Kevin Doets tops Players Championship 18 averages as Luke Woodhouse turns big numbers into breakthrough title

Kevin Doets produced the highest average of the day at Players Championship 18, despite Luke Woodhouse being the man who ended the Leicester event with the trophy.

Doets topped the averages list with a superb 110.21, the only 110-plus average recorded at PC18. It was another reminder of the level the Dutchman has been producing on the ProTour this season, even if this time it did not translate into another title challenge.

He also appeared again near the top of the list with a 107.50, giving him two of the three highest averages of the tournament.

Ritchie Edhouse split Doets’ two entries, recording the second-best average of the day with 108.44. Kim Huybrechts and Jonny Clayton both followed on 106.09, with Clayton also appearing again lower down the leaderboard after posting 101.47.

David Sharp was next with 105.64, while Tom Sykes also made the upper end of the list with 104.46. Ryan Searle posted 103.46, just ahead of Jeffrey de Graaf on 103.39.

Woodhouse’s own highest average on the list was 102.04, but the Englishman produced the numbers when it mattered most across the day. He went on to beat Andrew Gilding 8-4 in the final to claim the first PDC title of his career.

That victory was particularly significant given Gilding had arrived in another final shortly after winning Players Championship 16. The former UK Open champion was also among the day’s top averages, registering 101.46.

James Wade featured with 101.97 after reaching the semi-finals, while Tommy Morris recorded 101.42 and Jurjen van der Velde completed the top 15 with 101.29.

The PC18 averages list was not dominated by the eventual champion, but it still told the wider story of another competitive ProTour day. Doets produced the peak number, Clayton, Huybrechts and Edhouse all impressed, and Woodhouse found the consistency and timing needed to finally turn a deep run into a first title.