PDC open to considering radical change after Gerwyn Price raises £1million prize money concern

PDC Chief Executive Matt Porter has refused to rule out a huge change to how players are ranked following an increase in darts prize money.

The PDC Order of Merit is the current system used to separate the contenders on tour, which uses total prize money over a two-year period won in ranking tournaments.

Luke Humphries currently sits atop of the tree, having accumulated £1,906,500 within the two year period, ahead of current world champion Luke Littler who has banked £1,289,500.

It was announced recently that prize money would undergo a record-breaking £7million increase across all PDC competitions.

In the most notable increase, it now means the winner of the hallmark PDC World Championship will pocket an unprecedented £1m prize.

As a result, it is the highest amount available and would likely see the victor top the rankings and not be caught, a factor in which Gerwyn Price expressed his concern.

In an exclusive chat with marvelbet369.com after the prize money increase was announced, Porter insisted meetings will be held, where the topic will be brought up.

He said: "Look, it's obvious that the £1m for the world champion will make them No.1.

"But that likely happens anyway even like now when you win £500,000 at Alexandra Palace.

"We want to make sure the rankings system is fair and equitable.

"We sit down with the Players Association every year, and we discuss changes we could make.

"We will sit down with them in our normal meeting, I'm not saying we will change it and I'm not saying we won't.

"It's like we do with all of our rules, we sit down and put in place what we feel is most appropriate."

There is so much change in the sport, which the darting fraternity regularly voice opinions on.

But the expansion of the prize money largely went down a treat, with players able to generate more revenue from their careers at the oche.

Price, who is currently ranked at 12th on the PDC Order of Merit, certainly enjoyed the increase in prize money.

But the Welshman proposed a points system as opposed to finance, in order to rank the players fairly moving forwards.

He remarked: "It’s only one tournament heavy.   

"As bad as my last year has been, even though I’ve started well this year, I could go on to win the World Championship and be world number one.

"They’ve upped the Worlds [money], but they need to up everything else.

"Otherwise, they need to change the points.   

"It’s not fair if someone wins the Worlds and they are world number one for two years.  

"I will happily have the million. But they need to change the ranking points."

Price will begin Premier League Night 10 up against Littler in the quarter-finals on Thursday night in Manchester.

He sits third in the standings ahead of the evening's action, behind his opening opponent and Humphries.

A win would see him close the gap to both players, but the reigning world champion is currently six points clear at the top.

So far, the Welshman has two nightly wins to his name, tasting glory in Dublin and Nottingham on Night 3 and Night 6.

The overall Premier League champion will claim the biggest cut of the £1million prize pot, taking home £275,000.