Luke Humphries Withdraws From European Championship Through Illness

Luke Humphries has withdrawn from the 2026 Machineseeker European Championship after being diagnosed with gastroenteritis.

The world number two had been due to feature on the opening night in Dortmund, but illness has forced the former champion to pull out of the £750,000 ranking major.

Humphries was set to make his sixth appearance at the European Championship, having reached the final last year before finishing runner-up.

Under PDC rules, Kim Huybrechts will replace Humphries in the 32-player field, with the Belgian earning his place as the highest-ranked non-qualified player on the 2026 European Tour rankings.

Huybrechts will now face Ryan Searle on Thursday evening, with the winner progressing to Saturday’s second round to meet either Danny Noppert or Stephen Bunting.

Humphries’ withdrawal is a significant blow to the tournament, with the world number two having been among the headline names scheduled to begin their campaigns on opening night in Dortmund.