Daryl Gurney has been summoned to join the line‑up for the World Series of Darts Finals in Amsterdam after two Filipino competitors, Lourence Ilagan and Alexis Toylo, were forced to pull out because their Schengen visa applications were not resolved in time. The tournament, scheduled for September 17‑20, lost the two players when they had to depart for China to compete in the final two stops of the PDC Asian Tour season, leaving their spots open for the highest‑ranked reserves. The reserve list placed Northern Ireland’s Gurney and Dutchman Maik Kuivenhoven at the top, and both have now been slotted into the main draw, taking the places of Ilagan and Toylo respectively.
Their inclusion restores the full complement of 32 competitors and ensures that the event can proceed without a vacancy in the first round. Gurney’s opening match pits him against the defending champion and local favorite Michael van Gerwen. The encounter will be staged at AFAS Live on Thursday, September 17, and promises a classic showdown between a seasoned world‑class veteran and a player who has steadily climbed the PDC rankings in recent seasons. Kuivenhoven, meanwhile, will meet Jonny Clayton the following day, adding another intriguing first‑round fixture to the schedule.
The rest of the field is packed with notable names and storylines. Luke Littler, the 2024 champion who fell 11‑7 to van Gerwen in last year’s final, arrives in Amsterdam with the ambition of completing a historic clean sweep of all major titles within a single calendar year.
Achieving that feat would place him alongside a select group of darts legends who have dominated an entire season. World champion Michael Smith will open his campaign against Danny Noppert, while Luke Humphries is set to face Jermaine Wattimena. Dutch talent Gian van Veen will take on Chris Dobey, and a host of other top‑ranked players are slated for the opening round, including Viktor Tingstrom versus Dirk van Duijvenbode, Rob Cross versus Ryan Searle, and Karel Sedlacek versus Ben Robb.
The full first‑round schedule for Thursday, September 17, at 18:00 includes eight matches: - Viktor Tingstrom vs Dirk van Duijvenbode - Rob Cross vs Ryan Searle - Karel Sedlacek vs Ben Robb - Kevin Doets vs Ross Smith - Stephen Bunting vs Josh Rock - Luke Humphries vs Jermaine Wattimena - Michael van Gerwen vs Daryl Gurney - Gian van Veen vs Chris Dobey Friday’s first‑round action (also at 18:00) features another eight contests: Adam Leek vs Jim Long, Motomu Sakai vs Callan Rydz, Wessel Nijman vs Simon Whitlock, Nathan Aspinall vs Raymond Smith, James Wade vs Damon Heta, Gerwyn Price vs Brody Klinge, Luke Littler vs Danny Noppert, and Jonny Clayton vs Maik Kuivenhoven. The tournament then moves into the second round on Saturday.
The afternoon session (12:00) will showcase four matches, including the headline clash of van Gerwen and Gurney against the duo of Kevin Doets and Ross Smith, as well as Bunting versus Rock, Cross versus Searle, Humphries versus Wattimena, Tingstrom versus van Duijvenbode, and van Veen versus Dobey against Sedlacek and Robb. The evening session (18:00) will see Price and Klinge take on Leek and Long, Wade and Heta face Nijman and Whitlock, Littler and Noppert against Aspinall and Raymond Smith, and Clayton with Kuivenhoven against Sakai and Rydz. Exact start times will be confirmed closer to the event. Saturday’s winners will advance to the quarter‑finals on Sunday (12:00), followed by the semi‑finals (18:00) and the championship match later that evening.
The tournament’s prize fund and ranking points make it a crucial stop on the PDC calendar, offering players a chance to boost their world standings ahead of the year‑end majors. Fans can follow the action live on Sky Sports, which retains broadcasting rights for the World Grand Prix (September 28‑October 4), the Grand Slam of Darts (November 14‑22), and the World Darts Championship (December 10‑January 3).
In addition to traditional TV coverage, the event will be streamed via the NOW platform, providing a contract‑free viewing option for audiences worldwide. For those watching on a computer, the organizers recommend using the Chrome browser to ensure optimal performance of the video player and to avoid any compatibility issues that might arise with other browsers. Overall, the inclusion of Daryl Gurney and Maik Kuivenhoven restores the tournament’s full roster and adds fresh intrigue to an already star‑studded field. With the first round set to feature a blend of seasoned veterans, rising talents, and a few surprise entrants, the World Series of Darts Finals promises a week of high‑octane competition, dramatic upsets, and the potential for historic achievements as players vie for the coveted title in the heart of Amsterdam.