After issues crossing the border, some of those names have been complaining about getting to European events and the Tour could suffer if top players decide it is more hassle than it is worth.
It is unlikely with the prize money on offer, but there have been frustrations on social media and you would hope that those can be channeled in a positive way.
The opening day of the European Tour 3 event went as well as hoped with both selections returning winners, but it is a long weekend and Saturday is looking a busier day.
Hopefully there is some momentum behind the selections after a decent Night 7 at the Premier League too, but nothing can be taken for granted.
Martin Schindler v William O'Connor: There are better displays to come from Martin Schindler who has been struggling for consistency in the first three months of the 2026 season.
He would have been incredibly disappointed to have been dumped out in the Second Round in Germany last week, but Schindler is a solid competitor on the European Tour and can make amends in Belgium.
William O'Connor was a comfortable First Round winner on Friday, but had lost five of the previous seven matches played.
This will be close considering the recent level of Martin Schindler, but the expectation is that he can dig in and produce an important win.
Damon Heta to win & over 1.5 180s v Daryl Gurney: We know how good Damon Heta can be, but he has had a rough few months on the Tour.
His run to the European Tour 2 Semi Final last weekend will have given Heta a boost and especially as he came through a very competitive Quarter Final against a home player.
Scoring is going to be key to make sure the Australian remains in front of Daryl Gurney who has picked up enough wins to still be full of belief, even without a noted deep run at a recent tournament.
Crushing Ian White 6-1 in the First Round will give Daryl Gurney plenty of confidence, but Damon Heta beat him twice on the floor last season and can use that performance in Germany to spark another solid run.
Danny Noppert to win & both players over 1.5 180s v Luke Woodhouse: He may have been far from his best in beating Ricky Evans last week, but Danny Noppert reminded everyone of the consistently strong level being produced week to week when coming up short against Gerwyn Price.
A win over Luke Humphries has already been secured and the Dutchman is one of those players who will feel aggrieved about missing out on the Premier League, but who is more than capable to be invited into that tournament in 2027.
You have to expect Danny Noppert to be tested by Luke Woodhouse, but the latter has not really kicked on as hoped.
Both are solid maximum hitters- Luke Woodhouse had four in his 6-1 loss to Chris Dobey last week- but the edge is with Danny Noppert who has won seven of the last eight matches against this opponent.
Nathan Aspinall to win & most 180s v Ryan Joyce: One of the players that were complaining about the time it was taking to get through passport control ahead of the Belgium Darts Open was Nathan Aspinall and he will be keen to have a strong impact at the tournament to make it worth his while.
The Asp is unfortunate to not be playing in the Premier League this season, but results over the last month have not been the best.
Some of the draws have been unkind to him, but Aspinall will not be looking to make excuses in Belgium.
He is most definitely the heavier scorer compared with Ryan Joyce, but the latter is very dangerous with his doubling and so it should be a competitive match.
However, Ryan Joyce has really been struggling with his form over the last several weeks and he was beaten twice by Nathan Aspinall in 2025.
Maximum hitting is a strength for Aspinall and he can use that power scoring to ensure he has enough cracks at a double to edge past Relentless.
Luke Humphries to win & most 180s v Dirk van Duijvenbode: This should be a maximum filled contest when two of the most prolific 180 hitters on the Tour face one another in the Second Round.
Another Semi Final defeat at the Premier League means Luke Humphries continues to struggle to find the consistency he is expecting from himself, but the performances remain at a very good level.
Scoring has been much improved with his new flights, but doubling continues to be an issue and Humphries will have to clear that up in this Second Round match.
In a lot of situations, his scoring will allow him to pull clear and get through Legs, but that is not going to be the case against Dirk van Duijvenbode if the Dutchman is near his best.
The latter played well in Germany last weekend and has added a First Round win here, but Dirk van Duijvenbode can sometimes feel the pressure when being hit with the scoring power that someone like Luke Humphries can provide.
He remains dangerous and the maximum hitting power can blow away this selection, but the expectation is that Luke Humphries wins and his own power hitting has been evident in 2026.
Josh Rock to win & most 180s Kim Huybrechts: For the second time in three nights, Josh Rock is going to have to expect the crowd are going to be heavily in support of his opponent.
The Premier League nightmare continued in Dublin when Rock was blown away by Gerwyn Price, but the crowd did him no favours.
At least Josh Rock can say he has been producing much better darts outside of the Premier League setting and he may be able to edge past home favourite Kim Huybrechts in this Second Round match to conclude the days play.
He has dropped down to World Number 61 after a difficult time on the Tour, but Kim Huybrechts has put some decent form on the board in recent weeks.
The Belgian averaged over 100 in beating Nico Springer in the First Round and that will have given him a huge boost in confidence, but this may be a step too far right now for Kim Huybrechts and Josh Rock can use some superior scoring to edge through to Sunday.
MY PICKS: Martin Schindler @ 2.00 Bet365 (1 Unit)
Damon Heta to Win & Over 1.5 180s @ 2.20 Bet365 (1 Unit)
Danny Noppert to Win & Both Players Over 1.5 180s @ 2.37 Bet365 (1 Unit)
Nathan Aspinall to Win & Most 180s @ 1.80 Bet365 (1 Unit)
Luke Humphries to Win & Most 180s @ 2.50 Bet365 (1 Unit)
Josh Rock to Win & Most 180s @ 2.87 Bet365 (1 Unit)
Belgium Darts Open: 2-0, + 2.20 Units (2 Units Staked, + 110% Yield)
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