Part two of DartsNews' analysis of players at major risk of losing their PDC Tour Card turns to bigger names whose 2026 form tells a different story to their ranking. With Thibault Tricole the benchmark at £115,750, players ranked above 50th find themselves in the same conversation. A German trailblazer, a showman, a former World Youth Champion and a Dutchman all feature below, with names that would have seemed unthinkable on a list like this twelve months ago.
Max Hopp, the most coveted name in German darts, is World Number 67 with £97,750 — £18,000 off the top 64. The 29-year-old has shown green shoots in 2026, reaching a final at Players Championship 14 and a quarter-final at Players Championship 12. His 2026 average has climbed to 92.52, the 38th highest in the world, and his first-nine average of 100.38 suggests elite scoring. Hopp told DartsNews: "I know when the pressure falls off me, I can really produce great stuff. But I make it myself sometimes too difficult." Despite his improvement, Hopp is only qualified for the World Championship and Players Championship finals, and 2025's £58,250 may drag him down. "It took me about four years to get back on that stage. And it probably will take me another one or two years to really reach my peak, but I'm willing to do so," Hopp said before his second-round World Championship loss to Luke Woodhouse 0-3.
Scott Williams, the showman of the tour, is World Number 48 with £170,000 — seemingly safe, but dartitis has crept into his game. The 36-year-old has won just £15,750 in 2026, with a win percentage of 37% (down from 55%) and an average of 88.27. His 180s have plummeted from 306 in 2024 to 82 in 2026, and he has a 9.7% chance of hitting a 95+ average in a game. Williams is £6,750 off qualifying for Ally Pally, where he shines best. 11 first-round exits from 20 Players Championships explain his hardships. Bradley Brooks, 26, regained his tour card for the third time in 2025 and made an immediate statement with a 93.18 average and a Players Championship 21 win. But 2026 has seen his average drop to 89.16 and his checkout percentage fall to 35.37 (225th in the world). With £93,750 — £22,000 below the threshold — Brooks knows all about losing his card. Wesley Plaisier sits World Number 70 with £85,250, £30,500 off the top 64. 41% of his ranking money comes from the 2026 World Championship, where he reached the third round and thrashed Gerwyn Price 3-0. But his 2026 average has dropped to 89.15, and he has exited Players Championships 14 times in the first round, failing to qualify for any European Tour event in 2026.
For all four players, the second half of 2026 will be decisive. Hopp's form is trending upward, but the others face a steep climb. With only 64 guaranteed their place, some will inevitably fall.
