By Alex Moss
19 DECEMBER 2016 • 3:10PM
Benito van de Pas and Mensur Suljovic are both set to make their debuts in the Unibet Masters next month.
There is still just under six weeks to run before the start of the 2017 Unibet Masters, but in fact there is only one more tournament to be completed before the field for Milton Keynes is set, meaning the race to qualify has already reached a critical phase.
The top 16 on the PDC Order of Merit following the conclusion of the William Hill World Darts Championship, on January 2, will contest the Unibet Masters on January 27-29, 2017.
Looking at the provisional PDC Order of Merit, following day four of the World Championship, there is set to be three changes from last year’s line-up.
Vincent van der Voort and Terry Jenkins have both dropped out of the top 16 this year, while Stephen Bunting, who was defending prize money from a run to the quarter-finals of the 2015 World Championship, slumped to a first round exit on Saturday night and can no longer qualify.
Jenkins came through his first round match at the weekend but will need at least one more win at Alexandra Palace to stand a chance of climbing back into the top 16.
While van der Voort, who begins his World Championship campaign later this week, must reach at least the semi-finals to qualify for the Masters again.
Simon Whitlock missed the 2016 Masters but his recent resurgence has seen him provisionally climb up into 16th place, while van de Pas (14th) and Suljovic (eighth) are both in line to make their debuts in the invitational tournament next month.
Provisional PDC Order of Merit (as of 19 December, 2016)
1st – Michael van Gerwen – £1,499,000*
2nd – Gary Anderson – £597,500*
3rd – Peter Wright – £449,250*
4th – Adrian Lewis – £411,500*
5th – James Wade – £364,750*
6th – Phil Taylor – £339,750*
7th – Dave Chisnall – £326,500*
8th – Mensur Suljovic – £317,250*
9th – Jelle Klaasen – £294,500*
10th – Michael Smith – £282,250*
11th – Robert Thornton – £276,750*
12th – Kim Huybrechts – £256,000*
13th – Ian White – £255,000*
14th – Benito van de Pas – £243,500*
15th – Raymond van Barneveld – £229,500*
16th – Simon Whitlock – £201,750*
———————————————
17th – Terry Jenkins – £197,500*
18th – Alan Norris – £190,750*
19th – Stephen Bunting – £185,250
20th – Gerwyn Price – £182,000
21st – Mervyn King – £164,750*
22nd – Daryl Gurney – £158,750*
23rd – Mark Webster – £154,500*
24th – Vincent van der Voort – £153,750*
25th – Brendan Dolan – £149,750*
26th – Justin Pipe – £143,000
27th – Steve Beaton – £141,250*
28th – Joe Cullen – £125,000*
29th – Jamie Caven – £120,000
30th – Kyle Anderson – £118,750
31st – Jamie Lewis – £113,250*
32nd – Andrew Gilding – £107,250*
*player is still in the World Championship
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