Players Championship 9 Round-Up | Chris Dobey seals second ProTour title of 2026 after standout final win over Justin Hood

The ninth Players Championship of the season took place on Monday afternoon with the latest ProTour double header taking place over the next two days in Wigan. Luke Humphries and Jonny Clayton led the field. But it was Chris Dobey who is one of the forerunners in the Players Championship Order of Merit who won a second ProTour of the year.

He took down Justin Hood in the final 8-4 with a 105 average and continues to show why he is red hot in this format with a day befitting of his Hollywood moniker.

Hood went 2-0 up with a 121 and 167. But back came Dobey with finishes of 81 and 32. No doubles missed in the early going at 2-2 and a flawless start. Dobey had the first chance of a break with Hood unable to take out 126. He missed a dart at the bull and Hood returned.

He looked at 68 but slipped into single 13 on double four. Dobey came back to hit back for 3-2. Dobey missed double 13 for an 81 checkout and Hood took aim at 87 but missed the bull. Dobey chased around and missed double four and Hood was back. But he missed two darts at double eight. Dobey returned for double four for 4-2.

But both produced the sublime with a 164 from Dobey cancelled out with an 81 checkout to break back at 5-3 down but a 74 checkout dented Hood's hopes of returning to parity. Dobey went 6-3 up and held to go one away with a 68 checkout.

Dobey left 40 in case of Hood not pinning 90 but he did to hold but Dobey was still holding the cards of having a hold to win it. A 177 left double 18 for the title when he returned. But he was left chasing.

Hood had to look at 156 but couldn't pin it and Dobey was looking for double two which he pins.

En route to said final, Dobey saw off Andrew Gilding 7-1 in the semi-finals with a 103 average and flitted from mid 90's to 100+ throughout the day. The best being in thrashing Rhys Griffin 6-1 with a near 110 average, he also saw off Dennie Olde Kalter (6-4), Jim Long (6-2), Luke Woodhouse (6-1) and Richard Veenstra.

With a certain Wessel Nijman losing early, he lived up to his billing as one of the leading lights on the ProTour this week with Luke Humphries winning three games elsewhere. He then exited at the hands of Andrew Gilding who also had a part to play.

Beau Greaves reached the Quarter-Finals with Jonny Clayton vanquished en route by 'Beau N Arrow' but Gilding produced the goods before losing out in the semi-finals to Dobey.

While Hood who semi has been a victim of his
World Championship success in having a new spotlight painted on him had one of his best runs in some time today. He saw off Ryan Meikle 6-2, Robert Owen 6-4, Niall Culleton 6-3, Mensur Suljovic 6-3 and Tom Sykes 6-0 before defeating Connor Scutt 7-3 in the semi-finals.

Good runs today for Scutt losing to Hood while Tom Bissell also had a great day seeing off Nijman, Kim Huybrechts, Krzysztof Ratajski in the latter stages before losing to Scutt. Three players on form. While Tom Sykes despite being well beaten also had a run to the Quarter-Finals. As did Veenstra in losing 6-3 to Dobey.