Bradley Brooks stuns Gerwyn Price to claim first Players Championship title
Bradley Brooks claimed a maiden PDC ProTour title at Players Championship 21 courtesy of a shock win over Gerwyn Price in the final in Leicester on Wednesday.
The former World Youth Champion regained his Tour Card at Qualifying School in January and continued his blistering recent run of form to scoop the £15,000 top prize at the Mattioli Arena.
Brooks is now set for a return to the World Championship in December, as well as a place in November’s Players Championship Finals in Minehead.
The 25-year-old averaged over 108 in each of his first two matches – defeating William Borland and Chris Dobey – before edging out Brendan Dolan and James Wade in last-leg deciders.
He then thrashed Josh Rock 6-1 in a quarter-final tie between former World Youth Champions, before recovering from 3-0 and 6-5 down to edge out James Hurrell 7-6 in the semi-finals and set up a showdown with Price.
Brooks secured an early break of throw in a high quality start to the final with a 13-darter as he opened up a 3-1 lead – an advantage which he would never relinquish against the 2021 World Champion.
Price hit back to trail 4-3, 5-4 and 6-5 – landing a 12-darter along the way – but crucially was never able to level, despite hitting five doubles from seven attempts.
Brooks finished 79 to move to the brink of victory at 7-5, and when Price uncharacteristically squandered eight darts at doubles in the next leg, the Blackburn-born ace swooped to close out victory on tops.
“I’m lost for words,” admitted Brooks. “This week I felt so comfortable in my own game and everything clicked today, so I’m over the moon.
“I treated the final like I had nothing to lose – I’m really happy with where I’d got today. Of course I want to win a ProTour and it shows what I’m doing is working.”
Brooks had initially progressed from the JDC circuit to win his PDC Tour Card aged just 17, but feels he is now in a place to establish himself firmly amongst the sport’s elite following his return to the professional circuit.
“I can’t put into words how much it means to me,” he added. “I’m proud – it’s not only me but also my family and manager.
“They know how much I struggled when I lost my Tour Card last year, and if it wasn’t for the people around me I wouldn’t be where I am today.
“At the time it wasn’t the best thing that ever happened to me, but I think having a year off made me want to come back and stay here.
“When I won my Tour Card back my aim was the Players Championship Finals and World Championship. Obviously I qualified for the World Masters at the start of the year, which showed me where I was in my game.
“I struggled a couple of times this year and I still have that bad game in me, but I think when I do get it right, I can mix it with the best in the room.”
Price, last weekend’s Poland Masters champion, defeated Colin Osborne and Dimitri Van den Bergh in his opening two matches, and dropped just one leg in each of his next two victories against Daryl Gurney and Dave Chisnall.
He produced a finishing masterclass in his 6-2 quarter-final win over Krzysztof Ratajski, before seeing off Andrew Gilding 7-4 in the semi-finals, but was unable to land a fourth Players Championship title of 2025.
Hurrell also impressed in Leicester as he reached a first Players Championship semi-final, seeing off World Youth Champion Gian van Veen and in-form Cameron Menzies along the way.
Gilding, meanwhile, registered a 105 average to defeat Tuesday’s winner Damon Heta in the Last 16, and also averaged over a ton against Dom Taylor during his run to a fourth Players Championship semi-final of the season.
Ratajski had kept alive his hopes of snatching qualification for the Betfred World Matchplay in his run to the quarter-finals, but Price proved too strong to deny the Polish ace a return to Blackpool.
Former finalist Michael Smith’s first round loss to Thibault Tricole sees him miss out on a World Matchplay spot for the first time since 2013.
Meanwhile, Dirk van Duijvenbode fired in his second Players Championship nine-darter of 2025 during his first round win over Jim Williams.
Players Championship 21 Results
Wednesday July 9
First Round
Martin Schindler 6-0 Joshua Richardson
Max Hopp 6-0 Marvin van Velzen
Kevin Doets 6-3 Haupai Puha
Robert Grundy 6-5 Sebastian Bialecki
Danny Noppert 6-4 Adam Paxton
Maximilian Czerwinski 6-5 Maik Kuivenhoven
Jermaine Wattimena 6-5 Thomas Lovely
George Killington 6-2 Stefan Bellmont
Gian van Veen 6-1 Jeffrey De Graaf
James Hurrell 6-2 Rob Owen
Rob Cross 6-2 Tytus Kanik
Greg Ritchie 6-3 Richard Veenstra
Cameron Menzies 6-2 Nick Kenny
Patrick Geeraets 6-5 Martin Grearson
Ryan Joyce 6-1 Radek Szaganski
Adam Warner 6-3 Ian White
Chris Dobey 6-2 Mickey Mansell
Bradley Brooks 6-2 William Borland
Niels Zonneveld 6-1 Darren Beveridge
Brendan Dolan 6-3 Callan Rydz
James Wade 6-3 Nathan Rafferty
Madars Razma 6-0 Oskar Lukasiak
Niko Springer 6-5 Ricardo Pietreczko
Leon Weber 6-5 Alan Soutar
Josh Rock 6-0 Carl Sneyd
Tom Bissell 6-4 Darius Labanauskas
Cam Crabtree 6-2 Ritchie Edhouse
Stephen Burton 6-4 Benjamin Reus
Ryan Meikle 6-5 Gary Anderson
Gabriel Clemens 6-2 Kevin Burness
Ricky Evans 6-2 Luke Woodhouse
Owen Bates 6-3 Rusty-Jake Rodriguez
Damon Heta 6-3 Darryl Pilgrim
Henry Coates 6-4 Jim Long
Connor Scutt 6-4 William O’Connor
Andy Baetens 6-4 Kai Gotthardt
Dirk van Duijvenbode 6-4 Jim Williams – *Van Duijvenbode hits a nine-darter*
Dom Taylor 6-2 Brett Claydon
Andrew Gilding 6-5 Graham Hall
Kim Huybrechts 6-5 Mervyn King
Jonny Clayton 6-4 Dennie Olde Kalter
Mario Vandenbogaerde 6-3 Jack Tweddell
Thibault Tricole 6-4 Michael Smith
Karel Sedlacek 6-5 Jelle Klaasen
Wessel Nijman 6-5 Matthew Dennant
Wesley Plaisier 6-2 Christian Kist
Raymond van Barneveld 6-2 Chris Landman
Berry van Peer 6-4 Jitse Van der Wal
Dave Chisnall 6-2 Dominik Gruellich
Pero Ljubic 6-3 Ted Evetts
Martin Lukeman 6-3 Keane Barry
Scott Williams 6-5 Justin Hood
Gerwyn Price 6-3 Colin Osborne
Dimitri Van den Bergh 6-5 Stefaan Henderyck
Daryl Gurney 6-1 Danny Lauby
Jose De Sousa 6-5 Adam Lipscombe
Ross Smith 6-5 Scott Waites
Michele Turetta 6-2 Rhys Griffin
Krzysztof Ratajski 6-3 Tavis Dudeney
Martijn Dragt 6-3 Lukas Wenig
Mike De Decker 6-2 Andy Boulton
Jamai van den Herik 6-4 Viktor Tingstrom
Joe Cullen 6-2 Dylan Slevin
Steve Lennon 6-4 Adam Hunt
Second Round
Max Hopp 6-2 Martin Schindler
Kevin Doets 6-0 Robert Grundy
Danny Noppert 6-5 Maximilian Czerwinski
Jermaine Wattimena 6-1 George Killington
James Hurrell 6-5 Gian van Veen
Greg Ritchie 6-5 Rob Cross
Cameron Menzies 6-3 Patrick Geeraets
Ryan Joyce 6-2 Adam Warner
Bradley Brooks 6-3 Chris Dobey
Brendan Dolan 6-3 Niels Zonneveld
James Wade 6-1 Madars Razma
Leon Weber 6-2 Niko Springer
Josh Rock 6-3 Tom Bissell
Cam Crabtree 6-3 Stephen Burton
Ryan Meikle 6-5 Gabriel Clemens
Ricky Evans 6-3 Owen Bates
Damon Heta 6-0 Henry Coates
Andy Baetens 6-1 Connor Scutt
Dom Taylor 6-4 Dirk van Duijvenbode
Andrew Gilding 6-3 Kim Huybrechts
Jonny Clayton 6-2 Mario Vandenbogaerde
Thibault Tricole 6-5 Karel Sedlacek
Wesley Plaisier 6-5 Wessel Nijman
Berry van Peer 6-3 Raymond van Barneveld
Dave Chisnall 6-0 Pero Ljubic
Martin Lukeman 6-3 Scott Williams
Gerwyn Price 6-2 Dimitri Van den Bergh
Daryl Gurney 6-4 Jose De Sousa
Ross Smith 6-3 Michele Turetta
Krzysztof Ratajski 6-0 Martijn Dragt
Jamai van den Herik 6-4 Mike De Decker
Joe Cullen 6-2 Steve Lennon
Last 32
Kevin Doets 6-3 Max Hopp
Jermaine Wattimena 6-5 Danny Noppert
James Hurrell 6-2 Greg Ritchie
Cameron Menzies 6-3 Ryan Joyce
Bradley Brooks 6-5 Brendan Dolan
James Wade 6-2 Leon Weber
Josh Rock 6-3 Cam Crabtree
Ryan Meikle 6-5 Ricky Evans
Damon Heta 6-4 Andy Baetens
Andrew Gilding 6-4 Dom Taylor
Jonny Clayton 6-0 Thibault Tricole
Wesley Plaisier 6-3 Berry van Peer
Dave Chisnall 6-4 Martin Lukeman
Gerwyn Price 6-1 Daryl Gurney
Krzysztof Ratajski 6-1 Ross Smith
Jamai van den Herik 6-5 Joe Cullen
Last 16
Kevin Doets 6-3 Jermaine Wattimena
James Hurrell 6-5 Cameron Menzies
Bradley Brooks 6-5 James Wade
Josh Rock 6-3 Ryan Meikle
Andrew Gilding 6-2 Damon Heta
Wesley Plaisier 6-5 Jonny Clayton
Gerwyn Price 6-1 Dave Chisnall
Krzysztof Ratajski 6-4 Jamai van den Herik
Quarter-Finals
James Hurrell 6-4 Kevin Doets
Bradley Brooks 6-1 Josh Rock
Andrew Gilding 6-5 Wesley Plaisier
Gerwyn Price 6-2 Krzysztof Ratajski
Semi-Finals
Bradley Brooks 7-6 James Hurrell
Gerwyn Price 7-4 Andrew Gilding
Final
Bradley Brooks 8-5 Gerwyn Price
