Dobey Dominates Players Championship as Humphries' Struggles Persist

Luke Humphries' recent form woes continued with a disappointing last-16 exit at the Players Championship 9 in Wigan, while Chris Dobey celebrated his second title of 2026 with a resounding victory. Humphries, still reeling from his quarter-final loss to Jonny Clayton just four days prior, was unable to bounce back and fell to a 6-4 defeat at the hands of Andrew Gilding. Gilding proceeded to overcome Beau Greaves, who made history by becoming the first female player to reach a PDC ProTour quarter-final, with a 6-3 win. However, Gilding's own campaign came to an end with a 7-1 semi-final loss to eventual champion Dobey, who romped to the title with an 8-4 win over Justin Hood in the final. Dobey's impressive run was marked by consistently high averages, including a 105.28 average in the final, which proved too much for Hood to handle. The Northumberland-born player expressed his desire to build on this momentum and secure more titles, stating, 'I'm hoping to pick up more titles, it's hard just to win one of these, so to win ten is a great feeling.' He also acknowledged Hood's spirited challenge, saying, 'He put up a good fight with some great shots at crucial times, but I played some good stuff all day, and I'm delighted with another win.' The event also witnessed a nine-darter courtesy of Thomas Lovely in his round three loss to Luke Woodhouse. The competition saw several notable results, including last 16 wins for Tom Bissell, Connor Scutt, and Tom Sykes, before ultimately culminating in Dobey's triumphant victory. As the Premier League Darts season unfolds, all eyes will be on Luke Humphries as he defends his title, with the action available to stream every Thursday until May on Sky Sports.