James Wade has made a massive leap in the European Tour Order of Merit following his victory at the Flanders Darts Trophy in Antwerp, where he defeated Ross Smith in the final. Wade surged 22 places, from 31st to ninth, putting him just inside the top 10 and effectively securing his spot for Dortmund. The win marks a remarkable turnaround for the veteran, who had been lingering outside the qualification places.
Despite losing the final, Ross Smith strengthened his grip on top spot in the Order of Merit, which he originally claimed after winning in Budapest a few weeks ago. Smith now sits on £148,000, well clear of Wessel Nijman in second on £116,000. Krzysztof Ratajski is third with £84,500, while Luke Littler remains fifth on £75,000. Nathan Aspinall's strong weekend saw him rise from fifth to fourth, further solidifying his position in the top five.
The shake-up had consequences for several big names. Michael van Gerwen dropped from 13th to 16th, while Luke Humphries fell out of the top 10 entirely, landing in 14th. Rob Cross also slipped out of the top 20 to 21st, despite recent good form. On the rise, Gian van Veen moved up three spots to 13th, Damon Heta climbed two places to 18th after a semi-final run, and Chris Dobey broke into the top 20. Stephen Bunting secured the 32nd and final qualification spot, with Karel Sedlacek moving up to 35th and Kim Huybrechts climbing two spots to 28th.
The updated standings spell trouble for Cristo Reyes (30th), Dave Chisnall (31st), Michael Smith (36th), and Daryl Gurney (37th), all of whom are now on the outside looking in. Gary Anderson sits 41st and will likely need to play in Basel and/or Maastricht to keep his Dortmund hopes alive, though his selective schedule this year casts doubt on whether he will enter either event. Meanwhile, the biggest movers came from further down: Gabriel Clemens rocketed up 52 spots to 76th, Brendan Dolan rose 30 to 70th, and Andy Baetens climbed 15 to 46th. While not enough to secure Dortmund qualification, these gains represent valuable money on the rankings as the final two events approach.
The European Tour Order of Merit after ET13 sees Ross Smith leading with £148,000, followed by Wessel Nijman (£116,000), Krzysztof Ratajski (£84,500), Nathan Aspinall (£82,000), and Luke Littler (£75,000). Luke Woodhouse (£73,000), Danny Noppert (£72,000), Josh Rock (£71,000), James Wade (£66,000), and Gerwyn Price (£65,000) complete the top 10. The race for Dortmund is heating up with just two events remaining.
