MA
Masters
Top 16
Tournaments · Major
PDC Masters
A closed-field top-16 tournament and the first televised PDC major of each calendar year. Designed as a three-day showcase for the Order of Merit's leading players only, the Masters sets up the narrative lines that carry through the Premier League season.
IdentityThe elite season openerA compact top-tier event that sets up the early-year narrative.
FieldTop 16 onlyNo qualifiers, no soft route, no long build-up.
Format feelShort and sharpThree days of direct knockout darts.
Record holderMichael van Gerwen, 5The dominant name in the event's short history.
Prize fund (2025)£250,000
Winner's cheque£65,000
Most titlesMichael van Gerwen, 5
Typical dateLate January
01
Format
- Field
- Top 16 of the PDC Order of Merit. No qualifiers.
- Round format
- Round 1 (R16): best of 19 legs. QF: best of 19. SF: best of 21. Final: best of 21 legs.
- Leg format
- 501, straight-start, double-finish.
- Duration
- Three-day event running Friday-Sunday.
02
Champions
| Year | Champion | Runner-up | Final score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Luke Littler | Michael van Gerwen | 11-4 |
| 2025 | Luke Humphries | Luke Littler | 11-8 |
| 2024 | Stephen Bunting | Michael van Gerwen | 11-7 |
| 2023 | Chris Dobey | Rob Cross | 11-8 |
| 2022 | Joe Cullen | Dave Chisnall | 11-8 |
| 2021 | Jonny Clayton | Mervyn King | 11-8 |
| 2020 | Michael van Gerwen | Dave Chisnall | 11-8 |
| 2019 | Michael van Gerwen | Daryl Gurney | 11-8 |
| 2018 | Michael van Gerwen | Mensur Suljović | 11-4 |
| 2017 | Michael van Gerwen | Peter Wright | 11-5 |
| 2015 | Michael van Gerwen | Phil Taylor | 11-5 |
03
Why it matters
The Masters is the cleanest expression of the PDC's "elite-only" concept. No 96-player field, no floor-tour qualifiers, just the top 16 players on the Order of Merit. A Masters run is therefore one of the most telling form indicators for the year ahead, and the tournament's timing in late January makes it the first post-World Championship benchmark of the year.