Dobey Claims Second Title of 2026 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 dominated the competition to secure his second title of 2026. Following a quarter-final loss to Jonny Clayton just four days prior, which jeopardized his Premier League finals hopes, Humphries was defeated 6-4 by Andrew Gilding. Gilding went on to beat Beau Greaves 6-3 after her historic run, becoming the first woman to reach a PDC ProTour quarter-final. However, Gilding's journey ended with a 7-1 semi-final loss to eventual winner Dobey, who crushed 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's victory was marked by a strong performance, including a 105.28 average in the final, which surpassed Hood's 102.91 average. 'I'm hoping to pick up more titles, given my performance throughout the year,' Dobey stated. 'Winning one of these is challenging, so winning ten is a great feeling.' A nine-darter was also achieved by Thomas Lovely in his round three loss to Woodhouse. The competition saw notable results, including Tom Bissell's 6-4 win over Krzysztof Ratajski and Connor Scutt's 6-3 victory over Steve Lennon. As the Premier League Darts continues, Luke Humphries will defend his title, with the action available to stream every Thursday until May on Sky Sports.