Gian van Veen is now number two in the world on the PDC’s Werner Rankings Ladder, ahead of Luke Humphries. The gap is tight, almost stark to look at: the Dutchman stands at 1,002,750 pounds on the official rankings, compared to 1,000,500 pounds for Humphries.
To put it another way: Van Veen isn’t just moving up a line on the table. He’s slotting in just behind Luke Littler, the leader who is far ahead, and he’s confirming that his recent progress is no longer merely a matter of promise. For us, this is the clearest ranking development of early August, because it directly affects the hierarchy of the world’s top three.
Van Veen ahead of Humphries: what the PDC rankings say
The PDC ranks its players based on prize money earned over two years in ranking tournaments. Over this period, Luke Littler remains untouchable with £3,127,000, but second place has just changed hands. Van Veen is £2,250 ahead of Humphries – a minimal gap on the circuit, but enough to alter the current picture.
This is not an isolated shift. Van Veen is coming off the back of a very impressive run, with an increasing impact at major events and a consistency that counts in the rankings. We’d already seen him go from strength to strength in Blackpool, particularly during his run at the World Matchplay. Now, that progress is clearly reflected in the official rankings.
The PDC world’s top 16 following the update
The top of the rankings remains dominated by Littler, but the field that counts for seeding, automatic qualification and the line-up for major tournaments is tightening up behind him.
| Rank | Player | Prize money ranking |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Luke Littler | £3,127,000 |
| 2 | Gian van Veen | £1,002,750 |
| 3 | Luke Humphries | £1,000,500 |
| 4 | Gerwyn Price | £722,500 |
| 5 | Jonny Clayton | £681,500 |
| 6 | James Wade | £654,750 |
| 7 | Michael van Gerwen | £645,000 |
| 8 | Josh Rock | £622,000 |
| 9 | Stephen Bunting | £613,250 |
| 10 | Danny Noppert | £599,750 |
| 11 | Gary Anderson | £596,750 |
| 12 | Ryan Searle | £591,750 |
| 13 | Wessel Nijman | £568,250 |
| 14 | Chris Dobey | £567,500 |
| 15 | Nathan Aspinall | £531,750 |
| 16 | Ross Smith | £526,750 |
Aspinall is back in the money
The other rider to watch is Nathan Aspinall. The official rankings place him 15th, ahead of Ross Smith. It’s not quite the same level of shake-up as Van Veen’s rise, but it’s a significant milestone: the top 16 secures a lot of things on the circuit, particularly in terms of entry and status ahead of several major events.
Gerwyn Price, Jonny Clayton, James Wade and Michael van Gerwen remain bunched together behind the leading trio. The pecking order is therefore far from set in stone. At this stage of the season, every Players Championship, every European Tour event and every major can shift the gaps that seem comfortable one week, only to look much narrower the next.
Why this shift matters now
The world number two spot changes the way Van Veen is viewed. He is no longer just a dangerous player in a draw. He becomes a key target, a name that others will have to treat as such at major events. And with Humphries now third, we are entering a phase where the battle behind Littler could become one of the key storylines of the season’s finale.
The data used here comes from the official PDC rankings, cross-referenced with the update published by DartsNews. The next real test will come on stage: Van Veen must now play with the weight of being world number two, not just with the momentum of an up-and-coming player.
