Dutch Darts Championship in Maastricht decides last European Championship places as Bunting sits on the bubble

The race for the PDC European Championship ends this weekend in the Netherlands. The Dutch Darts Championship runs from Friday 16 to Sunday 18 October at the MECC in Maastricht. It is the 15th and last European Tour event of 2026, and the European Tour Order of Merit will be final once it finishes. Only the top 32 on that list qualify for the European Championship in Dortmund, so a number of players are heading to Maastricht with their places still at risk. This story follows on from Jonny Clayton's Swiss Darts Trophy win in Basel on Sunday.

Who is safe and who is sweating

Most of the big names are already through. According to Dartsnews' Order of Merit update after Basel, Ross Smith has made sure of first place and will be top seed in Dortmund. Luke Littler is also through after winning two of the three European Tour events he played, as are Luke Humphries and Clayton.

The pressure is near the cut-off. Stephen Bunting is currently 32nd, the last qualifying place, with Czech player Karel Sedlacek right behind him in 33rd. Bunting went out early in Basel as defending champion, so the gap to the chasing pack is small going into the final weekend. Belgium's Kim Huybrechts is in the Maastricht field and is not yet safe either.

At least one player is already out. Gary Anderson withdrew from the Swiss Darts Trophy and has not entered the Dutch event, so he will miss Dortmund, as Darts World reported.

The Maastricht field and format

The field has 48 players. The top 16 seeds are led by Humphries, with Gian van Veen, Gerwyn Price and Clayton next. Michael van Gerwen, Danny Noppert, Wessel Nijman and Jermaine Wattimena are among the other seeds. The rest of the field is made up of 16 Pro Tour Order of Merit qualifiers, 10 Tour Card qualifiers and six regional qualifiers, including four from the host nation.

Seeds start in the second round on Saturday. Unseeded players play first-round matches on Friday, and some of them are well known: Rob Cross, Damon Heta, Cameron Menzies, Joe Cullen and Dave Chisnall all have to win on day one. Michael Smith, Max Hopp and Scott Williams came through the Tour Card qualifier. The draw will be made at midday on Thursday, 15 October.

Early matches are first to six legs. The semi-finals are first to seven, and the final on Sunday evening is first to eight.

Clayton returns as defending champion

Clayton won this event in 2025, beating Germany's Niko Springer in the final, and Josh Rock won it the year before. Clayton arrives in good form after beating Humphries 8-4 in Sunday's Basel final, which also earned him a place at the Grand Slam of Darts. A win in Maastricht would make it two European Tour titles in two weekends.

Maastricht is hosting the tournament for the first time since 2018, when Ian White won the title.

Dortmund next

The European Championship takes place from 22 to 25 October at the Westfalenhallen in Dortmund. Van Veen is the defending champion. In Malaysia, Friday's and Saturday's afternoon sessions in Maastricht start in the evening, and the evening sessions run past midnight Malaysia time. The PDC streams European Tour events on its PDCTV service.

Key takeaways

• The Dutch Darts Championship, the last European Tour event of 2026, runs from 16 to 18 October in Maastricht.
• Only the top 32 on the European Tour Order of Merit qualify for the European Championship in Dortmund on 22 to 25 October.
• Stephen Bunting holds the 32nd and final place, with Karel Sedlacek just behind.
• Ross Smith is guaranteed to be the top seed in Dortmund, and Gary Anderson will not be there.
• Jonny Clayton defends his Maastricht title a week after winning the Swiss Darts Trophy.

FAQ

When is the Dutch Darts Championship 2026? It runs from Friday 16 to Sunday 18 October at the MECC in Maastricht. Seeded players start on Saturday, and the final is on Sunday evening.

How do players qualify for the 2026 European Championship? The top 32 players on the European Tour Order of Merit qualify, and the list is final after Maastricht. The European Championship is played from 22 to 25 October in Dortmund.

Who won the Dutch Darts Championship last year? Jonny Clayton won it in 2025, beating Niko Springer in the final.

Sources: PDC, Dartsnews, Darts World, PDC Europe