Luke Humphries will not win back-to-back majors after scooping the 2026 World Grand Prix last time out in Leicester, as 'Cool Hand Luke' has been forced to withdraw from the European Championship on the eve of the tournament after contracting gastroenteritis (stomach flu). The illness means he is not able to play this evening in Dortmund.
Humphries finished as a runner-up at last year's European Championship and was set to make his sixth appearance in the tournament. Under PDC rules, he will be directly replaced by the next player along on the European Tour Order of Merit, Kim Huybrechts, meaning that despite it seeming likely that there would be another major with no Belgians, 'The Hurricane' has snuck in the back door.
Huybrechts has been fantastic at times this season and has revived his career under the help and guidance of Erik Clarys, as others such as Dimitri van den Bergh and Mike de Decker ponder their darting futures. He will go straight into tonight's line-up and is set to face Ryan Searle, with a big opportunity now awaiting that section of the draw with Humphries gone. The victor faces off against Danny Noppert or Stephen Bunting on Saturday.
The withdrawal reshapes the draw, with Huybrechts taking the spot of the 12th seed. The full first-round schedule in Dortmund now reads: (1) Ross Smith v (32) Karel Sedlacek; (16) James Wade v (17) Damon Heta; (8) Gian van Veen v (25) Andrew Gilding; (9) Luke Woodhouse v (24) Dirk van Duijvenbode; (4) Niels Zonneveld v (29) Cameron Menzies; (13) Gerwyn Price v (20) Rob Cross; (5) Danny Noppert v (28) Stephen Bunting; Kim Huybrechts v (21) Ryan Searle; (2) Wessel Nijman v (31) Martin Schindler; (15) Ryan Joyce v (18) Jermaine Wattimena; (7) Jonny Clayton v (26) Niko Springer; (10) Josh Rock v (23) Chris Dobey; (3) Krzysztof Ratajski v (30) Dave Chisnall; (14) Kevin Doets v (19) Michael van Gerwen; (6) Nathan Aspinall v (27) Cristo Reyes; and (11) Luke Littler v (22) William O'Connor.
