Charlie Manby claims maiden Players Championship title to secure Grand Slam debut
Charlie Manby stormed to a maiden PDC ranking title at Players Championship 31 in Den Bosch with an 8-2 rout of Maik Kuivenhoven in the final.
Manby celebrated a landmark triumph at Maassport Den Bosch on Wednesday, producing a series of dominant displays to also confirm his qualification for next month’s Grand Slam of Darts.
The 21-year-old had not progressed beyond the quarter-finals of a PDC ranking event heading into Players Championship 31, but he reaffirmed his potential to pocket the £15,000 top prize.
Manby began his run in sparkling style, averaging 104 in a 6-1 demolition of in-form Karel Sedlacek, before landing back-to-back 13-darters to complete a comeback win over Dennie Olde Kalter.
The Huddersfield youngster then followed up a 6-4 success against Adam Leek with an inspired 112.16 average against Dominik Gruellich, winning each of his last four legs in 12 darts to race into the quarter-finals.
Manby later reeled off six consecutive legs from 3-0 down to see off Alan Soutar, though he was forced to survive a fightback of his own from Beau Greaves to prevail 7-5 in a compelling semi-final.
Manby then punished a cagey start to the final from Kuivenhoven to race into a seemingly unassailable five-leg lead.
The Dutchman offered brief resistance with back-to-back legs midway through the contest, only for Manby to reply with a brilliant three-leg burst of 14, 11 and 13-dart legs to wrap up a memorable victory.
“It’s absolutely amazing. I’m literally lost for words here,” admitted Manby, who averaged 99.7 in the final.
“There are so many good players here, so it’s just crazy that I’ve actually done it.
“I knew I was definitely capable of doing what I did today and winning a title, but I’m over the moon.
“When I was leading against Beau in the semis, that’s when I had a bit of nerves, especially when she started coming back!
“I was gutted to lose out in the World Youth Championship semi-finals for the Grand Slam, but I’ve managed to actually qualify through this which is ten times better, so it’s great.”
Kuivenhoven was also vying to claim a maiden ranking title, and his run to a second Players Championship final of 2026 was further illustration of his impressive progress.
Having survived a major scare against Poland’s Filip Bereza in round one, Kuivenhoven produced his performance of the afternoon during his next assignment against Darius Labanauskas, averaging 103 to advance.
The 38-year-old then claimed the scalps of Mike De Decker and Dirk van Duijvenbode in the latter stages of the tournament, although his wait for an elusive PDC title continues.
Van Duijvenbode also produced a stellar showing on home soil, progressing to his second Players Championship semi-final of the season.
The World Matchplay semi-finalist averaged north of 106 in his opening round demolition of Mervyn King, while he later overturned a 5-3 deficit to deny Jeffrey de Graaf in the quarter-finals.
Van Duijvenbode succumbed in the last four alongside Beau Greaves, who performed magnificently at Maassport Den Bosch to climb up to seventh in the Players Championship rankings.
The Women’s World Matchplay champion produced ton-plus averages in statement wins against Dutch duo Niels Zonneveld and Kevin Doets, launching an astonishing fightback from 5-2 down against the latter.
Doets’ appearance in a 14th Players Championship quarter-final of 2026 featured averages of 107 and 101 in wins over Darryl Pilgrim and Mickey Mansell respectively, while he also defeated his compatriot Michael van Gerwen for the second time inside six days.
De Graaf dumped out Dutch number one Gian van Veen and European Championship runner-up Martin Schindler in reaching the quarter-finals, with Belgian number one Mike De Decker and Scottish star Alan Soutar also reaching the Last Eight.
Earlier in the day, Spanish number one Cristo Reyes achieved perfection during his opening round drubbing of Cor Dekker – his second perfect leg in the space of three Players Championship events.
Meanwhile, Nathan Aspinall was among the high-profile round one casualties, as Jermaine Wattimena, Damon Heta and Joe Cullen also crashed out at the first hurdle.
Players Championship 31 Results
Wednesday October 28
First Round
Wessel Nijman 6-4 Stef Kosters
Tommy Morris 6-5 Sietse Lap
Viktor Tingstrom 6-3 Gabriel Clemens
Daniel Klose 6-3 Lewis Pride
Dirk van Duijvenbode 6-1 Mervyn King
Mario Vandenbogaerde 6-3 Lukas Wenig
Raymond van Barneveld 6-5 Cameron Menzies
Nathan Potter 6-5 Tytus Kanik
Brendan Dolan 6-4 Andrew Gilding
Jurjen van der Velde 6-1 Tyler Thorpe
Martin Schindler 6-2 Max Hopp
Oskar Lukasiak 6-3 Marvin Kraft
Gian van Veen 6-2 Connor Scutt
Jim Long 6-5 Matthias Ehlers
Jeffrey de Graaf 6-2 Jeffrey de Zwaan
Adam Gawlas 6-5 Arno Merk
Henry Coates 6-5 Jermaine Wattimena
Owen Bates 6-4 Greg Ritchie
Maik Kuivenhoven 6-5 Filip Bereza
Darius Labanauskas 6-1 Pero Ljubic
Ritchie Edhouse 6-5 Damon Heta
Alexander Merkx 6-5 Ricky Evans
Dave Chisnall 6-4 Tavis Dudeney
Rob Owen 6-1 Adam Paxton
Danny Noppert 6-2 Adam Warner
Kevin Burness 6-2 Dimitri Van den Bergh
Richard Veenstra 6-3 Andy Boulton
Ricardo Pietreczko 6-5 Nick Kenny
James Wade 6-3 Scott Waites
Stephen Burton 6-4 Peter Wright
Niko Springer 6-5 Stefaan Henderyck
Mike De Decker 6-2 Madars Razma
Kevin Doets 6-4 Stefan Bellmont
Darryl Pilgrim 6-3 Samuel Price
Mickey Mansell 6-3 Shane McGuirk
Christian Kist 6-3 Rhys Griffin
Michael van Gerwen 6-4 Joe Hunt
Tom Sykes 6-3 Marvin van Velzen
Cristo Reyes 6-1 Cor Dekker – *Reyes hits a nine-darter*
Cam Crabtree 6-2 Gilbert van der Meijden
Niels Zonneveld 6-5 Steve Lennon
Niall Culleton 6-2 Maximilian Czerwinski
Beau Greaves 6-5 Adam Lipscombe
Thomas Lovely 6-5 Thibault Tricole
William O’Connor 6-3 Scott Williams
Bradley Brooks 6-5 Dan Hands
Wesley Plaisier 6-4 Joe Cullen
Keane Barry 6-2 Patrik Williams
Chris Dobey 6-3 Callan Rydz
James Hurrell 6-3 Ian White
Michael Smith 6-3 Jimmy van Schie
Dominik Gruellich 6-3 Levy Frauenfelder
Charlie Manby 6-1 Karel Sedlacek
Dennie Olde Kalter 6-5 Tommy Lishman
Martijn Dragt 6-4 Sebastian Bialecki
Adam Leek 6-2 Leon Weber
Krzysztof Ratajski 6-3 Mensur Suljovic
Chris Landman 6-2 Ryan Meikle
Alan Soutar 6-4 Daryl Gurney
Stephen Rosney 6-3 Jeffrey Sparidaans
Carl Sneyd 6-2 Nathan Aspinall
Tom Bissell 6-3 James Beeton
Kim Huybrechts 6-5 Justin Hood
David Sharp 6-5 Benjamin Pratnemer
Second Round
Tommy Morris 6-2 Wessel Nijman
Viktor Tingstrom 6-2 Daniel Klose
Dirk van Duijvenbode 6-2 Mario Vandenbogaerde
Nathan Potter 6-4 Raymond van Barneveld
Brendan Dolan 6-5 Jurjen van der Velde
Martin Schindler 6-0 Oskar Lukasiak
Gian van Veen 6-3 Jim Long
Jeffrey De Graaf 6-3 Adam Gawlas
Owen Bates 6-1 Henry Coates
Maik Kuivenhoven 6-3 Darius Labanauskas
Alexander Merkx 6-1 Ritchie Edhouse
Rob Owen 6-5 Dave Chisnall
Danny Noppert 6-3 Kevin Burness
Ricardo Pietreczko 6-2 Richard Veenstra
James Wade 6-3 Stephen Burton
Mike De Decker 6-4 Niko Springer
Kevin Doets 6-2 Darryl Pilgrim
Mickey Mansell 6-3 Christian Kist
Michael van Gerwen 6-5 Tom Sykes
Cristo Reyes 6-1 Cam Crabtree
Niels Zonneveld 6-2 Niall Culleton
Beau Greaves 6-3 Thomas Lovely
Bradley Brooks 6-5 William O’Connor
Keane Barry 6-4 Wesley Plaisier
James Hurrell 6-5 Chris Dobey
Dominik Gruellich 6-3 Michael Smith
Charlie Manby 6-5 Dennie Olde Kalter
Adam Leek 6-2 Martijn Dragt
Chris Landman 6-5 Krzysztof Ratajski
Alan Soutar 6-2 Stephen Rosney
Tom Bissell 6-1 Carl Sneyd
Kim Huybrechts 6-3 David Sharp
Last 32
Tommy Morris 6-5 Viktor Tingstrom
Dirk van Duijvenbode 6-2 Nathan Potter
Martin Schindler 6-4 Brendan Dolan
Jeffrey De Graaf 6-4 Gian van Veen
Maik Kuivenhoven 6-3 Owen Bates
Rob Owen 6-3 Alexander Merkx
Ricardo Pietreczko 6-1 Danny Noppert
Mike De Decker 6-5 James Wade
Kevin Doets 6-2 Mickey Mansell
Michael van Gerwen 6-5 Cristo Reyes
Beau Greaves 6-3 Niels Zonneveld
Keane Barry 6-3 Bradley Brooks
Dominik Gruellich 6-4 James Hurrell
Charlie Manby 6-4 Adam Leek
Alan Soutar 6-5 Chris Landman
Kim Huybrechts 6-4 Tom Bissell
Last 16
Dirk van Duijvenbode 6-4 Tommy Morris
Jeffrey De Graaf 6-4 Martin Schindler
Maik Kuivenhoven 6-5 Rob Owen
Mike De Decker 6-4 Ricardo Pietreczko
Kevin Doets 6-2 Michael van Gerwen
Beau Greaves 6-5 Keane Barry
Charlie Manby 6-3 Dominik Gruellich
Alan Soutar 6-5 Kim Huybrechts
Quarter-Finals
Dirk van Duijvenbode 6-5 Jeffrey De Graaf
Maik Kuivenhoven 6-2 Mike De Decker
Beau Greaves 6-5 Kevin Doets
Charlie Manby 6-3 Alan Soutar
Semi-Finals
Maik Kuivenhoven 7-6 Dirk van Duijvenbode
Charlie Manby 7-5 Beau Greaves
Final
Charlie Manby 8-2 Maik Kuivenhoven
