WDF Lakeside Open 2026 Preview: Final Race for Lakeside Places
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The road to Lakeside runs through one final stop. The WDF Lakeside Open 2026 takes place on Saturday, October 31, at the Lakeside Country Club in Frimley Green, and it is the last ranking event before the field for the 2026 WDF World Championship is confirmed. For players still chasing a place at the home of world darts, there is no tomorrow after this one, only the last-chance qualifier on Sunday, November 1.
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Once the Lakeside Open ends, the picture becomes final. The World Championship draw will be made in the week commencing November 2 and broadcast on the WDF YouTube channel, before the main event runs from November 27 to December 6 at the same famous venue. Everything on Saturday is about one thing: earning, or protecting, a ticket to Lakeside.
WDF Lakeside Open 2026: Dates, Venue and What’s at Stake
The WDF Lakeside Open 2026 is staged at the Lakeside Country Club in Frimley Green, the venue that will again stage the World Championship a few weeks later. The event sits at the very end of the WDF ranking season. Results here can still move players in and out of the qualifying places, and for those on the bubble, a deep run on Saturday could be the difference between watching the Worlds from home and walking out on the Lakeside stage.
The stakes are just as high in the women’s and youth races, where places are also still being decided. With the field confirmed immediately after the Open, there is no second chance through the rankings. The only remaining route after Saturday is the last-chance qualifier at Lakeside on Sunday, November 1.
How the Lakeside Field Is Decided
According to the latest WDF Lakeside race update, 27 players are already assured of places at the 2026 World Championship, but dozens of spots remain open. In the men’s field, sixteen players sit on a qualifying path through the provisional Open Race Ranking, led by Scotland’s Mitchell Lawrie, the Denmark Open winner and the top favourite in the race. Behind Lawrie are Jenson Walker, Paul Krohne, Moreno Blom, Corne Groeneveld, Ross Montgomery, James Beeton and Leonard Gates, while Chris Lim is certain of a place after winning the World Masters.
Other players have booked their tickets by winning key WDF events. David Davies of Wales, Jason Brandon of the United States, Jack Drayton of England, veteran Canadian Jeff Smith, Ryusei Azemoto of Japan, Mark Cleaver of New Zealand, Blake Hatchett and Terry Jun Hao Tan are all already in. The regional ranking tables will add further qualifiers, with Arihara, De Los Reyes, Smith, Bailey, Legault, Giuliani, Puha and Hope currently on course.
In the women’s race, Deta Hedman, Gemma Hayter, Rhian O’Sullivan and Priscilla Steenbergen are already assured of places, while former women’s finalist Sophie McKinlay sealed her return to Lakeside by winning the Las Vegas qualifier. For everyone else, the Lakeside Open is the last ranking chance to force their way in.
A New Open Champion Will Be Crowned
One thing is already certain about the 2026 WDF World Championship: it will crown a new men’s champion. Last year’s winner, Jimmy van Schie, will not defend his title because he now holds a PDC Tour Card, leaving the Open crown open for a new name. That adds another layer to Saturday, because several players fighting for qualification will believe they can go all the way in December.
Lawrie heads that list. The teenage sensation has been the standout name in the race rankings, and a strong showing on Saturday would send him into the World Championship as one of the players to beat. Krohne, the Dutch Open champion, and the experienced Duff and Montgomery also have the pedigree to thrive over Lakeside’s longer set format.
WDF World Championship 2026 Prize Money and Format
The prize fund for the 2026 WDF World Championship is the largest for a set of tournaments outside of the PDC. The Open champion takes home £50,000, with £16,000 for the runner-up, £8,000 for the semi-finalists and £4,000 for the quarter-finalists. The women’s champion earns £25,000, the highest prize for a women’s tournament anywhere, with £8,000 for the runner-up and £4,000 for the semi-finalists. The youth winner claims £3,250 and the girls’ champion £1,650.
The format is unchanged. In the Open event, the first round, second round and last 16 are best of five sets, rising to best of seven for the quarter-finals, best of nine for the semi-finals and best of 11 for the final. In the women’s event, the first round and last 16 are best of three sets, followed by best of five for the quarter-finals and semi-finals and best of seven for the final. The youth event starts with best-of-three matches, then best of five for the semi-finals and best of seven for the final.
World Championship coverage is set across the WDF YouTube channel, BBC iPlayer, S4C and Sport 1 in Germany. Details for watching the Lakeside Open itself are still to be confirmed, so fans should watch the WDF’s channels before Saturday.
How to Watch and What Happens Next
The sequence after the weekend is now clear. The Lakeside Open takes place on Saturday, October 31, the last-chance qualifier follows on Sunday, November 1, and the World Championship draw will be made in the week commencing November 2 and broadcast on the WDF YouTube channel. The World Championship then runs from Friday, November 27 to Sunday, December 6.
The Lakeside Country Club offers free on-site parking. For everyone else, the WDF YouTube channel will be the place to follow the draw and much of the championship itself. Our World Darts Championship 2026/27 schedule guide has the full dates and TV details for the PDC event that follows at Alexandra Palace.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the WDF Lakeside Open 2026?
The WDF Lakeside Open 2026 takes place on Saturday, October 31, 2026, at the Lakeside Country Club in Frimley Green.
What is at stake at the Lakeside Open?
It is the final ranking event before the WDF World Championship field is confirmed, with a last-chance qualifier at Lakeside on Sunday, November 1 for the remaining spots.
When is the WDF World Championship 2026?
The WDF World Championship 2026 runs from November 27 to December 6, 2026, at the Lakeside Country Club, with the draw made in the week of November 2.
How much does the WDF World Championship winner earn?
The Open champion earns £50,000 and the women’s champion £25,000, as part of the largest prize fund for a set of tournaments outside the PDC.
Conclusion
The WDF Lakeside Open 2026 is far more than a warm-up act. It is the final checkpoint on the road to the World Championship, the last day ranking points can change a player’s fate, and the event that decides who still has something to play for on Sunday. With Mitchell Lawrie leading the race, a new Open champion guaranteed and a £50,000 top prize waiting in December, Saturday at Lakeside promises tension from the first dart to the last.
Sources: WDF World Championship prize money and format confirmed and WDF Lakeside race update.
