MICHAEL VAN GERWEN is closing in on a slice of history after moving to the brink of earning £1 million on the PDC Order of Merit.
The Dutch star's incredible success over the past two years has seen him overtake Phil Taylor as the world number one with an amazing run of wins.
Van Gerwen's current Order of Merit total includes prize money won as the 2014 World Champion, for winning the 2013 Players Championship Finals, the World Grand Prix and European Championship last year and the 2015 UK Open.
The £25,000 prize money which van Gerwen won in last weekend's Gibraltar Darts Trophy has taken him to £996,100 on the PDC Order of Merit.
With a £5,000 total to "defend" in next month's German Darts Masters, the 25-year-old could top £1 million should he reach the final of the European Tour event in Munich.
Speaking of his amazing success so far in 2015, van Gerwen admits: "I feel great and confidence is really important in this game.
"I know when I'm confident that I can play really well and I hope I can keep this going for a long time. That's what I'm aiming for and I've done well at the start of the season since the semi-final loss in the World Championship.
"I'm playing some of the best darts of my life at the moment but I know I can do better and you need to believe that you can do better, so we're going to see in the next couple of months.
"There's always improvement and you can learn from other players. I want to do better every time and you have to try, which is what I'm doing."
Van Gerwen is now almost £400,000 clear of Taylor, whose status as world number two has come under threat by new World Champion Gary Anderson - who could jump up to second should he win the £25,000 German Darts Masters title.
Taylor was the only player previously to top £1 million on the PDC Order of Merit, after he won the 2010 World Championship to follow up two imperious years in 2008 and 2009.
Totals on the PDC Order of Merit count prize money won in ranking tournaments, with prize money won previously in the Premier League, Grand Slam of Darts and World Series of Darts not counted towards a players' rankings.
However, from 2015 onwards the SINGHA Beer Grand Slam of Darts will count towards the PDC Order of Merit.
PDC Order of Merit - current top ten
| 1 | Michael van Gerwen | £996,100 |
| 2 | Phil Taylor | £598,100 |
| 3 | Gary Anderson | £586,000 |
| 4 | Adrian Lewis | £400,150 |
| 5 | Peter Wright | £356,550 |
| 6 | James Wade | £279,850 |
| 7 | Simon Whitlock | £250,100 |
| 8 | Robert Thornton | £228,000 |
| 9 | Dave Chisnall | £227,500 |
| 10 | Mervyn King | £213,800 |