Dobey Dominates Players Championship as Humphries' Struggles Persist

Luke Humphries' slump continued with a disappointing last-16 exit at the Players Championship 9 in Wigan, while Chris Dobey secured his second title of 2026 with a convincing victory. Humphries' woes deepened just four days after his quarter-final loss to Jonny Clayton in Brighton, which put his Premier League finals hopes in doubt, as he fell 6-4 to Andrew Gilding. Gilding then went on to defeat Beau Greaves 6-3, following her historic wins over Raymond van Barneveld and Premier League leader Clayton, making her the first woman to reach a ProTour quarter-final in PDC history. However, Gilding's run was halted by eventual champion Dobey in the semi-finals, who had earlier 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, the 35-year-old from Northumberland, initially trailed Hood but then took control by winning six of the next seven legs. Throughout the tournament, Dobey consistently delivered ton-plus averages, culminating in a 105.28 average in the final, which proved too much for Hood's spirited challenge, as he averaged 102.91. 'I've been playing well throughout the year, and I'm hoping to win more titles,' 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 great fight with some excellent shots at crucial times, but I played well all day and I'm thrilled with another win. 'I want to start performing on TV and winning European Tour titles. I know I can do it; it's just about being consistent.' The tournament in Wigan also witnessed a nine-darter, courtesy of Thomas Lovely's 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 win this year's Premier League Darts? 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 sport with NOW.