tracker has him at £88,000, behind Jermaine Wattimena and only narrowly above Nathan Aspinall.
That gap does not mean an immediate collapse. It does show how quickly the two-year cushion can begin to look vulnerable when the sport’s busiest ranking block arrives.
Why Blackpool matters
The World Matchplay is scheduled for July 18-26, with the Women’s World Matchplay following on July 26. For Van Gerwen, Blackpool is no longer just a title target. It is a checkpoint.
- Luke Littler leads the 2026 year-to-date list on £260,000.
- Wessel Nijman is second on £246,000 after a heavy floor and European Tour return.
- Van Gerwen sits 19th for this season alone on £88,000.
NineDartNews has already tracked how the Dutchman’s World Matchplay seed push was taking shape. The fresh number makes the next stage clearer: Van Gerwen needs a televised run that changes the tone around his season, not merely another week of respectable averages and early danger.
Luke Humphries retains the US Darts Masters title!
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) June 27, 2026
That is the wider problem. Humphries has just taken another World Series title, Littler remains the season’s money leader, and Nijman has turned consistency into a direct rankings weapon. Van Gerwen still owns elite status, but the 2026 table is a warning: the floor beneath him is moving.
