Daryl Gurney has been summoned to compete in the World Series of Darts Finals in Amsterdam after two players from the Philippines were forced to withdraw because of visa problems. The event, which runs from September 17 to 20, originally included Lourence Ilagan and Alexis Toylo, but their Schengen visa applications were still pending when they were required to travel to China for the concluding two stops of the PDC Asian Tour.
With no clearance in time, the pair could not take part, opening spots for the highest‑ranked reserves on the list. The reserve list placed Northern Ireland’s Gurney and Dutchman Maik Kuivenhoven at the top, and they have now been slotted into the tournament in place of Ilagan and Toylo respectively. Their inclusion restores the full complement of competitors and adds a fresh narrative to the competition, especially for Gurney, who will open his campaign against the defending champion and local favourite Michael van Gerwen on Thursday, September 17, at the AFAS Live arena.
Gurney’s opponent, van Gerwen, is not only the reigning title‑holder but also the player with the most fan support in the Netherlands, making the first‑round clash a high‑profile encounter. Kuivenhoven, meanwhile, will meet Jonny Clayton the following day, giving the Dutch reserve a chance to test himself against a seasoned English professional.
The rest of the draw features several notable storylines. Last year’s champion, Luke Littler, who fell 11‑7 to van Gerwen in the final, is back in Amsterdam with the ambition of achieving a historic clean sweep of all major titles within a single calendar year. He will be aiming to maintain his momentum and add another trophy to his growing collection. 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, providing a further showcase of emerging and established talent. The full schedule for the opening day (Thursday, September 17, 18:00) includes eight first‑round matches: Viktor Tingstrom versus Dirk van Duijvenbode, Rob Cross versus Ryan Searle, Karel Sedlacek versus Ben Robb, Kevin Doets versus Ross Smith, Stephen Bunting versus Josh Rock, Luke Humphries versus Jermaine Wattimena, Michael van Gerwen versus Daryl Gurney, and Gian van Veen versus Chris Dobey.
Friday’s first round (September 18, 18:00) also features eight matches: Adam Leek versus Jim Long, Motomu Sakai versus Callan Rydz, Wessel Nijman versus Simon Whitlock, Nathan Aspinall versus Raymond Smith, James Wade versus Damon Heta, Gerwyn Price versus Brody Klinge, Luke Littler versus Danny Noppert, and Jonny Clayton versus Maik Kuivenhoven. The second round on Saturday, September 19, is split into an afternoon session (12:00) and an evening session (18:00). In the afternoon, the winners of the van Gerwen/Gurney and Doets/Smith matches will meet, as will the victors of Bunting/Rock versus Cross/Searle, Humphries/Wattimena versus Tingstrom/van Duijvenbode, and Van Veen/Dobey versus Sedlacek/Robb.
The evening session will see the winners of Price/Klinge versus Leek/Long, Wade/Heta versus Nijman/Whitlock, Littler/Noppert versus Aspinall/Smith, and Clayton/Kuivenhoven versus Sakai/Rydz compete, with exact start times to be confirmed. Saturday’s final day of play, Sunday, September 20, begins with the quarter‑finals at noon, followed by the semi‑finals in the evening and the championship match later that night. The exact order of play will be announced closer to the event. Beyond the World Series of Darts Finals, the sport’s calendar remains packed.
Sky Sports continues its partnership with the PDC, broadcasting 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). Fans can also stream live coverage and additional darts content via the NOW platform, which offers a contract‑free viewing experience. For viewers seeking the best possible video quality, the organizers recommend using the Chrome browser, which provides a more accessible and reliable video player. This technical tip ensures that the excitement of each leg, the tension of the doubles, and the drama of the final throws are captured without interruption.
In summary, Daryl Gurney’s unexpected call‑up adds a compelling twist to the Amsterdam finals, while the broader schedule promises a month of high‑stakes darts action across multiple prestigious tournaments. Whether you are a casual fan or a seasoned follower of the sport, the upcoming weeks will deliver plenty of memorable moments, dramatic comebacks, and perhaps a historic clean‑sweep for a rising star.