The 2026 World Grand Prix race is into its final turn in Antwerp. The Flanders Darts Trophy, scheduled for 11-13 September, is the last event counting towards Grand Prix qualification. For Beau Greaves, Kim Huybrechts, Mike De Decker and several other players still sitting around the cut, the Belgian weekend is no longer just another European Tour stop: it is the final cut.
The PDC had already set the picture before Prague, making clear that the Czech Darts Open and Antwerp were the last two windows to move the line. Since then, the race has tightened. According to DartsNews, the final ProTour Order of Merit places now sit around Joe Cullen, Cristo Reyes, Kim Huybrechts and Sebastian Bialecki, with tiny margins around the cut.
Antwerp becomes the World Grand Prix cut-off point
The World Grand Prix will be played in Leicester from 28 September to 4 October, with its unusual double-in, double-out format: every leg has to start and finish on a double. The field features 32 players: the top 16 from the main ranking, plus the 16 highest ProTour Order of Merit players who have not already qualified through that first route.
That second route is what gives the Flanders Darts Trophy its edge. At this stage, the weekend is not only about a £35,000 winner’s cheque or another European Tour title. For several players, one won or lost match can decide whether they play a televised major. This is where the race gets properly tense.
| Decisive event | Flanders Darts Trophy, 11-13 September in Antwerp |
| Target event | 2026 World Grand Prix, 28 September to 4 October in Leicester |
| Grand Prix format | Double-in, double-out, 32-player field |
| Pressure point | Final ProTour Order of Merit qualification places |
Greaves has almost no margin left
For Beau Greaves, the equation remains harsh. Her historic European Tour win in Prague confirmed that she can live at this level, but it has not yet put her into the World Grand Prix field. Based on the projection relayed by DartsNews, Greaves is among the players who need a very deep run in Antwerp to force the door open.
The point is not only Greaves’ name. It is what this race says about her current position. She is no longer being followed only as the leading name from the women’s game. She is now in a direct qualification fight with established ProTour players. If she turns Antwerp into a real run, the story moves again. If she exits early, this Grand Prix push probably closes until the next PDC window.
Huybrechts and De Decker face home-soil pressure too
The Belgian angle adds another layer to the weekend. Kim Huybrechts has been handed a place in the Flanders Darts Trophy field after withdrawals, including Luke Littler’s absence earlier in the week. DartsNews places him very close to the line, only a few hundred pounds from the final useful place. In front of his home crowd, this is not just a symbolic opportunity: he can genuinely move the cut.
Mike De Decker’s case is even steeper. The 2024 World Grand Prix champion must first come through Thursday’s Belgian qualifier to get into the Antwerp event before he can even think about Leicester. That detail alone frames the pressure: a former winner of the major can still miss out if the week starts badly.
Why this sequence matters now
The window is short, the margins are narrow, and the Flanders Darts Trophy is now the event to watch before the final field is known. Prague started the sprint, Antwerp finishes it. For players near the cut, there is almost no time left to repair a poor first round.
Now the watch points are clear: Greaves’ run, Huybrechts’ response in front of the Belgian crowd, and De Decker’s ability to simply reach the main draw. If one of those three files swings hard, the World Grand Prix race will take on a different shape before Leicester.
Sources: official PDC race update before Prague; DartsNews qualification update.
