Gary Anderson and Jonny Clayton have emerged as the barometers of consistency at the major PDC ranking events, with both players reaching at least the last 16 at every ranking major since the most recent World Darts Championship. Their opening wins at the World Grand Prix extended that remarkable run to five tournaments.
The streak covers the World Darts Championship, the UK Open, the World Matchplay, the World Masters, and the ongoing World Grand Prix. Anderson and Clayton have delivered across different formats, whether legs or sets, always finding a way into the last 16. They had to work hard to keep it going in Leicester: Clayton edged Krzysztof Ratajski 2:1 on Monday, while Anderson followed on Tuesday with a tight 2:1 over Damon Heta, surviving a match dart. Both have also impressed at non-ranking majors, with Anderson reaching the World Cup of Darts semi-finals alongside Cameron Menzies, and Clayton making the quarter-finals there and reaching the semi-finals at both the World Series of Darts Finals and the Premier League. Anderson did not take part in the latter two events. Clayton last lost before the last 16 at a major in November 2025.
Gerwyn Price also achieved a milestone at the World Grand Prix, drawing level with Phil Taylor and Dave Chisnall. His seventh straight first-round win at the tournament came with a 2:0 victory over Sebastian Bialecki, tying the benchmark set by Taylor and Chisnall, who both also won seven consecutive first-round matches at this event. Price now joins an exclusive trio. His streak is still alive, and at his next appearance, another opening win would give the former world champion the record outright. Ross Smith awaits Price in the last 16.
A high-profile trio sits just behind Anderson and Clayton in the consistency chart. Gerwyn Price, James Wade and Stephen Bunting have each reached at least the last 16 at their last four ranking majors, keeping their runs intact with opening wins at the World Grand Prix. All three were last outside the last 16 at a ranking major at the 2026 World Championship. Ryan Searle follows with three consecutive last-16 showings, while Nathan Aspinall, Ross Smith, Wessel Nijman and Gian van Veen are currently on two in a row. For the other six World Grand Prix last-16 players, the streak starts with this event.
The first round in Leicester wrapped up on Tuesday evening, and it highlighted how quickly even the biggest names can fall. Luke Littler lost 1:2 to Luke Woodhouse, while Michael van Gerwen went down 1:2 to Ryan Joyce. Behind Taylor, Chisnall and Price in the historical first-round win list come Dennis Smith, Kevin Painter and Raymond van Barneveld, all with six consecutive first-round wins at the World Grand Prix. John Part, Terry Jenkins, Wes Newton and Michael van Gerwen each strung together five in a row, with Adrian Lewis also reaching that mark and even putting together such a five-win streak twice. With his latest success, Price has secured his place at the top of this historical list, while Anderson and Clayton lead the current consistency chart across multiple ranking majors. All three now aim to turn those reliable starts into deep runs at the World Grand Prix.
