The entry list for the upcoming Players Championship tournaments in Den Bosch has undergone another major change, with Gerwyn Price and James Wade the latest big names to withdraw from Players Championship 29 and 30. The two floor tournaments will take place at the Maaspoort on 22 and 23 September.
Littler, Price and Wade were all originally included on the entry list, which appeared to set up a strong Pro Tour double-header for Dutch darts fans, but all three of the world's leading players have now pulled out. Littler's withdrawal did not come as a complete surprise. 'The Nuke' skipped the first 26 Players Championship events of the season and only made his first appearance on the floor in September, collecting £10,500 in prize money across his first two appearances. Littler needs that prize money to break into the top 64 on the Players Championship Order of Merit, with only those players qualifying for the Players Championship Finals. However, the 19-year-old Englishman had previously indicated that his participation in Den Bosch would depend on his performance at the World Series of Darts Finals in Amsterdam, and would only travel to the Maaspoort if he won the televised tournament. He failed to do so and will therefore skip Players Championship 29 and 30.
Two more big names have now disappeared from the original entry list, with Price and Wade also deciding not to compete in the two Players Championship tournaments in Den Bosch. That means the field has lost three high-profile names in a short space of time. Price and Wade were initially on the entry list alongside the likes of Nathan Aspinall, Rob Cross, Josh Rock and Stephen Bunting, with the latter four, for now, still expected to compete at the Maaspoort.
Henry Coates, Joe Hunt, Daniel Klose, Tommy Morris, Tommy Lishman, Archie Self, Nathan Potter and Steve Lennon deputise off the Challenge Tour.
