Gary Anderson Calls for PDC Calendar Shake-Up After World Masters Win

Scottish darts icon Gary Anderson kicked off his 2026 World Masters campaign with a hard-fought 3-2 sets victory over Niels Zonneveld in Milton Keynes.

Zonneveld arrived full of confidence after an eye-catching run at the 2026 World Darts Championship, where he famously knocked out former world champion Michael Smith.

But despite the significance of the win, Anderson’s thoughts after the match were firmly elsewhere, focused on what he believes is an increasingly relentless PDC calendar.

Premier League Snub Didn’t Bother Him

Even after reaching the semi-finals of the 2026 World Darts Championship and climbing to world number six, Anderson was never part of the 2026 Premier League conversation.

On merit alone, the two-time world champion could easily have justified a place in the 17-week Premier League roadshow. 

However, Anderson has made no secret of his stance, and he believes both the PDC and Sky Sports knew exactly what his response would have been.

“No, which I was sick about because I wanted to say no,” Anderson revealed days after the 2026 Premier League line-up was announced.

“I think they knew the way I had gone on. They kept asking, asking and asking, but I’m happy with what I’m doing now.”

‘I’m Just Too Old for It’

At 55, Anderson says age is the decisive factor behind his refusal to entertain the Premier League lifestyle.

“I made a big song and dance about it. I’m just too old for it,” Anderson told SportsBoom.co.uk. 

The week-in, week-out travel and demands of the Premier League simply don’t appeal, even when form and ranking suggest he still belongs among the elite.

World Series? Not Even on His Radar

Alongside the Premier League, the PDC’s World Series events have recently taken players to Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, with the Saudi Arabia Masters offering unprecedented financial incentives.

A $100,000 (£74,700) bonus was available for hitting a nine-dart finish, with players able to double that to $200,000 by landing an additional dart at the bullseye, on top of the £30,000 winner’s prize.

Remarkably, Anderson wasn’t even aware of the bonus.

“Was there darts in Saudi? I don't watch darts honestly; I don’t give two monkeys.”

‘There’s Your Answer’

When asked whether the Saudi event and its huge prize money could tempt him to break his own rules, Anderson’s response was typically blunt.

“It is more than an hour on plane? There’s your answer.”

Even the prospect of landing a $200,000 bonus wasn’t enough.

“No, including tax, no.”

Ranking Events Come First

For Anderson, the issue isn’t just long-haul travel, it’s the sheer volume of darts already packed into the PDC calendar.

With traditional televised majors, such as the ongoing World Masters, alongside the 34 Players Championship events and 14 European Tour tournaments, players are left with little downtime.

Last season’s Pro Tour schedule ran from 10 February through to 30 October, leaving minimal opportunity for rest or family time.

A Brutal Pro Tour Schedule

The Players Championship alone is spread across 17 separate weeks, often featuring two events in quick succession in locations such as Milton Keynes, Leicester and Wigan.

European Tour weekends only add to the strain, with players frequently travelling across Europe before racing back to the UK midweek.

“I looked at the schedule even without the Premier League, it’s hectic, it’s bad.”

“If you do an event in Poland [European Tour], you get back from Poland on the Monday, you’ve got to get to Leicester or Milton Keynes [Players Championship] or wherever it is. It’s too much.”

Anderson’s ‘Simple Solution’

Rather than trimming events, Anderson believes the answer lies in restructuring the calendar to give players meaningful blocks of rest.

“There’s a simple situation. Every two months, you can have a seven-day Pro Tour event. So, within the 10 months you’ve covered all the pro tours. So that gives you seven weeks off. In that seven weeks you could play one, two, you could play three Europeans, and you’ll still have four or five weeks off.”

For Anderson, it’s not about playing less darts, it’s about playing smarter, and giving players a chance to breathe in an unforgiving modern schedule.