PDC Darts Power Rankings: The Dutch Surge and Greaves' Historic Run Reshape the Chasing Pack

The darting world is currently fixated on the duopoly at the top of the sport, but the real turbulence is happening just beneath them. With the World Series of Darts Finals touching down in Amsterdam on September 17 and the World Grand Prix qualification cutoff looming in Antwerp, the chasing pack is surging at exactly the right moment. The PDC Order of Merit has seen a massive reshuffle over the last month, driven by a Dutch renaissance and a historic breakthrough on the European Tour.[1][3][5]

Gian van Veen has quietly become a financial juggernaut on the two-year rolling Order of Merit. The 24-year-old Dutchman now sits at World No. 3 with £1,006,250 in ranking earnings, trailing only Luke Littler and Luke Humphries. He enters the AFAS Live arena in Amsterdam as the fifth seed, drawing former Masters champion Chris Dobey in a blockbuster first-round clash. Van Veen’s consistency has made him the anchor of the new Dutch wave, eclipsing even Michael van Gerwen, who currently sits at No. 6 with £651,000.[1][5]

But the most lethal floor player of 2026 might be Wessel Nijman. The 26-year-old has rocketed to World No. 12 on the back of a staggering ProTour campaign. Nijman recently captured his sixth Players Championship title of the year at PC21, defeating Ryan Searle 8-6 in the final. His underlying numbers are terrifying the locker room; during a recent run to the semi-finals at PC27, Nijman averaged nearly 110 in a 6-1 demolition of Bradley Brooks and over 102 against Kim Huybrechts.[2]

That same PC27 event in Leicester belonged to Jermaine Wattimena, who is authoring one of the season's best comeback stories. "The Machine Gun" claimed his third career PDC ranking title by beating compatriot Kevin Doets 8-6 in an all-Dutch final. The defining moment of his run, however, came in the quarter-finals against World No. 1 Luke Littler. Locked in a last-leg decider, Wattimena pinned a clutch 115 checkout on double 20 to eliminate the world champion.[2]

Wattimena followed that up by reeling off six straight legs from 4-1 down against Luke Woodhouse in the semi-finals, converting checkouts of 136, 135, 115, 127, and 128. "I played really well today, but I think some games I made difficult for myself," Wattimena admitted after reclaiming his spot in the world's top 20. "There's more expectation now." He currently sits at No. 17 on the Main Order of Merit, just £19,250 behind Nathan Aspinall in the race for the final seeded position at the upcoming World Grand Prix.[2][3]

While the Dutch trio dominates the rankings climb, Beau Greaves is rewriting the history books. At the ČEZ Czech Darts Open in Prague on September 4, the 22-year-old became the first woman to win a match on the PDC European Tour stage. Greaves averaged a blistering 104.88 to dismantle Daryl Gurney 6-4, sealing the landmark victory on her fifth match dart.[6]

Her reward was a second-round clash with Luke Humphries, and while the world number two ultimately ended her run with a 6-2 victory, he had to average nearly 109 to do it. Humphries was unequivocal about the threat she poses to the men's elite. "She's an amazing player, she pushed me all the way," Humphries said. "If I had lost today, I wouldn't have been disgraced. I would have lost to a really great dart player."[4]

The stakes for this weekend's Flanders Darts Trophy in Antwerp could not be higher. It is the final event counting toward World Grand Prix qualification, meaning players on the bubble have 48 hours to save their autumn campaigns. With Van Veen, Nijman, and Wattimena all carrying massive momentum, the established elite are facing the deepest, most dangerous field the PDC has ever seen.[3]