Daryl Gurney has been summoned to compete in the World Series of Darts Finals, which will be staged in Amsterdam, after two Filipino entrants were forced to pull out because of unresolved visa problems. The two players, Lourence Ilagan and Alexis Toylo, could not secure a decision on their Schengen visa applications in time to travel to China for the final two stops of the PDC Asian Tour, and consequently withdrew from the September 17‑20 tournament. As a result, the event organizers turned to the reserve list, where the highest‑ranked names were Northern Ireland’s Daryl Gurney and Dutchman Maik Kuivenhoven. Both men have now been slotted into the main draw, taking the places left vacant by Ilagan and Toylo.
Gurney’s first‑round opponent will be the defending champion and local favourite Michael van Gerwen, a match that is scheduled for Thursday, 17 September, at the AFAS Live arena. Kuivenhoven, meanwhile, will open his campaign the following day against England’s Jonny Clayton. The inclusion of these two reserves reshapes the early‑round match‑ups and adds an extra layer of intrigue to a field already packed with top‑flight talent.
The tournament also features Luke Littler, the 2024 champion, who suffered an 11‑7 defeat to van Gerwen in last year’s final. Littler travels to Amsterdam with the ambition of completing a historic clean sweep of all major titles within a single calendar year – a feat that has never been achieved before. He will be looking to rebound from last year’s disappointment and add another trophy to his burgeoning résumé. World champion Michael Smith will be on the same opening day, taking on Dutchman Danny Noppert in the first round.
In addition, Luke Humphries is set to face Jermaine Wattimena, while Gian van Veen will meet Chris Dobey. The schedule for Thursday, 17 September, lists eight first‑round matches starting at 18:00: 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, and Gian van Veen vs Chris Dobey. Friday’s first‑round action, also beginning at 18:00, includes 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 second round will be split into two sessions on Saturday. The afternoon session (12:00) will feature four matches: the van Gerwen/Gurney winner against the Doets/Smith victor, Bunting/Rock versus Cross/Searle, Humphries/Wattimena versus Tingstrom/van Duijvenbode, and Van Veen/Dobey against Sedlacek/Robb.
The evening session (18:00) will see Price/Klinge taking on Leek/Long, Wade/Heta against Nijman/Whitlock, Littler/Noppert versus Aspinall/Smith, and Clayton/Kuivenhoven against Sakai/Rydz. Exact start times are yet to be confirmed. Saturday’s schedule leads into Sunday’s quarter‑finals, which will be played in the afternoon (12:00), followed by the semi‑finals in the evening (18:00), and culminating in the final later that night. The precise order of play for each round will be released by the organizers as the event approaches.
Beyond the World Series of Darts Finals, Sky Sports continues to be the primary broadcaster for major darts events throughout the season. Upcoming highlights include the World Grand Prix (28 September‑4 October), the Grand Slam of Darts (14‑22 November), and the World Darts Championship (10 December‑3 January). Fans can also stream live coverage and additional darts content via the NOW platform, which offers a contract‑free viewing option.
For those watching the matches online, the organizers recommend using the Chrome browser to ensure optimal performance of the video player. This technical tip helps avoid playback issues and provides a smoother viewing experience for the global audience. In summary, the late‑stage visa setbacks for Ilagan and Toylo opened the door for Daryl Gurney and Maik Kuivenhoven to step onto the world stage in Amsterdam.
Their inclusion not only fills the vacant slots but also adds fresh narratives to a tournament already brimming with storylines—from van Gerwen’s title defence to Littler’s quest for an unprecedented major clean‑sweep. As the competition unfolds over four days, darts enthusiasts can look forward to high‑stakes matches, potential upsets, and the crowning of a new champion at the World Series of Darts Finals.