Luke Humphries' recent struggles persisted with a disappointing last-16 exit at the Players Championship 9 in Wigan, while Chris Dobey secured his second title of 2026 with a commanding performance. Humphries' woes deepened just four days after a quarter-final loss to Jonny Clayton in Brighton, which jeopardized his chances of reaching the Premier League finals.
He was unable to bounce back, suffering a 6-4 defeat to Andrew Gilding. Gilding went on to beat 22-year-old Beau Greaves 6-3, following her historic victories over Raymond van Barneveld and Premier League leader Clayton, making her the first woman to reach a ProTour quarter-final in PDC history. Gilding's impressive run was halted by eventual champion Dobey, who thrashed Luke Woodhouse 6-1 in the last 16 and Richard Veenstra 6-3 in the quarter-finals, before overcoming Justin Hood 8-4 in the final to claim the £15,000 prize. Dobey, a 35-year-old from Northumberland, initially lost the first two legs against Hood but then seized control by winning six of the next seven legs.
Throughout the tournament, Dobey consistently delivered impressive ton-plus averages, including a 105.28 average in the final, which proved sufficient to overcome Hood's spirited challenge and his average of 102.91. "My goal is to win more titles, given my performance this year," Dobey said.
"It's challenging to win just one of these events, so winning 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 great fight with some excellent shots at crucial times, but I played exceptionally well throughout the day, and I'm thrilled with another win.
"My focus now is on replicating this success on TV and in European Tour events. I know I have the ability; it's just about maintaining consistency." The tournament in Wigan also witnessed a nine-darter, with Thomas Lovely achieving a perfect leg of darts in his round three defeat to 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 title, and you can watch the action every Thursday until May on Sky Sports. Stream darts and more top sports with NOW.