Bunting’s Last Stand? Swiss Darts Trophy 2026 Draw, Dates and What Comes Next

The Swiss Darts Trophy returns to the calendar in mid-March 2026, staged over four intense days in Switzerland as part of the PDC circuit. Defending champion Bunting arrives not as an afterthought but as a marked man, carrying the burden and the target that comes with a trophy to protect. Organisers have confirmed a seeded draw and a compressed schedule that rewards hot starts and punishes slow burners.

The format remains the familiar 48-player European Tour structure, with the top 16 seeds entering in round two and a packed first round of hungry qualifiers setting the tone. The draw has thrown up mouth-watering early ties and a potential heavyweight collision in the bottom half, with names like van Gerwen, Littler and Price reportedly entered. Short recovery windows and long nights under pressure will separate the contenders from the pretenders.

Bunting’s title defence will hinge on two things: a sharp scoring leg and his trademark resilience in deciding legs. He is dangerous when he keeps the pace; he is vulnerable when the 180s dry up and the board slows. Key challengers — the mercurial Littler, the experienced van Gerwen and the bulldog pragmatism of Price — all present different tactical tests that will expose weaknesses in any draw.

The Guru’s verdict is simple and unsentimental: Bunting will get deep if he finds early rhythm, but history and the draw favour a fresh, relentless scorer to claim the silverware. My recommendation for watchers and backers is to respect Bunting’s heart but invest belief in a younger heavy scorer to upset the balance — I expect a final where Bunting makes the semis, but the trophy changes hands.