The final event that will determine who receives the £150,000 European Series bonus will take place in Gibraltar this week.
However, the third last ranking event of the campaign will not feature Neil Robertson after it was announced that the Australian has withdrawn from the competition.
Stephen Maguire, David Gilbert, Ali Carter, and Graeme Dott are other high-profile names who have pulled out.
The Gibraltar Open was billed as a head-to-head showdown between Robertson and Judd Trump for the lucrative jackpot.
A four-tournament swing, the inaugural BetVictor European Series has already produced champions in the European Masters, the German Masters, and the Snooker Shoot Out.
Robertson won the first event in Austria before finishing runner-up to Trump in Berlin a week later.
Neither player participated in the Shoot Out, meaning Robertson boasts a £35,000 advantage over his rival at the top of the order of merit standings.
Robertson’s decision to opt out has left the door slightly ajar for world number one Trump to snatch the European Series bonus for earning the most money across the four events.
The world champion needs to claim the title and the £50,000 top prize to usurp Robertson in the mini-rankings list.
Indeed, it could be a weekend to remember in more ways than one for the 30 year-old, as a victory would represent his sixth in a ranking event this term.
That would eclipse the previous record of five that Trump currently shares with Stephen Hendry, Ding Junhui, Mark Selby, and Ronnie O’Sullivan following his success in the Players Championship last week in Southport.
The Gibraltar Open, the last event that incorporates a similar format to the now defunct PTC series, gets under way on Wednesday as scores of amateurs attempt to join the main draw.
Players from the pro circuit will enter the fray on Friday with defending champion Stuart Bingham, Mark Williams, and Mark Selby among those currently set to feature.
The Gibraltar Open is one of numerous sporting events internationally that will be affected by the recent coronavirus outbreak, with attendances limited to 100 fans.
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