Mike De Decker is your 2024 World Grand Prix champion after a blockbuster final against Luke Humphries.
The Belgian got over the line in incredible fashion after seemingly surrendering his advantage after being 4-1 up against Humphries early in the match.
De Decker announced himself on the world stage with this Grand Prix win, and now, the PDC have a huge decision to make in the wake of this tournament.
Indeed, De Decker’s victory didn’t only upset the odds and the formbook, it may also have ruined the PDC’s plans heading into 2025.
Mike De Decker deserves a Premier League place
Make no mistake about it, Mike De Decker deserves a place in the Premier League after his Grand Prix triumph.
We’ve seen major winners snubbed from the Premier League in the past, notably Paul Nicholson was the first player to suffer that fate back in 2009, but recently the likes of Ross Smith, Andrew Gilding and Danny Noppert have been snubbed after winning big tournaments.
However, no player has ever been left out of the Premier League after winning a Sky Sports showpiece event, and De Decker has earned his spot.
That does make things tricky for the PDC however, as Premier League spots are at a premium right now.
As things stand, Luke Humphries, Michael Smith, Rob Cross and Michael van Gerwen are going to be in next year’s competition due to their Order of Merit standings, while Luke Littler is a shoo-in given his popularity and status.
Then you have Dimitri van den Bergh who is the UK Open champion, who is a strong contender, alongside Gary Anderson and Peter Wright who can truly never be discounted, especially if they make a run at the World Championships.
Gerwyn Price and Nathan Aspinall have been regulars in recent years, and, again, are box office draws in terms of fan support, while Damon Heta and Dave Chisnall are knocking on the door in terms of the order of merit as well.
Meanwhile, Luke Humphries has also called for James Wade to get a Premier League place.
Simply put, with De Decker now in the mix, the PDC have a huge decision to make in terms of who’s in and who’s out, while they may also want to change the competition’s format.
Will the Premier League change format?
As things stand, there is no plan in place for a Premier League format change. Indeed, Matt Porter was steadfast in that view just a few weeks ago.
“On the Premier League, is there any thought of a format change for the Premier League yet?” Porter was asked.
“No, no, at the moment we’re happy with the format as it is which I’m sure everyone watching your show will be delighted with. It will change again when the current format has outlived its usefulness,” Porter said.
However, if another surprise or two are sprung at the Grand Slam, and, crucially, the World Championships, you have too many contenders who deserve places.
This is a tournament that could easily be extended back to 10 players, while there’s even a case for the field to be extended to 16.
Maybe a Premier League format change is in the offing after all.