PDC World Darts Championship 2026 Round-Up | Clayton surges past debutant Lipscombe, Scutt survives Whitlock comeback and Van Duijvenbode dazzles
PDC
Jonny Clayton weathered the Baby Boy storm from Adam Lipscombe, Dirk van Duijvenbode dazzled with Max Hopp also enduring a swansong return to the Ally Pally stage all on Monday night at the PDC World Darts Championship while Connor Scutt survived a late comeback from Simon Whitlock.
ADVERTISEMENT
Clayton was taking on Lipscombe who was chartered the shorter journey than some to the Alexandra Palace from Portsmouth for his debut in a limo. 'Baby Boy' who infamously missed droves of darts to beat Daryl Gurney last month in Minehead looked a bit like a rabbit in the headlights on his walk-on.
A player who perhaps was not expecting to be at Ally Pally or even on the tour, he didn't get into the final stage of Q-School in January and was only there due to a late withdrawal and he took his chance and got onto the tour after being a bit of a mainstay on the MODUS Super Series.
A bit of a fairytale, it wasn't Aaron Beeney esque though in execution as he reached a ProTour final losing to Gary Anderson and has been steady this season. Clayton though is seen as one of the form horses this period and will be looking for a Premier League spot too.
Follow the 2026 World Darts Championship via our live scores!
Follow the 2026 World Darts Championship via our live scores!
He won through in the end 3-1 and despite not being at his best for the vast majority, a win is a win. 'The Ferret' survived multiple missed darts at double from Lipscombe in the early going who hit a 102 in the opening set but Clayton hit double 16 to seal it 1-0.
In the second set, Clayton missed the chance on double six but Lipscombe couldn't take out 105. He couldn't hit the other darts to win the leg either and Clayton finally made it 2-2. Clayton missed 64 for the set and Lipscombe returned for double four.
Clayton couldn't pin 102 and Lipscombe had one dart at double 20 but missed it allowing Clayton back to hold on double one. He won through before he hit a superb 145 checkout to begin set four and he broke and held before concluding it with a 100 checkout.
ADVERTISEMENT
Van Duijvenbode dazzles
It was perhaps Dirk van Duijvenbode that impressed the most though as he came from 2-1 down against former WDF World Champion Andy Baetens who is now forced to return to Q-School.
Van Duijvenbode took out four ton plus checkouts including a 170 checkout and ended with a 98.54 average. Sublime from the Titan.
To start, Van Duijvenbode broke on double nine and Baetens responded with a 12-dart 100 checkout to make it 1-1.
'The Titan' hit an 81 checkout to go 2-1 up. He was throwing for the set. Van Duijvenbode pinned double 20 to seal the opening set albeit Baetens revived his fortunes. Baetens added to the break with a 90 checkout for 2-0. Baetens could only whittle his score down to 96 though with Van Duijvenbode sat on double 20 and Dirk held.
ADVERTISEMENT
Baetens took the second with a 70 checkout to win through 3-1 and it was now 1-1. Van Duijvenbode broke to begin set three with a 95 using two double 19's. Baetens broke back and hit a 64 checkout to go 2-1 up in sets.
Baetens broke to begin set four but Van Duijvenbode broke back. Van Duijvenbode surged with a 170 checkout after a 106 and completed the win from there from the brink.
Scutt survives comeback and Hopp seals superb return
While Connor Scutt completed a 3-0 sets win over Simon Whitlock on the return of the Wizard to the Palace. It was the ever improving Sniper who got the result.
ADVERTISEMENT
It was a 3-0 win as Scutt opened on double six. Whitlock missed 85 to break straight back but Scutt could not pin 110. 'The Wizard' was back to conjure up some magic in the form of double two. Scutt sealed the set with a 117 checkout. Scutt broke with a 67 checkout and was throwing for a two set lead. But Whitlock broke back.
In the decider though Scutt pinned a 56 checkout for a 2-0 lead. Whitlock hit an incredible 167 checkout to break throw. Scutt broke with an 89 checkout to go one away from the win. Scutt missed a match dart and Whitlock took the set.
Whitlock was one away from 2-2 in sets. He hit a 12-darter 80 checkout to hold with Scutt needing a hold to send it all the way in the set. Whitlock sealed the set hitting double four to seal it 3-2. It was going all the way from 2-0 down.
Double 10 for Whitlock opened the final set. Scutt hit 164 to leave 145 and he hit 56 to make it 1-1. Scutt returned with a 127 checkout to go one away. Whitlock missed darts to stay in it and Scutt finally got over the line before over time.
While Max Hopp five years on from his last Ally Pally appearance was superb to open the night as he saw off Martin Lukeman 3-1.
ADVERTISEMENT
Hopp went two sets up. Lukeman snapped the rot with a 70 checkout to go 2-0 up. Hopp broke back though and pinned 75 to make it 2-2. Lukeman hit 100 to go 2-1 down in sets. Lukeman missed darts to hold off 74 and Hopp pinned double 16 to make it 2-0 and he was throwing for the win. Hopp finally got over the line. A great return.
Samuel GillChief Content Officer
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.
In his current role, Samuel works closely with editors and writers to ensure content meets clear journalistic standards, with a focus on source verification, editorial consistency, and timely updates when new, confirmed information becomes available.
claps 0visitors 0
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- And why should he listen to you?Deduce635807-11-2026
- Ultimately it is a bye for whoever draws Barney. It will be another stroppy and sulky performance once he goes behind. Barney was excellent but really must completely call it a day now.richieburnettrocks07-11-2026
- I'm disappointed he was not able to secure a spot at the Grand Slam. With Carl Sneyd taking care of Daryl Gurney, he would have had to beat Andy Boulton before facing the winner of Sneyd vs Mensur Suljović for a Grand Slam spot. Unfortunately, after beating Filip Bereza comfortably, he succumbed to Boulton, and the board would ultimately be won by the highly inconsistent Carl Sneyd. Since he could instead have been drawn against the likes of Cristo Reyes, Dirk van Duijvenbode and Stephen Bunting, I think once Gurney was out of the picture he would have been favourite to win his board, and it seems like a massive missed opportunity to put 5 grand on his ranking and seal another major TV appearance ahead of the Worlds. The highs and lows of following Raymond van Barneveld!Deduce635806-11-2026
- 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
- Play all legs and the winners split the pot. Luke gets the lot of he wins them all. If your occupation is darts player you can't enter, regardless of ability.BandB01-11-2026
- I'm quite a jaded person all things considered, but to be honest I found Beat Luke Littler to be pretty entertaining. It certainly wasn't seamless, which is to be expected given the lack of precedence, but I actually think the pacing was pretty good, the production was impressive, and there was a good sense of humour and levity to it. I think it was a very ambitious undertaking but one that, for the most part, paid off. I liked the system with the four pots and I think it added to the drama and intrigue. I enjoyed seeing the diverse range of entrants and learning about their backstories. I think the interactivity was pretty clever and well-integrated. The panel was a little incoherent at times; Lee Mack shone however, and his improvisational skills were appreciated during some more awkward interstitial moments. As far as the darts is concerned, it was a shame that the format didn't allow Littler to get into full flow. You obviously don't want him to steamroll everyone but you want to feel like you're getting the full Littler package rather than seeing him struggling to get out of first gear. I will say that his leg against Jayden Walker was very impressive, but it was mostly downhill from there. The attraction revolves around Littler being this untouchable, indomitable force, yet the format doesn't really allow him to fulfil that characterisation. As for Fallon Sherrock, she was mightily impressive and deserved the victory. It is a testament to her unshakeable character that she was able to bang in a 14-darter under such mind-bending pressure. Everything that has been said about the misleading marketing is valid, though they were clear about their eligibility criteria and were able to offload the responsibility somewhat by bringing the viewers into the decision-making process in real time. What is clear though, is that Fallon played the game according to the rules, and she should not be criticised for that, much less abused. I will admit though that it is a kick in the teeth for those true amateurs who committed time and money to the course, and I would also question those who think pub players would have no chance, given that some of Littler's winning legs were dispatched in 7 visits to the board! The great thing about darts is that it isn't so much that amateurs cannot replicate the feats of brilliance pulled off by professionals of the sport, than it is that they simply cannot replicate the consistency of their output, something that this format almost entirely removes from the equation. It should also be noted that, financially, Fallon certainly stands to benefit much less in relative terms from the paycheque than would your average pub thrower, as I'm sure she nets a fair income from the lucrative exhibition circuit alone. What I do hope is that she might use this as an opportunity to really build up a head of steam heading into the new season, as it seems long overdue that she come through Q-School and really take it to the pros on a week-in week-out basis, but whatever she chooses to do, she has certainly achieved enough already for one if not several lifetimes, so who am I to dictate terms? To conclude though, I will state once again that I found Beat Luke Littler to be a pretty enjoyable evening of entertainment. I do feel for the contestants who never actually had the chance to try their luck against the world #1, although I suppose it comes with the format, but all which inevitably raises the question: will Netflix be tempted to do it all again next year? It's hard to say. Whether it would be financially viable, I can't weigh in there. One point I have been making though, and which I touched on earlier, is that the entire concept relies on a public perception that Littler is more or less unbeatable, and that certainly hasn't been the case of late. If the execs had been trying to pitch the show in recent months while Littler has seemed vulnerable, rather than when he was mopping up almost every major title on the calendar, it would certainly be a tougher sell. We will have to see in about 6 months' time whether Littler can still reliably command perception as a near-unstoppable force in darts, and then we'll have a clearer idea about whether we should expect a second helping. Even as a one-off experiment though, and with all the controversy taken into account, I still don't think they disgraced themselves by any means, and that will probably be my lingering assessment of the event when all is said and done.Deduce635801-11-2026