PDC Power Rankings: Ross Smith Surges to Number One After Amsterdam Triumph

The PDC circuit is officially entering its autumn crucible, and the power dynamic has violently shifted. With the double-in, double-out gauntlet of the World Grand Prix looming on September 28, the World Series of Darts Finals in Amsterdam and the midweek Players Championship sprint in Den Bosch have completely rewritten the form guide. The biggest headline? The teenage king bleeds. Luke Littler's unprecedented quest to sweep all ten major televised tournaments in 2026 is dead, shattered by Jonny Clayton in a brutal quarter-final. That opening has blown the doors off the PDC hierarchy. Here is exactly who holds the momentum as the tour heads to Leicester.[3][5][6]

At the absolute summit of the power rankings sits Ross Smith. After nearly four years without a major television title, the 35-year-old Englishman engineered a spectacular coronation in Amsterdam, dismantling Gerwyn Price 11-5 to lift the World Series of Darts Finals trophy. Smith was unplayable in the final, firing in 11 maximums and executing at a lethal 46 percent on his doubles. He won the last six consecutive legs to close out the match, proving he has the stamina to break elite opponents down the stretch. Right now, Smith is the most dangerous man on a televised stage.[1][2]

Right behind him, riding a massive wave of giant-killing momentum, is Jonny "The Ferret" Clayton. The Welshman did what the rest of the tour has failed to do for nine months: he completely dismantled Luke Littler. Trailing early in their Amsterdam quarter-final, Clayton leveled the match at 3-3 with a devastating 136 checkout, then stepped on the gas to run away with a 10-4 victory. Clayton is throwing with the kind of fearless rhythm that makes him a nightmare draw in the short-format chaos of the early Grand Prix rounds.[3][5][6]

Holding the third spot is Gerwyn Price, who looked absolutely terrifying in Amsterdam right up until the final hurdle. The Iceman averaged a blistering 103.86 to eliminate James Wade 10-7 in the quarter-finals, then followed it up with an average north of 104 to dispatch Clayton 11-7 in the semis. Even though he admitted, "I was absolutely rubbish in that final, but don't take anything away from Ross, he was brilliant," Price's scoring power across the weekend proved his A-game is fully intact. When the Welshman finds his rhythm, he can still outscore anyone on the planet.[1][2]

Fourth in the form guide belongs to the tour's most chaotic and compelling force: Cameron Menzies. While the television cameras were packed away, the Scotsman quietly tore through the floor events in Den Bosch to claim Players Championship 29. Menzies averaged 101.34 in his opening match and ultimately defeated Gian van Veen 8-4 in the final, securing his second PDC ranking title of 2026. Menzies has proven he can grind through a brutal 128-player field, and that sheer volume of match-play wins makes him a massive dark horse heading into October.[4]

And then there is Luke Littler. Slipping to fifth in the immediate form guide feels absurd for a 19-year-old who won the first six premier events of 2026—including the World Championship, Premier League, and World Matchplay. But the aura of invincibility has finally cracked. His 10-4 loss to Clayton in Amsterdam proved that the relentless schedule and the massive target on his back are real factors. Littler remains the betting favorite every time he steps onto a stage, but the rest of the PDC elite now know he can be broken.[1][5][6]

Rounding out the elite tier at number six is Gian van Veen. The young Dutchman is knocking on the door of a major breakthrough. He recovered from an 8-6 deficit to defeat Dirk van Duijvenbode 10-8 in the Amsterdam quarter-finals, reaching the final four in front of a raucous home crowd. Just days later, he battled through the Den Bosch floor event to reach the final of Players Championship 29 against Menzies. Van Veen is consistently putting himself in the deep end of tournaments, and it is only a matter of time before he converts these deep runs into a television title.[3][4]

The stakes for the coming weeks cannot be overstated. The PDC has just announced a massive European expansion for 2027, injecting millions into the prize funds, which means tour card retention and Order of Merit positioning are more valuable than ever. Players like Van Veen are desperately hunting the ranking money required to secure their spots in the winter majors. The World Grand Prix begins on September 28, and with Littler's clean sweep bid punctured, the tournament represents the most open major championship the PDC has seen in twelve months. The player who masters the double-in format will dictate the narrative for the rest of the year.[4][5]