Gerwyn Price ends ranking title drought with Players Championship 2 victory
Gerwyn Price secured his first PDC ranking title for more than a year as he edged out Chris Dobey in a deciding leg to triumph at Players Championship 2 in Wigan.
Price battled back from 6-3 down to deny his BetMGM Premier League rival Dobey in a high-quality final on Tuesday, winning five of the last six legs to clinch his first ProTour title since November 2023.
After a disappointing 2024, the Welshman has enjoyed an encouraging start to the new season, finishing runner-up in the Bahrain Masters, and he defeated a host of big names to return to winning ways at the Robin Park Leisure Centre.
Price stormed through to the Last 16 with a hat-trick of 6-2 wins over William Borland, Danny Lauby and Jonny Clayton, averaging 105 in the opening round.
Following a commanding win over his World Cup partner Clayton, Price produced back-to-back 14-darters to defeat Martin Schindler 6-4, defying a ton-plus average from the German number one.
The 2021 World Champion then won through an epic deciding-leg clash against World Champion Luke Littler in the quarter-finals, averaging 102 to set up a semi-final showdown with Ryan Searle.
Price registered 63 per cent on the doubles as he closed out a 7-5 win over Searle, but found himself 6-3 down in the final with Dobey averaging 106.
However, the Bedlington ace squandered four darts at doubles for a 7-3 lead, and Price duly punished, following up a 78 checkout with successive 14-darters to draw level at six apiece.
The 39-year-old continued his charge with a fourth straight leg to go in front, and though Dobey hit back to force a decider, Price kept his cool to clinch his 18th Players Championship title.
“I think Chris played better than me in that final, but I hung in there until the end,” said Price.
“Today has been brilliant. Yesterday I played really well too – I’m getting back to my best.
“I’m enjoying the game more. Sometimes I just gave up, rolled over and had my belly tickled, but my mentality and the way I think has changed.
“I had a little bit of help with a sports psychologist before the World Championship, which really helped.
“There’s a lot more positivity in my game now, and it seems to be working.
“I know how well I am playing, but when it comes to the big games sometimes, I am trying too hard because I want it too much.
“This is what I needed. This win will hopefully make things come a little bit easier, because when you’re winning you don’t try too hard.”
Dobey, who defeated Price in last week’s Premier League opener in Belfast, claimed three Players Championship titles in 2024 and enjoyed another impressive day on the ProTour.
The former Masters champion registered a trio of ton-plus averages in defeating Chris Landman, Jose de Sousa and Callan Rydz, before battling past Kim Huybrechts and Florian Hempel.
Following his deciding-leg triumph against Hempel in the quarter-finals, Dobey then ran out a 7-4 winner over Ross Smith, firing in seven 180s in the process.
Former European Champion Smith edged out Brett Claydon and Ryan Meikle in last-leg deciders to kick off his campaign and also accounted for Danny Noppert and top seed Dave Chisnall in the latter stages.
Smith was joined in the semi-finals by Searle – who recorded wins over Alan Soutar, Brendan Dolan, Dirk van Duijvenbode, Damon Heta and Gian van Veen.
Van Veen produced sparkling displays to deny Mike De Decker and Stephen Bunting, advancing to the Last Eight alongside reigning World Champion Littler.
Three-time Women’s World Champion Beau Greaves celebrated her first victory on the PDC ProTour, averaging 102 and landing six 180s to edge out Josh Rock courtesy of a clinical 88 checkout for an 11-darter in the deciding leg.
Players Championship 2 Results
Tuesday February 11
First Round
Berry van Peer 6-4 Gabriel Clemens
Haupai Puha 6-3 Christian Kist
Dave Chisnall 6-5 Madars Razma
Tommy Lishman 6-5 Dominik Gruellich
Peter Wright 6-3 Leon Weber
Sebastian Bialecki 6-5 Jim Long
Raymond van Barneveld 6-5 Oskar Lukasiak
Nick Kenny 6-3 Matt Campbell
Joe Cullen 6-3 Rhys Griffin
Thibault Tricole 6-3 Andy Boulton
Danny Noppert 6-3 Mensur Suljovic
Martijn Dragt 6-3 Dimitri Van den Bergh
Jermaine Wattimena 6-2 Maik Kuivenhoven
William O’Connor 6-3 Robert Grundy
Ross Smith 6-5 Brett Claydon
Ryan Meikle 6-4 Stefaan Henderyck
Ricardo Pietreczko 6-4 Andy Baetens
Nathan Aspinall 6-2 Connor Scutt
Beau Greaves 6-5 Josh Rock
Krzysztof Ratajski 6-1 Tom Bissell
Ritchie Edhouse 6-4 Keane Barry
Nathan Rafferty 6-0 Jules van Dongen
Mickey Mansell 6-1 Rob Cross
Florian Hempel 6-0 George Killington
Andrew Gilding 6-1 Jelle Klaasen
Callan Rydz 6-2 Adam Paxton
Chris Dobey 6-2 Chris Landman
Jose De Sousa 6-1 Dom Taylor
Kim Huybrechts 6-2 Michael Smith
Adam Hunt 6-1 Adam Lipscombe
Gary Anderson 6-5 Matthew Dennant
Darren Beveridge 6-5 Mario Vandenbogaerde
Niels Zonneveld 6-4 Viktor Tingstrom
Michele Turetta 6-2 Darryl Pilgrim
Stephen Bunting 6-5 Rob Owen
Justin Hood 6-4 Ricky Evans
Mike De Decker 6-1 Stephen Burton
Tavis Dudeney 6-5 Max Hopp
Gian van Veen 6-4 Greg Ritchie
Ian White 6-5 Stefan Bellmont
Dirk van Duijvenbode 6-1 Marvin van Velzen
Radek Szaganski 6-3 Patrick Geeraets
Ryan Searle 6-4 Alan Soutar
Brendan Dolan 6-2 Mervyn King
James Wade 6-5 Dennie Olde Kalter
Kevin Burness 6-5 Carl Sneyd
Damon Heta 6-1 James Hurrell
Scott Williams 6-4 Richard Veenstra
Jitse Van der Wal 6-4 Ryan Joyce
Rusty-Jake Rodriguez 6-4 Tytus Kanik
Luke Littler 6-4 Pero Ljubic
Bradley Brooks 6-3 Cor Dekker
Wessel Nijman 6-1 Steve Lennon
Wesley Plaisier 6-5 Martin Lukeman
Daryl Gurney 6-5 Owen Bates
Niko Springer 6-4 Thomas Lovely
Luke Woodhouse 6-4 Joshua Richardson
Darius Labanauskas 6-4 Lukas Wenig
Martin Schindler 6-2 Kevin Doets
Karel Sedlacek 6-2 Maximilian Czerwinski
Gerwyn Price 6-2 William Borland
Danny Lauby 6-2 Adam Warner
Jonny Clayton 6-5 Dylan Slevin
Cam Crabtree 6-5 Kai Gotthardt
Second Round
Haupai Puha 6-3 Berry van Peer
Dave Chisnall 6-1 Tommy Lishman
Peter Wright 6-0 Sebastian Bialecki
Nick Kenny 6-0 Raymond van Barneveld
Joe Cullen 6-5 Thibault Tricole
Danny Noppert 6-1 Martijn Dragt
William O’Connor 6-4 Jermaine Wattimena
Ross Smith 6-5 Ryan Meikle
Nathan Aspinall 6-3 Ricardo Pietreczko
Krzysztof Ratajski 6-2 Beau Greaves
Nathan Rafferty 6-3 Ritchie Edhouse
Florian Hempel 6-1 Mickey Mansell
Callan Rydz 6-5 Andrew Gilding
Chris Dobey 6-1 Jose De Sousa
Kim Huybrechts 6-3 Adam Hunt
Darren Beveridge 6-4 Gary Anderson
Niels Zonneveld 6-2 Michele Turetta
Stephen Bunting 6-5 Justin Hood
Mike De Decker 6-3 Tavis Dudeney
Gian van Veen 6-3 Ian White
Dirk van Duijvenbode 6-5 Radek Szaganski
Ryan Searle 6-4 Brendan Dolan
Kevin Burness 6-2 James Wade
Damon Heta 6-1 Scott Williams
Rusty-Jake Rodriguez 6-1 Jitse Van der Wal
Luke Littler 6-5 Bradley Brooks
Wessel Nijman 6-2 Wesley Plaisier
Niko Springer 6-2 Daryl Gurney
Luke Woodhouse 6-5 Darius Labanauskas
Martin Schindler 6-4 Karel Sedlacek
Gerwyn Price 6-2 Danny Lauby
Jonny Clayton 6-3 Cam Crabtree
Last 32
Dave Chisnall 6-1 Haupai Puha
Nick Kenny 6-2 Peter Wright
Danny Noppert 6-4 Joe Cullen
Ross Smith 6-4 William O’Connor
Krzysztof Ratajski 6-1 Nathan Aspinall
Florian Hempel 6-5 Nathan Rafferty
Chris Dobey 6-1 Callan Rydz
Kim Huybrechts 6-4 Darren Beveridge
Stephen Bunting 6-2 Niels Zonneveld
Gian van Veen 6-2 Mike De Decker
Ryan Searle 6-5 Dirk van Duijvenbode
Damon Heta 6-4 Kevin Burness
Luke Littler 6-2 Rusty-Jake Rodriguez
Wessel Nijman 6-5 Niko Springer
Martin Schindler 6-2 Luke Woodhouse
Gerwyn Price 6-2 Jonny Clayton
Last 16
Dave Chisnall 6-5 Nick Kenny
Ross Smith 6-4 Danny Noppert
Florian Hempel 6-3 Krzysztof Ratajski
Chris Dobey 6-4 Kim Huybrechts
Gian van Veen 6-3 Stephen Bunting
Ryan Searle 6-3 Damon Heta
Luke Littler 6-4 Wessel Nijman
Gerwyn Price 6-4 Martin Schindler
Quarter-Finals
Ross Smith 6-2 Dave Chisnall
Chris Dobey 6-5 Florian Hempel
Ryan Searle 6-3 Gian van Veen
Gerwyn Price 6-5 Luke Littler
Semi-Finals
Chris Dobey 7-4 Ross Smith
Gerwyn Price 7-5 Ryan Searle
Final
Gerwyn Price 8-7 Chris Dobey
