Stephen Bunting caused a resounding surprise in early February by winning the Masters, which was his first major title at the PDC. His start to the Pro Tour season, however, became one to quickly forget.
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Leading up to the Masters, Bunting was already struggling with the flu, and that did not appear to be resolved during the first two Players Championship tournaments of the season.
Bunting lost 6-4 to Dom Taylor on Monday in the first round of Players Championship 1 with an average of over 94. At Players Championship 2, the second round was the finish line. He defeated Josh Payne 6-3, before 'The Bullet' had to acknowledge his superiority to Martin Lukeman (6-4) despite an average of nearly 98.
"Naturally, I'm not overly happy with the results although I didn't play too badly," said Bunting.
"Not going to blame illness on things but obviously it's easier to play when you feel 100%.
"I'll get myself fit and hopefully be much better for Leicester next week."
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of DartsNews.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy across professional darts coverage. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces, playing a central role in the development and daily operation of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has extensive experience in darts media and has been closely involved in coverage of the professional darts circuit for several years. Within the UK darts community, he is a recognised figure known for his consistent editorial output and ongoing reporting on major tournaments and developments across the PDC calendar.
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As the curtain raised for this year's Pro Tour events, Stephen was unfortunately reaching out to close the blinds.
High off the back of his maiden PDC TV crown yet low due to a nasty chest infection, this particular trip to Wigan can be filed away in the forgettable cabinet.