Barry Hearn issues stark warning to top stars over tournament withdrawals “If you’re a top player, act like a top player”

Prize money has become one of the biggest talking points in darts in recent years, with increased payouts providing players with greater opportunities to build lucrative careers on the PDC circuit.

However, tournament withdrawals remain a noticeable issue, particularly among some of the sport’s biggest names. Barry Hearn discussed the impact of players missing events and warned that the current ranking system can quickly punish those who fail to compete regularly.

Hearn defended the prize-money-based ranking system, taking credit for its ability to create greater movement throughout the PDC Order of Merit.

“To be honest with you, I’m such a fan of the overall system, and I’m going to take all the credit for it. Of course, it wasn’t just me. I like the idea, and people can criticise lots of things. They do in lots of our sports,” he admitted.

The businessman believes the increased prize money has actually made the rankings more volatile, meaning players can no longer afford to take too many events for granted.

“But the idea of your ranking list being built on prize money means that if you miss too many events, your ranking is going to go down. We’ve seen that accelerate with the increased prize money. You’ll get more volatility in the rankings.”

Hearn pointed to the likes of Peter Wright and Michael Smith as examples of established stars who have seen their ranking positions suffer after periods of difficulty, whether through injury or form.

“People that you thought were going to be safe for five years, you don’t know. We put names to it because it doesn’t matter. They know. They see the evidence,” he explained.

“Peter Wright, Michael Smith, people that have had problems with injury or whatever, you can dive down, which means you’ve got to make the most of every opportunity. Which means you don’t tend, sensibly, to miss too many events.”

The increased volatility can also create opportunities for players further down the rankings, something Hearn believes is an important by-product of the system.

Nathan Aspinall was another example he highlighted, with the former UK Open champion finding himself having to fight harder for qualification for major events after missing tournaments.

“We’ve had a few players that have missed a few events and suddenly realised, ‘Nathan Aspinall, well, crikey, is he going to qualify for this or that?’ And he’s a top player,” Hearn said.

“So I don’t want to lose top players, but I think the system is so good that it actually encourages other people. So when I see a few big names not in a Pro Tour event, I’m genuinely quietly happy.”

Players Championship withdrawals

The Players Championship series has been particularly affected by withdrawals from some of the sport’s leading players, although Hearn insists the nature of the events means there is also a positive side to seeing established names absent.

“One, we don’t sell tickets. Two, it’s a complete meritocracy, which I love. It’s about ability, not about talk. It’s about what you do on the oche,” he said.

Hearn also highlighted the significance of even a single Players Championship victory for a player further down the rankings.

“You see someone get £15,000, which is not a fortune in today’s darts world, but it’s enough to put you up a few more places.”

Those ranking gains can subsequently open the door to some of the sport’s biggest events.

“Ultimately, it takes a bit of time, but all of a sudden they’re qualifying for the World Grand Prix. They’re qualifying for, you know, certain players are qualifying for the World Matchplay. Players that you didn’t expect.”

Hearn admits European Tour needs addressing

While Hearn remains a strong supporter of the current ranking structure, he acknowledged that the European Tour presents a different challenge.

The biggest names in the sport do not compete in every European Tour event, with players such as Luke Littler, Luke Humphries and Gerwyn Price regularly absent from some tournaments.

Barry Hearn issues stark warning to top stars over tournament withdrawals

Hearn admitted that this is something that needs to be addressed.

“That is an issue. And part of the addressing will be increasing prize money,” Hearn stated.

He believes the current system, whereby invited players receive prize money for losing their opening match but do not receive ranking money, provides an important incentive for the leading players to compete.

“At the end of the day, that’s the first thing they look at. You know, I think we’ve got it just about right. If you’re an invited player, effectively one of the top seeds, if you don’t win your first game, you get paid, but it doesn’t count towards your rankings.”

“That’s good. That’s really good because it means you’re under scrutiny.”

However, Hearn believes withdrawals from players already inside the world’s top 16 undermine the system which has helped them reach that position.

“When you see other players that are in that top 16 pull out, that’s not good, because they’re not justifying the system that’s given them the opportunity in the first place.”

“Part of being a top professional is organising your diary”

With the modern PDC calendar becoming increasingly demanding, Hearn accepts that leading players have to manage their schedules carefully.

Premier League players in particular face a gruelling workload, combining weekly televised action with ProTour events, European Tours and major championships.

Hearn stressed that players are ultimately free to choose which tournaments they compete in.

“If you’re a top professional, part of being a top professional is organising your diary yourself,” Hearn continued.

“And by all means, it can be to suit you because no one forces you to play.”

However, there is one scenario that Hearn believes would be particularly damaging to the credibility of professional darts.

“What we do want is the credibility of the event not being affected. If a player feels it’s not worth his while, but I don’t want to see someone pulling out and then appearing in an exhibition on the same night because he got more money than the first-round losers.”

Hearn’s comments underline the balancing act facing professional darts, with players now earning more than ever before but also facing an increasingly congested calendar.

And while he does not want to see the sport’s biggest stars disappear from tournaments, Hearn believes the current ranking system provides a powerful incentive for them to keep competing — while simultaneously creating opportunities for the next generation to climb the PDC ladder.