PDC world darts rankings: Peter Wright climbs to a career high two on the Order of Merit

Snakebite became only the fourth man in history to win 10 tournaments in a calendar year last month and one of those was his maiden televised title at the UK Open.

Having closed the gap on Gary Anderson - his Scottish team-mate at the Betway World Cup of Darts - in recent months, Wright finally achieved his long-held ambition of claiming world number two status this week.

Anderson has recently missed the World Grand Prix and the Players Championship double-header in Barnsley this week following the birth of his daughter.

The Flying Scotsman, though, remains within touching distance of Wright in the rankings going into the year's remaining ranking events, sitting just £2,500 behind at October 12.

Wright can be backed at 8/1 fourth favourite with Sky Bet to win the World Championship, while world number one Michael van Gerwen is 8/11 favourite ahead of Anderson (6/1) and Phil Taylor (7/1).

Daryl Gurney's World Grand Prix win lifted him up to sixth on the Order of Merit, while Alan Norris is now in the top 16 at the expense of Ian White, who is 17th on count-back.

Rob Cross' amazing debut year continued with his fourth Players Championship victory on Tuesday, and he is now 32nd on the Order of Merit after continuing his rise, knocking Brendan Dolan down to 33rd.

Jonny Clayton's win in Wednesday's Players Championship has seen him jump to 42nd in the world following his maiden ranking victory.

PDC Order of Merit: Top 10 (October 12)

MICHAEL VAN GERWEN (1)

• Nickname: Mighty Mike
• Date of Birth: 25/04/1989
• Nationality: Dutch
• Walk-on music: Seven Nation Army, White Stripes
• Career highlights: 2x World Champion (2014 & 2017), 2x World Matchplay champion (2015, 2016), 3x Premier League champion (2013, 2016, 2017), 3x World Grand Prix champion (2012, 2014, 2016), 2x UK Open champion (2015, 2016), 2x Grand Slam of Darts champion (2015, 2016), 3x European champion (2014, 2015, 2016), 3x Masters champion (2015, 2016, 2017), 3x Players Championship Finals champion ( 2013, 2015, 2016), 2x World Cup winner (2014, 2017) & over 50 other PDC titles!

PETER WRIGHT (2)

• Nickname: Snakebite
• Date of Birth: 10/03/1970
• Nationality: Scottish
• Walk-on music: Don't Stop The Party, Pitbull
• Career highlights: UK Open champion (2017), World Championship runner-up (2014), Premier League runner-up (2017), World Matchplay runner-up (2017) 17 non-televised PDC titles and four more televised final appearances. Fourth player to win 10 PDC tournaments in a calendar year (2017)

GARY ANDERSON (3)

• Nickname: The Flying Scotsman
• Date of Birth: 22/12/1970
• Nationality: Scottish
• Walk-on music: Jump Around, House of Pain
• Career highlights: 2x World Champion (2015, 2016), 2x Premier League champion (2011, 2015), Players Championship Finals champion (2014), over 30 other PDC titles, runner-up in 10 other major finals including the World Championship, UK Open, World Grand Prix & Champions League of Darts

ADRIAN LEWIS (4)

• Nickname: Jackpot
• Date of Birth: 21/011985
• Nationality: English
• Walk-on music: Papa's Got a Brand New Pigbag, Pigbag
• Career highlights: 2x World Champion (2011, 2012), UK Open champion (2014), European champion (2013), 4x World Cup winner (2012, 2013, 2015, 2016), 17 other PDC titles, runner-up in 10 majors including 2011 Premier League & 2016 World Championship

PHIL TAYLOR (5)

• Nickname: The Power
• Date of Birth: August 13 1960
• Nationality: England
• Walk-on music: I've Got The Power, Snap
• Notable Achievements: 14x PDC World Champion (1995-2002, 2004-2006, 2009, 2010, 2013), 2x BDO World Champion (1990, 1992), 16x World Matchplay champion (1995, 1997, 2000-2004, 2006, 2008-2014, 2017), 11x World Grand Prix champion (1998-2000, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2013), 5x UK Open champion (2003, 2005, 2009, 2010, 2013), 6x Grand Slam of Darts champion (2007-2009, 2011, 2013, 2014), 6x Premier League champion (2005-2008, 2010, 2012), 4x European Champion (2008-2011), 3x Players Championship Finals champion (2009, 2011, 2012), Masters champion (2013), Champions League of Darts champion (2016), 4x World Cup winner (2012, 2013, 2015, 2016), over 100 other PDC titles

DARYL GURNEY (6)

• Nickname: SuperChin
• Date of Birth: 22/03/1986
• Nationality: Northern Irish
• Walk-on music: Sweet Caroline, Neil Diamond
• Career highlights: World Grand Prix champion (2017), World Matchplay semi-finalist (2017), World Championship quarter-finalist (2017), UK Open semi-finalist (2017), winner of one non-televised PDC title

MENSUR SULJOVIC (7)

• Nickname: The Gentle
• Date of Birth: 05/03/1972
• Nationality: Austrian
• Walk-on music: Simply The Best, Tina Turner
• Career highlights: Champions League of Darts champion (2017), European Championship runner-up (2016), winner of two non-televised PDC titles, 2015 World Grand Prix semi-finalist on debut

DAVE CHISNALL

• Nickname: Chizzy
• Date of Birth: 12/09/1980
• Nationality: English
• Walk-on music: Dizzy, Vic Reeves & Wonderstuff
• Career highlights: World Grand Prix runner-up (2013), Grand Slam of Darts runner-up (2014), Masters runner-up (2016), Players Championship Finals runner-up (2016), winner of 12 non-televised PDC titles

RAYMOND VAN BARNEVELD (9)

• Nickname: Barney
• Date of Birth: 20/04/1967
• Nationality: Dutch
• Walk-on music: Eye of The Tiger, Survivor
• Career highlights: PDC World Champion (2007), 4x BDO world champion (1998, 1999, 2003, 2005), 2x UK Open champion (2006, 2007), Premier League champion (2014), Grand Slam of Darts champion (2012), 3x World Cup winner (2010, 2014, 2017), 20 other PDC titles, runner-up in eight majors including the World Championship, World Matchplay and World Grand Prix

JAMES WADE (10)

• Nickname: The Machine
• Date of Birth: 06/04/1983
• Nationality: English
• Walk-on music: The Boys Are Back In Town, Thin Lizzy
• Career highlights: 2x World Grand Prix champion (2007, 2010), World Matchplay champion (2007), Premier League champion (2009), 2x UK Open champion (2008, 2011), Masters champion (2014), 20 non-televised PDC titles, runner-up in 11 televised majors

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