A Separate Table, and Littler Is on £0
The 64-player field for the Players Championship Finals at Minehead is set purely by the Players Championship Order of Merit — a ranking built from prize money won at the 34 individual Players Championship (ProTour) events held across the season, most recently the PC25 & 26 double-header in Hildesheim. It’s a completely separate list from the main PDC Order of Meritthat Littler leads comfortably. Major titles don’t count towards it — only floor-event prize money does.
Littler has not played a single one of the 26 Players Championship events held so far in 2026, which leaves him on £0 on that table. Reports put him roughly £25,500behind Germany’s Martin Schindler, who currently holds the 64th and final qualifying spot, with eight events left in the season.
The Remaining Chances
Littler’s next opportunity to start closing that gap comes at Players Championship 27 and 28 in Leicester on 25-26 August. Beyond that, the ProTour calendar continues through September and October before finishing with two more Leicester legs, Players Championship 33 and 34, on 4-5 November — close to when the Finals field is finalised. Reaching the top 64 from a standing start of £0, in a field that includes the rest of the world’s best players, is a tall order even for the world No.1.
It’s a self-imposed situation rather than a form issue. Littler has instead prioritised the majors and TV events all season, a strategy that’s paid off handsomely everywhere except this one, deliberately avoided corner of the calendar.
Why the Finals Themselves Matter
The Players Championship Finalsrun from 27-29 November at Butlin’s Resort in Minehead, and while it isn’t one of the sport’s biggest majors, it’s still a televised ranking event with a significant field and prize pot. Missing it wouldn’t dent Littler’s season in the way losing a major final would, but it would be a small, unusual gap in an otherwise dominant year — and a reminder that even the game’s best player can’t skip an entire ranking table and expect to stay inside it.
Track where Littler and every other player stand on the ProTour Order of Merit and the main PDC Order of Merit as the season winds down.