2027 IDF World Darts Championship

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2027 IDF World Darts Championship
Tournament information
Dates12 December 2026 – 3 January 2027
VenueAlexandra Palace
LocationLondon, England
Organisation(s)IDF
FormatSets
Prize fund£3,500,000
Winner's share£750,000
«2026 2028»

The 2027 IDF World Darts Championship is a professional darts tournament organised by the International Darts Federation (IDF), being held from 12 December 2026 to 3 January 2027 at Alexandra Palace in London, England.

Logan White is the defending champion, having defeated Max Mad 7–6 in the 2026 final.

The tournament features 96 players, reduced from the 128-player field used in 2026. The top 32 players on the IDF Order of Merit are seeded and entered in the second round, while the remaining 64 players contested the first round for the right to join them in the 64-player main bracket.

Background

Format

The 2027 championship features 96 players, a reduction from the 128-player field used at the 2026 tournament.

The top 32 players on the IDF Order of Merit following the 2026 IDF Players Championship Finals are seeded and receive a bye through the first round.

The remaining 64 players contest 32 first-round matches. Each first-round match is tied to a predetermined position in the second-round bracket, with the winner progressing directly to face one of the 32 seeds.

From the second round onwards, the championship operates as a conventional 64-player knockout tournament.

All matches are played using set play. Every set is contested over the best of five legs, with the first player to win three legs winning the set.

There is no extended tie-break within a set. If a set reaches two legs apiece, the fifth leg decides the set.

The match lengths are:

  • First round: best of 5 sets – first to 3
  • Second round: best of 5 sets – first to 3
  • Third round: best of 7 sets – first to 4
  • Fourth round: best of 7 sets – first to 4
  • Quarter-finals: best of 9 sets – first to 5
  • Semi-finals: best of 11 sets – first to 6
  • Final: best of 15 sets – first to 8

The 2027 final has therefore been extended to a possible 15 sets, compared with the best-of-13-set final used in 2026.

The player throwing first in the opening set is determined by the pre-match bull, with the right to throw first alternating at the beginning of each subsequent set.

Player count

Entry route Players
Seeded – IDF Order of Merit top 32 32
Unseeded IDF Order of Merit qualifiers 32
IDF ProTour qualifiers 16
International qualifiers 8
World Championship final qualifiers 8
Total 96

Prize money

The total prize fund is £3,500,000, with £750,000 awarded to the champion.

Stage Prize money Players Total
Winner £750,000 1 £750,000
Runner-up £350,000 1 £350,000
Semi-finalists £200,000 2 £400,000
Quarter-finalists £100,000 4 £400,000
Fourth round £50,000 8 £400,000
Third round £25,000 16 £400,000
Second round £15,000 32 £480,000
First round £10,000 32 £320,000
Total £3,500,000

All prize money counts towards the IDF Order of Merit.

Qualification

Qualification was divided between the IDF Order of Merit, the IDF ProTour, international qualifying routes and the final World Championship qualifier.

The top 32 players on the Order of Merit qualified as seeds and entered in the second round.

The next 32 highest-ranked eligible players qualified as unseeded Order of Merit players.

A further 16 players qualified through the IDF ProTour, eight through international qualification events and eight through the final World Championship qualifier.

Seeds

Seed Player
1 Logan White
2 Alex Brow
3 Max Mad
4 Parker Reeves
5 Quinn Sanders
6 Elias Storm
7 Duncan MacLeod
8 Wyatt Walker
9 Jeroen van Dijk
10 Hunter Jackson
11 Jack Mercer
12 Rhys Morgan
13 Nathan Owens
14 Harry Lewis
15 Benjamin Carter
16 Ryan Thomas
17 Niklas Hofer
18 Kai Mitchell
19 Callum Pike
20 Bram De Waal
21 Ethan Mitchell
22 Blake Carter
23 Cole Hamilton
24 Noah Parker
25 Jamie Fletcher
26 Sean Donovan
27 Oliver Bartlett
28 Lewis Moorcroft
29 Lukas Weber
30 Matteo Vermeulen
31 Connor Hayes
32 Daniel McKenna

Tournament summary

First round

The championship began on 12 December with the first half of the 64-player opening round. Charlie Sutton recovered from 2–1 down to defeat United States qualifier Daniel Morales 3–2 and earn a meeting with defending champion White, while Mason Kelly defeated Liam Davidson 3–1. Theo Richardson came from a set behind to beat Patrick Byrne 3–1 and Adrian Smit produced a 104.16 average in a 3–0 victory over Caleb Thompson. Cameron Reid survived two match darts during a 3–2 victory over Finn Jacobs, South Korean qualifier Min-jae Park defeated Aaron Doyle 3–1, Theo Walsh edged Thomas Gallagher in five sets and Stefan Müller beat Kyle Brennan 3–1. The evening session featured another strong international performance as Australian qualifier Liam O'Connell defeated Scott Brennan 3–2 with a 103.62 average. Harvey Nolan, Leon Price, Michael Reeves and Cameron Price also progressed, while Owen Griffiths moved to the top of the tournament averages with 104.38 in a 3–0 victory over Bradley Stone. Spanish qualifier Javier Ortega edged Toby Richards in five sets before George Chambers completed the opening day with a 3–1 victory over Marcus Reed.

The third session began with Japanese qualifier Hiroto Tanaka defeating Isaac Bennett 3–1 to set up a second-round meeting with Brow. Jamie van der Meer recovered from 2–1 down in sets and 2–0 down in the fifth to defeat Jordan Ellis, while Finn O'Connor came from a set behind to beat Nathan Kerr 3–1. Final qualifier Ruben van den Berg eliminated Reece Palmer 3–1 despite Palmer averaging slightly higher, and Stefan de Boer edged Kevin Van Leeuwen 3–2. Luke Harrington beat Andrew Collins 3–1 before Tyler Grant survived a match dart against Oliver Grant and won 3–2 with a 105.06 average. Marco Bellini completed the afternoon with a 3–1 victory over Matthew Haines. The first round concluded that evening with Kieran Walsh defeating Samuel Price 3–1 to earn a meeting with Mad, while Dylan Ward edged Simon Ward 3–2. Marcus Cole recorded the highest first-round average at 105.38 in a 3–0 victory over Martin Vos, Adam Fletcher came from 2–1 down to defeat Aaron Campbell, and Danish qualifier Lars Jørgensen defeated Dylan Brooks 3–1 with a 103.47 average. Zachary Hughes, Jan Verbeek and Tomás Varga completed the 64-player second-round field. Fourteen of the 32 first-round matches required a deciding fifth set.

Second round

The seeded players entered the championship on 16 December, with White opening his title defence against Sutton in the first match of the afternoon session. Sutton held throw in the opening leg and remained with White through the first four legs of the opening set, but the defending champion produced a 12-darter in the deciding leg to take it 3–2. White then raised his scoring significantly, breaking Sutton twice in a 3–0 second set and producing legs of 11, 13 and 14 darts. Sutton briefly interrupted White's run by taking the opening leg of the third set with a 120 checkout, but White answered with three consecutive legs, including a 12-darter and a 104 checkout, to complete a 3–0 victory. White averaged 109.84, hit eight maximums and won nine of the 12 legs played. Sutton averaged 98.73 and was restricted to only three darts at doubles to win legs after the opening set. White advanced to the third round without dropping a set and made an immediate statement in his attempt to retain the world title.

Daniel McKenna and Kelly then produced the first deciding-set match of the second round. McKenna won the opening set 3–1 before Kelly responded by taking the second 3–2, finishing 116 in the deciding leg after McKenna missed one dart at double 16. Kelly then moved ahead by winning the third set 3–1 and led 2–1 in the fourth, placing the 32nd seed one leg from elimination. McKenna survived by producing consecutive 14-dart legs to take the set 3–2 and force a fifth. Kelly opened the deciding set with a 13-darter, but McKenna levelled with a 104 checkout and then broke in 12 darts to lead 2–1. Kelly held in 14 darts to force a deciding leg, where McKenna opened with 180 and 140 and reached 76 after 12 darts. Kelly left 64 after 15, but McKenna checked out 76 in two darts to complete a 3–2 victory. McKenna averaged 104.28 to Kelly's 103.77 and reached the third round after surviving a match in which Kelly had been one leg from victory in the fourth set.

The third match saw 16th seed Ryan Thomas defeat Richardson 3–1. Richardson, who had averaged 102.74 in the first round, began confidently and won the opening set 3–2 after Thomas missed double 18 for a 116 checkout. Thomas responded immediately, taking the second set 3–0 with legs of 13, 12 and 14 darts before edging the third 3–2 after Richardson missed a set dart at double 16. Richardson led 2–1 in the fourth set and threatened to force a decider, but Thomas levelled in 13 darts and then completed a 121 checkout on the bullseye to seal the match. Thomas averaged 106.42 to Richardson's 103.26, hit seven maximums and won eight of the final 11 legs after losing the opening set. The victory took Thomas into a potential third-round meeting with either Hofer or Smit.

The afternoon concluded with the rematch between Hofer and Smit, less than three weeks after Smit had defeated Hofer 4–2 at the Players Championship Finals. Hofer made the better start at Alexandra Palace, winning the opening set 3–1 and then moving 2–0 ahead in sets after edging the second 3–2 with a 116 checkout. Smit, who had averaged 104.16 in his first-round whitewash, responded strongly in the third set. He won its opening leg in 12 darts, broke in 13 and completed a 3–0 set with a 104 finish to reduce the deficit. Hofer led 2–1 in the fourth and had two match darts at double 18, but Smit survived, levelled with a 14-darter and then finished 86 on double 16 to force a deciding fifth set.

Hofer held throw in the opening leg of the decider before Smit levelled with an 11-darter. Smit then broke with a 13-dart leg to move one leg from victory, but Hofer responded with a 12-darter to make it 2–2. In the deciding leg, Smit opened with 140 and Hofer replied with 180. Smit followed with 180 of his own, before Hofer scored 140. Both players reached a finish after 12 darts, with Hofer first to 81 and Smit leaving 76. Hofer hit treble 19 but missed double 12 and double six for the match, allowing Smit to return and finish 76 in two darts via treble 20 and double eight. Smit completed a 3–2 victory with a 106.71 average to Hofer's 106.18, recovering from two sets down and surviving two match darts in the fourth set and two more in the deciding leg. The victory represented Smit's second consecutive defeat of Hofer and sent him into the third round, where he will face Thomas. Having also eliminated Thomas at the Players Championship Finals, Smit will therefore face another opponent he defeated during his Minehead run.

The opening second-round session produced two deciding-set matches and the elimination of 17th seed Hofer, the first seeded player to exit the championship. White's 109.84 was the highest average of the tournament to that point, surpassing Cole's 105.38 from the first round, while Smit's 106.71 became the highest average recorded by an unseeded player in the second round. White, McKenna, Thomas and Smit became the first four players to reach the last 32.

Draw

First round

Match Player Score Player Average Second-round opponent
1 Charlie Sutton 3–2 Daniel Morales 96.84–96.17 (1) Logan White
2 Mason Kelly 3–1 Liam Davidson 101.36–97.62 (32) Daniel McKenna
3 Patrick Byrne 1–3 Theo Richardson 98.91–102.74 (16) Ryan Thomas
4 Adrian Smit 3–0 Caleb Thompson 104.16–94.88 (17) Niklas Hofer
5 Cameron Reid 3–2 Finn Jacobs 100.43–99.86 (8) Wyatt Walker
6 Aaron Doyle 1–3 Min-jae Park 97.18–99.72 (25) Jamie Fletcher
7 Theo Walsh 3–2 Thomas Gallagher 100.81–99.94 (9) Jeroen van Dijk
8 Stefan Müller 3–1 Kyle Brennan 101.92–99.63 (24) Noah Parker
9 Scott Brennan 2–3 Liam O'Connell 102.88–103.62 (4) Parker Reeves
10 Harvey Nolan 3–1 Jordan Matthews 100.74–98.36 (29) Lukas Weber
11 Leon Price 3–2 Petr Novák 101.83–100.91 (13) Nathan Owens
12 Mitchell Kerr 1–3 Michael Reeves 99.84–102.46 (20) Bram De Waal
13 Ruben Meijer 2–3 Cameron Price 100.64–101.28 (5) Quinn Sanders
14 Owen Griffiths 3–0 Bradley Stone 104.38–96.72 (28) Lewis Moorcroft
15 Toby Richards 2–3 Javier Ortega 101.74–102.17 (12) Rhys Morgan
16 George Chambers 3–1 Marcus Reed 101.56–99.48 (21) Ethan Mitchell
17 Isaac Bennett 1–3 Hiroto Tanaka 99.72–103.11 (2) Alex Brow
18 Jordan Ellis 2–3 Jamie van der Meer 100.86–101.94 (31) Connor Hayes
19 Finn O'Connor 3–1 Nathan Kerr 102.22–100.07 (15) Benjamin Carter
20 Reece Palmer 1–3 Ruben van den Berg 102.08–101.66 (18) Kai Mitchell
21 Kevin Van Leeuwen 2–3 Stefan de Boer 102.15–102.79 (7) Duncan MacLeod
22 Luke Harrington 3–1 Andrew Collins 100.97–98.84 (26) Sean Donovan
23 Tyler Grant 3–2 Oliver Grant 105.06–104.41 (10) Hunter Jackson
24 Marco Bellini 3–1 Matthew Haines 102.53–101.61 (23) Cole Hamilton
25 Kieran Walsh 3–1 Samuel Price 102.84–100.17 (3) Max Mad
26 Simon Ward 2–3 Dylan Ward 101.04–101.77 (30) Matteo Vermeulen
27 Marcus Cole 3–0 Martin Vos 105.38–96.48 (14) Harry Lewis
28 Adam Fletcher 3–2 Aaron Campbell 102.61–101.92 (19) Callum Pike
29 Dylan Brooks 1–3 Lars Jørgensen 101.66–103.47 (6) Elias Storm
30 Niels Bakker 2–3 Zachary Hughes 100.11–100.36 (27) Oliver Bartlett
31 Jan Verbeek 3–1 Owen Carter 102.96–101.82 (11) Jack Mercer
32 Tomás Varga 3–2 Connor Price 103.22–102.76 (22) Blake Carter

Second round onwards

Second round
Best of 5 sets
Third round
Best of 7 sets
Fourth round
Best of 7 sets
Quarter-finals
Best of 9 sets
Semi-finals
Best of 11 sets
Final
Best of 15 sets
                  
1 Logan White 109.84 3
Charlie Sutton 98.73 0
1 Logan White
32 Daniel McKenna
32 Daniel McKenna 104.28 3
Mason Kelly 103.77 2
 
 
16 Ryan Thomas 106.42 3
Theo Richardson 103.26 1
16 Ryan Thomas
Adrian Smit
17 Niklas Hofer 106.18 2
Adrian Smit 106.71 3
 
 
8 Wyatt Walker
Cameron Reid
 
 
25 Jamie Fletcher
Min-jae Park
 
 
9 Jeroen van Dijk
Theo Walsh
 
 
24 Noah Parker
Stefan Müller
 
 
4 Parker Reeves
Liam O'Connell
 
 
29 Lukas Weber
Harvey Nolan
 
 
13 Nathan Owens
Leon Price
 
 
20 Bram De Waal
Michael Reeves
 
 
5 Quinn Sanders
Cameron Price
 
 
28 Lewis Moorcroft
Owen Griffiths
 
 
12 Rhys Morgan
Javier Ortega
 
 
21 Ethan Mitchell
George Chambers
 
 
2 Alex Brow
Hiroto Tanaka
 
 
31 Connor Hayes
Jamie van der Meer
 
 
15 Benjamin Carter
Finn O'Connor
 
 
18 Kai Mitchell
Ruben van den Berg
 
 
7 Duncan MacLeod
Stefan de Boer
 
 
26 Sean Donovan
Luke Harrington
 
 
10 Hunter Jackson
Tyler Grant
 
 
23 Cole Hamilton
Marco Bellini
 
 
3 Max Mad
Kieran Walsh
 
 
30 Matteo Vermeulen
Dylan Ward
 
 
14 Harry Lewis
Marcus Cole
 
 
19 Callum Pike
Adam Fletcher
 
 
6 Elias Storm
Lars Jørgensen
 
 
27 Oliver Bartlett
Zachary Hughes
 
 
11 Jack Mercer
Jan Verbeek
 
 
22 Blake Carter
Tomás Varga

First-round results

12 December

Afternoon session

Player Score Player Set scores Average
Charlie Sutton 3–2 Daniel Morales 1–3, 3–2, 3–1, 0–3, 3–2 96.84–96.17
Mason Kelly 3–1 Liam Davidson 2–3, 3–1, 3–0, 3–2 101.36–97.62
Patrick Byrne 1–3 Theo Richardson 3–2, 1–3, 1–3, 2–3 98.91–102.74
Adrian Smit 3–0 Caleb Thompson 3–2, 3–1, 3–0 104.16–94.88
Cameron Reid 3–2 Finn Jacobs 3–1, 2–3, 3–0, 2–3, 3–2 100.43–99.86
Aaron Doyle 1–3 Min-jae Park 3–2, 1–3, 2–3, 2–3 97.18–99.72
Theo Walsh 3–2 Thomas Gallagher 3–1, 2–3, 3–0, 2–3, 3–2 100.81–99.94
Stefan Müller 3–1 Kyle Brennan 3–0, 2–3, 3–1, 3–2 101.92–99.63

Evening session

Player Score Player Set scores Average
Scott Brennan 2–3 Liam O'Connell 3–1, 2–3, 1–3, 3–0, 2–3 102.88–103.62
Harvey Nolan 3–1 Jordan Matthews 2–3, 3–1, 3–1, 3–2 100.74–98.36
Leon Price 3–2 Petr Novák 1–3, 3–0, 3–2, 1–3, 3–2 101.83–100.91
Mitchell Kerr 1–3 Michael Reeves 3–2, 1–3, 0–3, 2–3 99.84–102.46
Ruben Meijer 2–3 Cameron Price 0–3, 3–1, 3–2, 1–3, 2–3 100.64–101.28
Owen Griffiths 3–0 Bradley Stone 3–1, 3–2, 3–0 104.38–96.72
Toby Richards 2–3 Javier Ortega 3–1, 2–3, 0–3, 3–2, 2–3 101.74–102.17
George Chambers 3–1 Marcus Reed 3–2, 2–3, 3–1, 3–2 101.56–99.48

13 December

Afternoon session

Player Score Player Set scores Average
Isaac Bennett 1–3 Hiroto Tanaka 1–3, 3–2, 0–3, 2–3 99.72–103.11
Jordan Ellis 2–3 Jamie van der Meer 3–1, 0–3, 3–2, 1–3, 2–3 100.86–101.94
Finn O'Connor 3–1 Nathan Kerr 2–3, 3–0, 3–2, 3–2 102.22–100.07
Reece Palmer 1–3 Ruben van den Berg 3–0, 2–3, 1–3, 2–3 102.08–101.66
Kevin Van Leeuwen 2–3 Stefan de Boer 3–2, 1–3, 0–3, 3–2, 2–3 102.15–102.79
Luke Harrington 3–1 Andrew Collins 2–3, 3–1, 3–0, 3–2 100.97–98.84
Tyler Grant 3–2 Oliver Grant 3–2, 1–3, 3–2, 2–3, 3–2 105.06–104.41
Marco Bellini 3–1 Matthew Haines 3–1, 2–3, 3–0, 3–2 102.53–101.61

Evening session

Player Score Player Set scores Average
Kieran Walsh 3–1 Samuel Price 3–1, 3–2, 0–3, 3–2 102.84–100.17
Simon Ward 2–3 Dylan Ward 3–2, 1–3, 2–3, 3–1, 2–3 101.04–101.77
Marcus Cole 3–0 Martin Vos 3–1, 3–2, 3–0 105.38–96.48
Adam Fletcher 3–2 Aaron Campbell 1–3, 3–2, 2–3, 3–0, 3–1 102.61–101.92
Dylan Brooks 1–3 Lars Jørgensen 3–2, 1–3, 2–3, 2–3 101.66–103.47
Niels Bakker 2–3 Zachary Hughes 2–3, 3–1, 3–2, 1–3, 2–3 100.11–100.36
Jan Verbeek 3–1 Owen Carter 2–3, 3–0, 3–2, 3–1 102.96–101.82
Tomás Varga 3–2 Connor Price 3–1, 3–2, 0–3, 1–3, 3–2 103.22–102.76

Second-round results

16 December

Afternoon session

Seed Player Score Player Set scores Average
1 Logan White 3–0 Charlie Sutton 3–2, 3–0, 3–1 109.84–98.73
32 Daniel McKenna 3–2 Mason Kelly 3–1, 2–3, 1–3, 3–2, 3–2 104.28–103.77
16 Ryan Thomas 3–1 Theo Richardson 2–3, 3–0, 3–2, 3–2 106.42–103.26
17 Niklas Hofer 2–3 Adrian Smit 3–1, 3–2, 0–3, 2–3, 2–3 106.18–106.71

Third round

The first two third-round matches confirmed after the opening second-round session are:

  • (1) Logan White v (32) Daniel McKenna
  • (16) Ryan Thomas v Adrian Smit

Third-round matches are played over the best of seven sets.

Schedule

16 December

Evening session

Second round:

  • (8) Wyatt Walker v Cameron Reid
  • (25) Jamie Fletcher v Min-jae Park
  • (9) Jeroen van Dijk v Theo Walsh
  • (24) Noah Parker v Stefan Müller

17 December

Afternoon session

Second round:

  • (4) Parker Reeves v Liam O'Connell
  • (29) Lukas Weber v Harvey Nolan
  • (13) Nathan Owens v Leon Price
  • (20) Bram De Waal v Michael Reeves

Evening session

Second round:

  • (5) Quinn Sanders v Cameron Price
  • (28) Lewis Moorcroft v Owen Griffiths
  • (12) Rhys Morgan v Javier Ortega
  • (21) Ethan Mitchell v George Chambers

18 December

Afternoon session

Second round:

  • (2) Alex Brow v Hiroto Tanaka
  • (31) Connor Hayes v Jamie van der Meer
  • (15) Benjamin Carter v Finn O'Connor
  • (18) Kai Mitchell v Ruben van den Berg

Evening session

Second round:

  • (7) Duncan MacLeod v Stefan de Boer
  • (26) Sean Donovan v Luke Harrington
  • (10) Hunter Jackson v Tyler Grant
  • (23) Cole Hamilton v Marco Bellini

19 December

Afternoon session

Second round:

  • (3) Max Mad v Kieran Walsh
  • (30) Matteo Vermeulen v Dylan Ward
  • (14) Harry Lewis v Marcus Cole
  • (19) Callum Pike v Adam Fletcher

Evening session

Second round:

  • (6) Elias Storm v Lars Jørgensen
  • (27) Oliver Bartlett v Zachary Hughes
  • (11) Jack Mercer v Jan Verbeek
  • (22) Blake Carter v Tomás Varga

20–21 December

Third round – 16 matches.

22–23 December

Fourth round – eight matches.

24–26 December

Christmas break.

27–28 December

Quarter-finals.

31 December

Semi-finals.

3 January

Final.

Defending champion

White began the defence of his world title with a 3–0 victory over Sutton, averaging 109.84 and conceding four legs.

White won the opening set in a deciding leg before taking six of the next seven legs to complete the match. His average became the highest recorded at the championship through the opening second-round session.

He will face 32nd seed McKenna in the third round.

Notable performances

White's 109.84 average against Sutton is the highest tournament average after the opening second-round session.

Smit averaged 106.71 in defeating Hofer 3–2, recovering from two sets down and surviving four match darts across the fourth and fifth sets. The result was Smit's second victory over Hofer in less than three weeks.

Thomas averaged 106.42 in his 3–1 victory over Richardson.

Hofer became the first seeded player eliminated from the 2027 championship. Despite averaging 106.18, he lost 3–2 to Smit.

Smit will face Thomas in the third round. Smit defeated Thomas 3–2 at the 2026 Players Championship Finals before later eliminating Hofer at the same event.

References

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