Luke Littler remains outside the top 100 on the Players Championship Order of Merit following a mixed return to floor action in Leicester. The 19-year-old reached the quarter-finals at Players Championship 27 before going one better on Tuesday with a semi-final run at Players Championship 28, earning £6,500 for his efforts to take his season's total to £10,500. That leaves him in 125th place, still well adrift of the top 64 needed to qualify for the Players Championship Finals in Minehead at the end of November.
Littler skipped all of the first 26 Players Championship events of the season, but with a chance to win all majors in a single year, he has decided to play some floor tournaments after all. This is the only route through which he can qualify for the Minehead showpiece, and with six events still to come, he needs to make up at least £16,750 on his current deficit. The series comprises 34 tournaments across Hildesheim, Wigan, Leicester, Milton Keynes and, new for 2026, Den Bosch.
Meanwhile, Luke Humphries made a huge move up the rankings after winning Players Championship 28, climbing from 38th to 13th. Brendan Dolan also boosted his chances, moving from 59th to 38th after reaching the final, while Mike De Decker, who was outside the top 64 heading into the tournament, lifted himself to 59th with a semi-final appearance.
Wessel Nijman continues to lead the standings with £146,000 in prize money, having already won six Players Championship events this year. Kevin Doets (£96,750), Chris Dobey (£94,500) and Luke Woodhouse (£85,000) are his nearest challengers, with Andrew Gilding (£77,500) completing the top five.
