Nijman headlines 2026 Winmau World Masters Preliminary qualifiers

Dutch players Wessel Nijman, Niels Zonneveld, and Jimmy van Schie were among the eight competitors who advanced through the 2026 Winmau World Masters Preliminary Rounds held in Milton Keynes on Wednesday.

 

The Preliminary Rounds featured 120 players vying for eight spots in the main event, scheduled from Thursday, January 29 to Sunday, February 1 at Arena MK.

 

Nijman, the highest-seeded player to qualify, defeated Stefan Bellmont, Niko Springer, and Gabriel Clemens to secure his place in the 32-player tournament. The 25-year-old won against Bellmont and Springer in straight sets and averaged nearly 106 in a rematch with Clemens, whom he had lost to at the previous month’s World Darts Championship.

 

Nijman’s next challenge will be a highly anticipated match against 2025 runner-up Jonny Clayton, alongside his fellow countrymen Zonneveld and Van Schie.

 

Zonneveld began his campaign with a straight-sets victory over Argentina’s Jesus Salate, followed by a 3-1 win against Development Tour standout Henry Coates, and another 3-1 triumph over Kim Huybrechts, setting the stage for a clash with two-time World Champion Gary Anderson.

 

Van Schie showcased his talent by overcoming former European Champion Ritchie Edhouse and 2023/24 World Championship semi-finalist Scott Williams in his first PDC ranking event, leading to a match against Ross Smith. Recently crowned WDF Champion after earning his Tour Card at Qualifying School earlier this month, he also claimed victories over Tytus Kanik, Chris Landman, and Richard Veenstra.

 

James Hurrell impressed with a standout performance, advancing to face Premier League star Gerwyn Price after defeating Kai Gotthardt in a 3-0 rout and averaging 111.33 in a remarkable straight-sets win over Joe Cullen, followed by a win against Alan Soutar in the last 16.

 

Swedish number one Jeffrey de Graaf progressed decisively with 3-0 wins against Wesley Plaisier, Rhys Griffin, and Jack Tweddell, setting up an opener against 2024 Masters champion Stephen Bunting.

 

Madars Razma also made it through the Preliminary Rounds, defeating Cor Dekker, Kevin Doets, and Krzysztof Ratajski to prepare for a first-round matchup with James Wade, the 2014 Masters winner.

 

Completing the list of qualifiers were Connor Scutt and Ireland’s Shane McGuirk, who will face Josh Rock and Nathan Aspinall, respectively, in the main event. Scutt, a former Players Championship quarter-finalist, followed a nail-biting route to qualify, winning deciding sets against Max Hopp and Jeffrey de Zwaan before a solid 3-1 victory over Graham Hall. McGuirk, who secured his Tour Card at the UK Qualifying School, eliminated Cameron Menzies and then defeated Keane Barry and Scott Waites to clinch his spot.

 

Notably, former World Champions Peter Wright and Michael Smith were eliminated early in the Preliminary Rounds, and last year’s semi-finalist Dimitri Van den Bergh lost to Kim Huybrechts, his former World Cup partner. Additionally, 2022 Masters winner Joe Cullen was knocked out by a dominant Hurrell, while Greaves exited despite previous victories over Mervyn King and Dirk van Duijvenbode.

 

In another highlight, Jamai van den Herik achieved a nine-darter during the round-robin phase, though it occurred during a loss to Germany’s Dominik Gruellich.

 

The 2026 Winmau World Masters will employ a set format throughout, with each set consisting of the best of three legs. The opening round, featuring the best of five sets, takes place on Thursday and Friday.

 

The eventual champion of the Winmau World Masters will earn a top prize of £100,000, while the runner-up will receive £50,000.