De Graaf wins first PDC title, World Championship expands

Jeffrey de Graaf won his first Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) ranking title. He defeated Stephen Bunting 8–7 in an exciting Players Championship 24 final in Milton Keynes on August 25. The Dutch-born Swede became the first player from Sweden to win a PDC ranking event—a milestone moment for Scandinavian darts on the professional stage.

De Graaf’s road to winning was not straightforward. He won three matches that went to the final leg, including a close 6–5 first game against Adam Paxton and a tight win over former Grand Slam winner Jose de Sousa.

Before the final, he shone with a strong 6–2 win over Michael Smith in the last 16. He then beat Alan Soutar and Scott Williams in solid matches. In the final, De Graaf came back from 4–1 down to take a 5–4 lead.

He stayed calm in the tense last-leg decider, even though Bunting averaged 106. De Graaf averaged 102, giving his best performance when it counted most.

'It means a lot, it’s my first title ever in the PDC, so it’s great, it’s fantastic,' De Graaf expressed. 'I’m happy to be the first (Swedish player to win a Players Championship title), but hopefully not the last.'

Bunting, ranked 4th in the world, played well all day, averaging over 99 in each of his seven matches. He hit 106 in his semi-final win over Ross Smith.

Still, he lost narrowly in the final, marking his seventh loss in eight Players Championship finals since 2024. The streak can be frustrating, even though his form has been top-level. Talks about sports results often run at the same time as coverage of sites like Puntit - best sports betting sites for UK players.

Meanwhile, Luke Littler made a strong ProTour return after five months, narrowly beating Beau Greaves 6–5 before losing to Rob Cross in the last 16. Michael van Gerwen also left at that stage, even though he averaged 107.97 against Scott Williams. Belgian player Mike De Decker had the tournament’s highest average, 108, in his first-round win over Wesley Plaisier.

De Graaf’s win comes at an important time in the darts season, as players start focusing on qualifying for the 2025/26 Paddy Power World Darts Championship. This year will have a record 128 players at Alexandra Palace. The total prize money is £5 million, with £1 million going to the winner.

The qualification system has been changed to include more players from around the world. The top 40 players in the PDC Order of Merit after November’s Players Championship Finals will qualify automatically. Another 40 players who haven’t qualified but rank highest in the ProTour Order of Merit will also get spots.

The remaining 48 spots will be allocated to players from other countries, including those on the PDC’s tours in Asia, North America, and the Nordic & Baltic region. For the first time, at least four women are guaranteed a place. All players will start in the first round under the new system.

Reigning champion Luke Littler will lead the tournament with world number one Luke Humphries and three-time winner Michael van Gerwen. After De Graaf’s first big win, Sweden now has a new player ready to make a mark when the championship starts in December.