The World Series of Darts Finals lineup has been hit by a double withdrawal, with Asian talents Lourence Ilagan and Alexis Toylo forced out due to visa issues. The PDC confirmed on Wednesday that the Filipino duo will be replaced by Daryl Gurney and Maik Kuivenhoven for the event in Amsterdam, scheduled for September 17-20.
Ilagan and Toylo had competed earlier this year at the Bahrain Darts Masters and the inaugural Saudi Darts Masters, with Ilagan losing twice to Nathan Aspinall, while Toylo fell to Michael van Gerwen and Gerwyn Price. Despite those setbacks, they had earned their spots in the finals, but their participation has now been scuppered—a golden opportunity to face the world's best dashed by circumstances beyond their control. The pair did not receive a decision on their Schengen Visa applications before they were required to travel to China for the final PDC Asian Tour weekend and Monday's PDC Asian Championship, prompting their withdrawal.
Per PDC Rule 3.7, Gurney and Kuivenhoven step in as the highest-ranked players on the Reserve List following last month's Tour Card Holder Qualifier. Gurney, a semi-finalist in 2017, will make his seventh appearance in the event, having only featured once between 2021 and 2025—a quarter-final run in 2024. He faces a tough opening test against Michael van Gerwen. Kuivenhoven, meanwhile, gets a chance to shine on home soil, though no ranking money is on offer. He debuted in 2021, reaching the second round where he lost to van Gerwen, and now takes Toylo's spot, setting up a clash with Jonny Clayton, the champion of the only year Kuivenhoven competed.
World number one Luke Littler leads the field as he seeks to reclaim the title he lost to van Gerwen in last year's final. Luke Humphries and Gian van Veen are also in contention, alongside former champions Gerwyn Price, James Wade, and Clayton.