Luke Humphries' poor form persisted with a premature exit at the Player Championship 9 in Wigan, where Chris Dobey claimed his second title of 2026. Following a quarter-final loss to Jonny Clayton just four days prior, Humphries was eliminated by Andrew Gilding with a 6-4 scoreline. Gilding then proceeded to defeat Beau Greaves, who made history as the first woman to reach a ProTour quarter-final, before being halted by eventual champion Dobey in the semi-finals.
Dobey's path to victory included triumphs over Luke Woodhouse and Richard Veenstra, culminating in an 8-4 win over Justin Hood in the final, securing the £15,000 prize. Despite a slow start, Dobey regained control, leveraging his consistent performance throughout the tournament.
"My goal is to secure more titles, as winning one is already a challenge," Dobey stated. "I aim to translate this success to TV and European Tour events by maintaining consistency." The tournament also saw Thomas Lovely achieve a nine-darter in his round three loss to Woodhouse. As the Premier League Darts season progresses, Luke Humphries will strive to defend his title, with the action unfolding every Thursday on Sky Sports.