Road to the Greatest Show on Earth - PDC World Championship 2026

[The Thorn]

To be honest looking at that list its decent

[willem0000]

Does having 84 tour card holders at the worlds not seem a bit inflated?

It would add a massive benefit to getting a tourcard

They are probably also among the best of the world and there needs to be some quality. Having the (more or less) top 64 play against only jobbers isnt an easy watch session after session (16!). Still enough room for non tourcardholders. Also what Oche said, PDC wants the Asians etc to have a tour card, if you make it to attractive to not have one why would they bother.
Granting the best Chinese tour card holder a spot (in his first year, as long as he plays some PCs) might also be an option to attract them.

[Rogg]

I think it could be as few as 4 extra pro tour spots, certainly no more than 8. I don't know where this 16 idea is coming from. On a playing level the field expansion is for the big wide world.

I'd like to guess where every extra spot will come from but really it's far too fiddly, Thorn is hungry and I think there may be spots for tours/tournaments which don't even exist yet. By which I mean they haven't yet been announced. A Philippines Tour, for example? There are rumblings.

[Rogg]

Thought there was an announcement or something but thank fuck there isn’t based on the above. No chance there’d be 8 CT players PDC couldn’t give a shite about that tour, and it would be dumb anyway.

I still don’t really like this expansion, with 96 there’s a lot of dross let alone with 128. With 96 there’s plenty of opportunities to qualify as a tour card holder and no excuses if you’re not at Ally Pally. Feel like now you’ll get there easily and can assist players with getting away with a dogshit season

If they kept top 32 and then made it next 48 Pro Tour, 80 players. It's adding more jobbers than dross. And it would make it easier for the better CT players who can't get any ET money.
Currently 33 to 48 in the World Championship race Pro Tour list:

33 Dylan Slevin 11.5
34 James Hurrell 11.25
35 Darius Labanauskas 11.25
36 Connor Scutt 11
37 Gabriel Clemens 10.75
38 Adam Hunt 10.75
39 Owen Bates 10.75
40 Andy Boulton 10.25
41 Richard Veenstra 10.25
42 Rob Owen 10.25
43 Maik Kuivenhoven 10
44 Mensur Suljovic 10
45 Thomas Lovely 10
46 Stephen Burton 10
47 Darren Beveridge 9.5
48 Ryan Meikle 9.5

It's a bunch of yoyos, borderlines and strugglers. The real dross aren't in it.

I assume Scutt will easily be top 32 because he isn't defending money. To be honest I assumed he would already be top 32 as I thought he played quite a few events last year as well?

The pro tour list is a 1-year list mate so he started on zero. I may have misunderstood your point or got sucked into a woosh.

[1205]

Thought there was an announcement or something but thank fuck there isn’t based on the above. No chance there’d be 8 CT players PDC couldn’t give a shite about that tour, and it would be dumb anyway.

I still don’t really like this expansion, with 96 there’s a lot of dross let alone with 128. With 96 there’s plenty of opportunities to qualify as a tour card holder and no excuses if you’re not at Ally Pally. Feel like now you’ll get there easily and can assist players with getting away with a dogshit season

If they kept top 32 and then made it next 48 Pro Tour, 80 players. It's adding more jobbers than dross. And it would make it easier for the better CT players who can't get any ET money.
Currently 33 to 48 in the World Championship race Pro Tour list:

33 Dylan Slevin 11.5
34 James Hurrell 11.25
35 Darius Labanauskas 11.25
36 Connor Scutt 11
37 Gabriel Clemens 10.75
38 Adam Hunt 10.75
39 Owen Bates 10.75
40 Andy Boulton 10.25
41 Richard Veenstra 10.25
42 Rob Owen 10.25
43 Maik Kuivenhoven 10
44 Mensur Suljovic 10
45 Thomas Lovely 10
46 Stephen Burton 10
47 Darren Beveridge 9.5
48 Ryan Meikle 9.5

It's a bunch of yoyos, borderlines and strugglers. The real dross aren't in it.

I assume Scutt will easily be top 32 because he isn't defending money. To be honest I assumed he would already be top 32 as I thought he played quite a few events last year as well?

The pro tour list is a 1-year list mate so he started on zero. I may have misunderstood your point or got sucked into a woosh.

He kept Pro Tour because he finished Top 64 Main OOM.
However, for the Worlds it's the race that matters and you can ignore last year.

[The Thorn]

I think it could be as few as 4 extra pro tour spots, certainly no more than 8. I don't know where this 16 idea is coming from. On a playing level the field expansion is for the big wide world.

I'd like to guess where every extra spot will come from but really it's far too fiddly, Thorn is hungry and I think there may be spots for tours/tournaments which don't even exist yet. By which I mean they haven't yet been announced. A Philippines Tour, for example? There are rumblings.

Time to give para darts a spot

[The Thorn]

Thought there was an announcement or something but thank fuck there isn’t based on the above. No chance there’d be 8 CT players PDC couldn’t give a shite about that tour, and it would be dumb anyway.

I still don’t really like this expansion, with 96 there’s a lot of dross let alone with 128. With 96 there’s plenty of opportunities to qualify as a tour card holder and no excuses if you’re not at Ally Pally. Feel like now you’ll get there easily and can assist players with getting away with a dogshit season

If they kept top 32 and then made it next 48 Pro Tour, 80 players. It's adding more jobbers than dross. And it would make it easier for the better CT players who can't get any ET money.
Currently 33 to 48 in the World Championship race Pro Tour list:

33 Dylan Slevin 11.5
34 James Hurrell 11.25
35 Darius Labanauskas 11.25
36 Connor Scutt 11
37 Gabriel Clemens 10.75
38 Adam Hunt 10.75
39 Owen Bates 10.75
40 Andy Boulton 10.25
41 Richard Veenstra 10.25
42 Rob Owen 10.25
43 Maik Kuivenhoven 10
44 Mensur Suljovic 10
45 Thomas Lovely 10
46 Stephen Burton 10
47 Darren Beveridge 9.5
48 Ryan Meikle 9.5

It's a bunch of yoyos, borderlines and strugglers. The real dross aren't in it.

I assume Scutt will easily be top 32 because he isn't defending money. To be honest I assumed he would already be top 32 as I thought he played quite a few events last year as well?

The pro tour list is a 1-year list mate so he started on zero. I may have misunderstood your point or got sucked into a woosh.

He kept Pro Tour because he finished Top 64 Main OOM.
However, for the Worlds it's the race that matters and you can ignore last year.

Fair point. I meant he is not defending anything on his Pro Tour ranking.

But in this case if this is only 2025 money, it means he has simply won fuck all money so far. It's a realistic prospect he could be outside the top 32 and having to rely on Uncle Barrys extra places.

[Rogg]

The flat 128 draw is confirmed.

Good thing/bad thing/political drivel?

When's the last time everyone started in round 1?

[oche balboa]

The flat 128 draw is confirmed.

Good thing/bad thing/political drivel?

When's the last time everyone started in round 1?

2002

128 is too bloated but its good they all start at the same time

[sennafan24]

The flat 128 draw is confirmed.

Good thing/bad thing/political drivel?

When's the last time everyone started in round 1?

2002

128 is too bloated but its good they all start at the same time

I also like that the players start at the same time.

But I also agree that a 128 players field is too big for long format set-play competition.

[Rogg]

If you were a player now getting 15k instead of nothing you'd probably like it. I'm happy for them.

I predict that they will effectively use the top 32 from the ProTour OoM as seeds 33-64.

[sennafan24]

If you were a player now getting 15k instead of nothing you'd probably like it. I'm happy for them.

I predict that they will effectively use the top 32 from the ProTour OoM as seeds 33-64.

Aye, there are obviously good reasons for expanding the field.

But for my personal enjoyment, 64 players would be the ideal amount.

[oche balboa]

I like the idea of the Pro Tour being 33-64 seeds

[Rogg]

I like the idea of the Pro Tour being 33-64 seeds

I didn't want this to look so occultish, but the Round 2 draw would be made like this.

For the first time there would be an advantage (on paper) to finishing higher up the pro tour OoM.

[The Thorn]

I like the idea of the Pro Tour being 33-64 seeds

I didn't want this to look so occultish, but the Round 2 draw would be made like this.

For the first time there would be an advantage (on paper) to finishing higher up the pro tour OoM.

Aurora new album cover confirmed.