Dobey Claims Second Title of 2026 as Humphries' Struggles Persist

Luke Humphries' slump continued with a last-16 exit at the Players Championship 9 in Wigan, while Chris Dobey secured his second title of 2026 with an 8-4 victory over Justin Hood in the final. Humphries' woes deepened following a quarter-final loss to Jonny Clayton, as he fell 6-4 to Andrew Gilding. Gilding then overcame Beau Greaves 6-3, after the 22-year-old made history as the first woman to reach a PDC ProTour quarter-final. Gilding's campaign ended with a 7-1 semi-final defeat to Dobey, who dominated Luke Woodhouse 6-1 in the last 16 and Richard Veenstra 6-3 in the quarter-finals. Dobey recovered from a slow start in the final, claiming six of the next seven legs to seal the £15,000 prize. The 35-year-old Dobey consistently produced ton-plus averages throughout the tournament, including a 105.28 average in the final to outlast Hood's spirited challenge. "I'm hoping to win more titles, given my form this year," Dobey said. "It's tough to win just one, so to win ten is an incredible feeling. Stream Premier League Darts with NOW Premier League Darts schedule and table Latest darts videos and highlights Listen to the Love the Darts podcast "Hood put up a good fight with some crucial shots, but I played well throughout the day and I'm thrilled with another win. "My goal now is to replicate this form on TV and in European Tour events. I know I can do it; it's just about maintaining consistency." The tournament in Wigan also saw a nine-darter, courtesy of Thomas Lovely in his round three loss to Luke Woodhouse. Last 16 results: Tom Bissell 6-4 Krzysztof Ratajski, Connor Scutt 6-3 Steve Lennon, Tom Sykes 6-3 Martijn Dragt, Justin Hood 6-3 Mensur Suljovic, Beau Greaves 6-4 Joe Hunt, Andrew Gilding 6-4 Luke Humphries, Chris Dobey 6-1 Luke Woodhouse, Richard Veenstra 6-5 Kevin Doets Quarter-final results: Connor Scutt 6-4 Tom Bissell, Justin Hood 6-0 Tom Sykes, Andrew Gilding 6-3 Beau Greaves, Chris Dobey 6-3 Richard Veenstra Semi-final results: Justin Hood 7-3 Connor Scutt, Chris Dobey 7-1 Andrew Gilding Final result: Chris Dobey 8-4 Justin Hood Who will claim this year's Premier League Darts title? Luke Humphries will be defending his crown, with action available every Thursday until May on Sky Sports. Stream darts and more top sports with NOW.