Stephen Bunting surges to Players Championship 25 title
Stephen Bunting stormed to his fifth title of the year at Players Championship 25 on Tuesday following an 8-6 victory over Jonny Clayton in the final in Milton Keynes.
Bunting, who finished runner-up to Jeffrey de Graaf in Players Championship 24 on Monday, went one better 24 hours later at Arena MK, deny a tenacious Clayton to seal his ninth PDC title.
The 40-year-old had lost in seven of his eight Players Championship final appearances since the turn of 2024, but rectified that record on Tuesday afternoon by producing a tournament average just shy of 103.
“I’ve played exceptionally this week,” said Bunting. “I was disappointed not to win yesterday, but to reach two finals and get one title over the line, I’m really happy with that.
“We’re coming into that part of the season where everyone wants to be playing well, and I’m over the moon with my performances over the last two days.
“I need to keep working hard at my game or I’ll get left behind, but I’m really happy with where it is at the moment and I’m just looking forward to the rest of the season.”
Bunting began his campaign with a deciding-leg victory over Italy’s Michele Turetta, before delivering the performance of the day in his second round demolition of Mario Vandenbogaerde.
The world number four averaged 111.6 to defeat the Belgian 6-2, and he maintained his meteoric standard in wins over Ritchie Edhouse, Cor Dekker and Wessel Nijman.
Bunting then held his nerve in a last-leg decider against William O’Connor in the semi-finals with the aid of six maximums.
Clayton paid the price for a tentative start to the final as Bunting raced into a 5-1 lead, and though the Welshman replied with a three-leg burst to reduce the deficit, Bunting regained control with a ten-dart leg to move 6-4 ahead.
Clayton rediscovered his scoring power in the latter stages, but after spurning opportunities to level at 6-6 and then seven apiece, Bunting capitalised to seal his fourth Players Championship crown.
Having averaged 103 in his opening round win over Tom Bissell, Clayton also averaged 110 and 106 in eye-catching victories against Krzysztof Ratajski and Alan Soutar.
However, he was afforded a reprieve in his semi-final clash against Martin Schindler, surviving a match dart in the decider before sealing his progress with a clinical 76 checkout.
Schindler produced a tournament average of 101 in his run to the semi-finals, which began with victory over Monday’s winner de Graaf.
The German number one also defeated World Youth Champion Gian van Veen in the quarter-finals, as he progressed to the Last Four alongside Ireland’s former World Cup runner-up O’Connor.
O’Connor moved into the provisional World Grand Prix qualification places with some superb displays in Milton Keynes, averaging 109 and 104 in wins over Keane Barry and Karel Sedlacek.
Sedlacek was featuring in his second quarter-final in as many days, with Scottish star Alan Soutar and Dutch duo Van Veen and Nijman completing the last eight line-up.
Dirk van Duijvenbode also enjoyed a day to remember at Arena MK, landing his third nine-darter of the year in his Last 32 clash against Daryl Gurney, though he was ultimately on the wrong end of a 6-2 scoreline.
Peter Wright, Ross Smith, Damon Heta, Michael Smith and James Wade were among the notable first round casualties.
Players Championship 25 Results
Tuesday August 26
First Round
Stephen Bunting 6-5 Michele Turetta
Mario Vandenbogaerde 6-2 Leon Weber
Ritchie Edhouse 6-2 Joshua Richardson
Sebastian Bialecki 6-4 Radek Szaganski
Cor Dekker 6-4 Mike De Decker
Jitse Van der Wal 6-5 Matthew Dennant
Darius Labanauskas 6-0 Peter Wright
Ian White 6-2 Greg Ritchie
Wessel Nijman 6-1 Jenson Walker
Dominik Gruellich 6-5 Owen Bates
Tytus Kanik 6-5 Niels Zonneveld
Gabriel Clemens 6-4 Viktor Tingstrom
Michael van Gerwen 6-1 Jim Long
Madars Razma 6-3 Oskar Lukasiak
Rob Cross 6-2 Stefaan Henderyck
James Hurrell 6-2 Max Hopp
Florian Hempel 6-4 Ross Smith
Richard Veenstra 6-5 Mervyn King
William O’Connor 6-2 Benjamin Reus
Callan Rydz 6-3 Andy Baetens
Joe Hunt 6-5 Jermaine Wattimena
Jamai van den Herik 6-4 George Killington
Darren Beveridge 6-3 Ricardo Pietreczko
Keane Barry 6-2 Ryan Meikle
Ricky Evans 6-4 Damon Heta
Darryl Pilgrim 6-1 Jose De Sousa
Joe Cullen 6-4 Niko Springer
David Davies 6-3 Thibault Tricole
Ryan Searle 6-4 Adam Hunt
Wesley Plaisier 6-2 Jim Williams
Matt Campbell 6-4 Luke Woodhouse
Karel Sedlacek 6-0 Stefan Bellmont
Martin Schindler 6-3 Jeffrey De Graaf
Jack Tweddell 6-1 Brendan Dolan
Cam Crabtree 6-2 Kevin Doets
Dom Taylor 6-3 Martijn Dragt
Danny Noppert 6-3 Dylan Slevin
Beau Greaves 6-0 Mickey Mansell
Justin Hood 6-1 Andrew Gilding
Kai Gotthardt 6-0 Carl Sneyd
Gian van Veen 6-2 Rhys Griffin
Andy Boulton 6-3 Danny Lauby
Dennie Olde Kalter 6-1 Michael Smith
Connor Scutt 6-2 Nick Kenny
Cameron Menzies 6-4 Rob Owen
Steve Lennon 6-4 Kim Huybrechts
Ryan Joyce 6-5 Graham Hall
Scott Williams 6-1 Lukas Wenig
Dave Chisnall 6-1 Marvin van Velzen
Bradley Brooks 6-4 Adam Lipscombe
Martin Lukeman 6-2 Patrick Geeraets
Alan Soutar 6-3 Rusty-Jake Rodriguez
Dirk van Duijvenbode 6-1 Jelle Klaasen
Pero Ljubic 6-4 Tavis Dudeney
Daryl Gurney 6-3 Dimitri Van den Bergh
Ted Evetts 6-2 Maik Kuivenhoven
Jonny Clayton 6-3 Tom Bissell
Stephen Burton 6-2 Mensur Suljovic
Krzysztof Ratajski 6-3 Berry van Peer
Alexander Merkx 6-5 Thomas Lovely
Adam Paxton 6-5 James Wade
Adam Warner 6-4 Chris Landman
Raymond van Barneveld 6-4 Christian Kist
Robert Grundy 6-2 Brett Claydon
Second Round
Stephen Bunting 6-2 Mario Vandenbogaerde
Ritchie Edhouse 6-4 Sebastian Bialecki
Cor Dekker 6-3 Jitse Van der Wal
Darius Labanauskas 6-3 Ian White
Wessel Nijman 6-5 Dominik Gruellich
Gabriel Clemens 6-3 Tytus Kanik
Madars Razma 6-5 Michael van Gerwen
Rob Cross 6-3 James Hurrell
Florian Hempel 6-4 Richard Veenstra
William O’Connor 6-2 Callan Rydz
Jamai van den Herik 6-5 Joe Hunt
Keane Barry 6-3 Darren Beveridge
Darryl Pilgrim 6-2 Ricky Evans
David Davies 6-5 Joe Cullen
Wesley Plaisier 6-5 Ryan Searle
Karel Sedlacek 6-4 Matt Campbell
Martin Schindler 6-4 Jack Tweddell
Dom Taylor 6-5 Cam Crabtree
Danny Noppert 6-5 Beau Greaves
Justin Hood 6-4 Kai Gotthardt
Gian van Veen 6-2 Andy Boulton
Dennie Olde Kalter 6-1 Connor Scutt
Cameron Menzies 6-3 Steve Lennon
Scott Williams 6-1 Ryan Joyce
Dave Chisnall 6-4 Bradley Brooks
Alan Soutar 6-5 Martin Lukeman
Dirk van Duijvenbode 6-2 Pero Ljubic
Daryl Gurney 6-1 Ted Evetts
Jonny Clayton 6-2 Stephen Burton
Krzysztof Ratajski 6-3 Alexander Merkx
Adam Paxton 6-3 Adam Warner
Robert Grundy 6-5 Raymond van Barneveld
Last 32
Stephen Bunting 6-3 Ritchie Edhouse
Cor Dekker 6-2 Darius Labanauskas
Wessel Nijman 6-5 Gabriel Clemens
Rob Cross 6-3 Madars Razma
William O’Connor 6-3 Florian Hempel
Keane Barry 6-5 Jamai van den Herik
David Davies 6-1 Darryl Pilgrim
Karel Sedlacek 6-5 Wesley Plaisier
Martin Schindler 6-4 Dom Taylor
Justin Hood 6-2 Danny Noppert
Gian van Veen 6-3 Dennie Olde Kalter
Cameron Menzies 6-4 Scott Williams
Alan Soutar 6-4 Dave Chisnall
Daryl Gurney 6-2 Dirk van Duijvenbode
Jonny Clayton 6-3 Krzysztof Ratajski
Robert Grundy 6-3 Adam Paxton
Last 16
Stephen Bunting 6-2 Cor Dekker
Wessel Nijman 6-2 Rob Cross
William O’Connor 6-2 Keane Barry
Karel Sedlacek 6-5 David Davies
Martin Schindler 6-5 Justin Hood
Gian van Veen 6-3 Cameron Menzies
Alan Soutar 6-4 Daryl Gurney
Jonny Clayton 6-4 Robert Grundy
Quarter-Finals
Stephen Bunting 6-1 Wessel Nijman
William O’Connor 6-3 Karel Sedlacek
Martin Schindler 6-3 Gian van Veen
Jonny Clayton 6-1 Alan Soutar
Semi-Finals
Stephen Bunting 7-6 William O’Connor
Jonny Clayton 7-6 Martin Schindler
Final
Stephen Bunting 8-6 Jonny Clayton
