PDC Players Championship 3 Round-up | Chris Dobey demolishes Stephen Bunting in clinical final performance to take first title of 2026
PDC
Chris Dobey rules supreme in Wigan after a fine final
performance saw him past an under-par Stephen Bunting 8-1 to win Players Championship 3.
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It was a 15th PC final for Dobey who has really found
some form and consistency over the past few years in this scenery. The world
number 13 had only managed one win in Hildesheim at the opening two tournaments
but turned this around as he cited a ninth ProTour title.
He began his day in Wigan with a comprehensive 6-1 win over former
WDF world champion Shane McGuirk ahead of taking down Ryan Joyce 6-4 while
averaging 106 on the dot.
Bradley Brooks is usually a tricky customer, but it would
prove to be a walk in the park for ‘Hollywood’ as he romped towards a 6-0
triumph against ‘Bam Bam’. He survived three match darts before taking his
sixth in a dramatic quarterfinal win over Daryl Pilgrim. He went into his
semi-final a big favourite over Tom Bissell who reached a maiden last-four. He
was blown away by an authoritative Dobey in a 7-2 victory.
Dobey races ahead
Dobey came out the blocks faster. He raced far ahead to set
up double 16 with Bunting not even close to a double. He showed his intentions
by pinning it the first time of asking before accelerating away again. Partly due
to his brilliance, partly because of a slow start for Bunting. Dobey took out 60
in two for a significant break. This meant that Bunting had to break the throw
twice if he wanted to clinch the title.
Bunting was looking for a fifth PC title, but he would need
to complete another comeback similar to his semi-final. He finally got down to
a double but never had a chance to aim for it to break instantly back as Dobey
took out 72 in three on tops to extend his lead.
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Dobey came close to the first ton+ checkout of the match,
missing double 16 for a 110 outshot. Bunting was averaging in the low 80s at this
point, taking him 21 darts to even get remotely close to a double. Dobey found the
green bit of double 16 again and moved halfway towards the title.
Another leg went the way of Dobey as the frustrations from
the former world number four became a lot clearer as he shook his head after
failing to find the treble. Dobey showed his versatility on the doubles, missing
tops before coming down to pin double 10 to extend his lead to five legs
unanswered.
Stephen Bunting in action
Feeble comeback attempt by Bunting
The whitewash would not occur to the fortune of Bunting as
he finally got a dart at double. It may have been the bull, but he could not
convert but luckily Dobey was having an off leg and Bunting cleaned up on
double eight. He got a whole load more in the next leg when Dobey showed his
worst form on the outer ring. He missed double 16 for a 106 outshot before failing
to find his intended target on two separate visits. This offered Bunting a
whole host of chances to break but he wasted every chance. Dobey finally
cleaned up on double four for a 22-dart leg but it would not matter as he
extended his lead back to five legs.
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Bunting was one of the Premier League talents who opted
against making the trip to Hildesheim last week, meaning he had nothing on the
board. The number two seed, he has been a weapon on the floor, and this has
been showcased to the highest order today, in a huge contrast to his prior
abysmal stage form.
Carl Sneyd stood no chance in the opening round, losing 6-1
before Alexander Merkx managed to get a couple more legs off ‘The Bullet’ but a
105.41 average from Bunting was enough to prevent him making anymore inroads as
he won 6-3.
A ridiculously close match against Derek Coulson could have
gone either way with both players averaging over 101, but it was the world
number six who edged ahead. Three high profile wins followed. At 4-4, he managed
to close the match out against Danny Noppert with one prolific swoop before
exerting his revenge against Jonny Clayton after defeat in Antwerp. He won against
‘The Ferret’ 6-3 before completing a remarkable turnaround against James Wade.
The PC1 champion stormed into a 6-2 lead, looking for all the worth that he
would make a second final in 2026. Despite this, Bunting completed a brilliant
comeback as he won five consecutive legs to book his spot in the final.
Bunting again had three darts at a double, including double
18 for a 121. The pattern continued with squandered darts punished ruthlessly
by Dobey who moved further away from Bunting and one leg from the match. He finished
with a bit of style, taking out 84 on double 11 as he repeats the events of
last year and wins PC3. Bunting's average came out to a lacklustre 84.92 with Dobey a far more respectable 95.37.
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Fellow Premier League regulars make their mark
Luke Littler is now the only current Premier League Darts
player to not feature on the ProTour this season. Luke Humphries was the big
name making his return to the Circuit but could only reach the third round as
he lost a last-leg decider to Ritchie Edhouse, abruptly halting what was an
easy opening two matches.
Josh Rock also got his campaign underway but exited a round
earlier than the world number two, falling short to eventual quarterfinalist
Jim Long in a dismal display from the World Cup winner. Even worse was Gian van
Veen losing at the first hurdle to Pilgrim. Price also lost at this stage in a
huge upset against Adam Lipscombe, coming unstuck 6-2. ‘The Iceman’ was
stunning in Hildesheim enroute to the final in the last event but could not
repeat the magic in Wigan.
It may have been a frustrating end for Wade after he blew
his ginormous lead, but he managed to claim back top spot in the Players
Championship Order of Merit. Wessel Nijman drops to second after a third-round
defeat. Nathan Aspinall exited at the same stage but moved up to fourth. It
would have been third but the brilliance of Dobey pushed him up into the top
three. Price slipped down to fifth.
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The likes of Michael van Gerwen, Gary Anderson, Ryan Searle
and Martin Schindler sat this event out.
Lucas MichaelDarts Journalist
Lucas Michael is a darts journalist and reporter based in Cambridge, UK, and has been part of the DartsNews team since 2025. He covers professional darts through reports, analysis, round-ups, and live coverage, with a focus on clear context and accurate reporting across the PDC calendar.
A key part of his work is liveblogging major tournaments throughout the year, providing real-time updates, match coverage, and contextual reporting across the professional circuit. He also reports regularly from events on site and has covered the PDC World Darts Championship from the venue, delivering first-hand insight throughout the tournament.
Within the newsroom, Lucas works closely with the editorial team and supports coverage alongside Chief Content Officer Samuel Gill and reporter Kieran Wood.
Lucas holds a BA (Hons) in Sports Journalism. In his work, he places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating content promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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- And why should he listen to you?Deduce635807-11-2026
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- Probably i will receive a lot of backlash and hate for this reaction, but well, so be it. I am more than sick and tired of those lies of you Barry Hearn. How dare you defend yourself over the back of Fallon’s son! He has a disability and not an illness, so let me correct that for you! I know because I have the exact same disability. I have tried to reach out to Fallon in the past, and offered her to help her and her son, because I was struggling with the same problems, and I understood the boy. I wanted him to have finally someone who understood him. However she told me that she did not want my help, and I have respected Fallon’s choice. I have never asked Fallon for money. They don’t need money in that case. I only ever wanted the best for Fallon and Rory, but I have to be honest about the situation. Fallon should tell the true story and not be forced to tell lies. I don’t hate Fallon, and I don’t begrudge or envy a single penny that she gets, but this situation/case is just not fair. I hate the lies and the dishonesty and injustice. I don’t want Fallon to be hated because there is an unfair disadvantage created. Don’t proclaim your false lies over the back of Rory! I only stand for integrity and justice. I am precisely the one who always sticks up for Fallon. And you don't, you don't give a damn about them. You were never there for them, and now you only want to save your own position! You are just trying to talk your way out of your own bad behavior at the expense of someone with a disability. And to Fallon, I don’t know if this may ever reach you, and you read it, but I want you to know I love you and I love your son Rory very much, I am sorry how things developed and went. I hope you and Harriet are still friends. I am sorry if I were too persistent to you, or you experienced it that way, but it was never my intention. Please understand I have autism as well. As Barry Hearn would say, I am only just a human being too, and I also make mistakes and misjudge things sometimes. I promise you I did everything out of the deepest love and care for you and Rory. If I were you, I should just keep all the money, only please never be dishonest or tell lies anymore for Barry Hearn, or anyone else. I hope you have the best life, and I wish nothing more than the best for you. I have always loved the two of you. Farewell.Hiddo05-11-2026
- She is a professional. If darts is her income, she is a professional. Same as Adrian Lewis, Martin Adams. A tour card just means someone can play on the PDC tour. You could even make a case that Clayton wasn't a professional (until recently I believe) because he had employment elsewhere.BandB04-11-2026
- She's technically not a professional though as she doesn't hold a pro tour card.mr-pablo04-11-2026
- Such a shame that lakeside has been reduced to this. Fantastic venue,and previously a great tournament. Not any morerick6703-11-2026
- Seems to me that the top 16 players pick and choose whatever they want to play. Good,all the money will get spread out more. They get more money from exhibitions than tournaments so let them all withdrawrick6703-11-2026
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