De Graaf Makes History with First PDC Ranking Title at Players Championship 24

Jeffrey de Graaf claimed his maiden PDC ranking crown on Monday, edging Stephen Bunting 8-7 in a dramatic Players Championship 24 final in Milton Keynes.

The Dutch-born Swede, who had previously fallen short in the final of Event Eight back in March, went one step further this time to become the first Swedish player ever to capture a PDC ranking title.

Despite trailing 4-1 early on, De Graaf battled back with four successive legs to move 5-4 in front, before eventually sealing glory in a nerve-shredding last-leg decider.

“It means a lot—it’s my first title in the PDC, so it’s fantastic,” said an emotional De Graaf afterwards. “In the beginning I missed a few doubles, but I managed to get it over the line. I’m still shaking!

“I’m proud to be the first Swedish player to win one of these titles, but I hope I won’t be the last. For me, this is massive. It also takes some pressure off, which is great.”

Impressive run to glory

De Graaf’s campaign began with a hard-fought 6-5 win over Adam Paxton, before he overcame Ryan Searle 6-4 and edged Jose de Sousa in another deciding leg.

The 34-year-old then produced a convincing 6-2 victory over 2023 World Champion Michael Smith, followed by comfortable wins against Alan Soutar (6-1) and Scott Williams (7-2) to reach just the second Players Championship final of his career.

Saving his best for last, De Graaf averaged 102 in the final against Bunting—just enough to hold off “The Bullet,” who fired in a 106 average but was left to rue missed opportunities as his opponent crossed the line.

Bunting shines despite final heartbreak

Although denied the title, world number four Bunting was in sensational form throughout the day, averaging over 99 in every match and producing some of the highest-level darts seen on the ProTour this year.

He opened with a 105 average in his 6-3 victory against Adam Hunt, before adding further wins over Cam Crabtree and Sebastian Bialecki. A 6-4 success against Brett Claydon followed, before Bunting eased past Rob Cross 6-1 in the quarter-finals.

The two-time World Masters champion then swept aside Ross Smith 7-2 with another stunning 106 average to reach his third Players Championship final in his last five outings. But despite another 106 display in the final, it was De Graaf who took the honours, leaving Bunting with a seventh defeat in eight finals since the beginning of 2024.

Other notable highlights

World Champion Luke Littler marked his first ProTour appearance in five months with a thrilling 6-5 win over Beau Greaves in round three, but his run ended in the last 16 against Rob Cross, who won 6-4.

Michael van Gerwen also bowed out in the last 16 despite averaging almost 108 in his 6-3 defeat to Scott Williams. Williams had earlier hit a nine-darter in his whitewash of James Hurrell and also accounted for Dirk van Duijvenbode, before his run was halted by De Graaf in the semi-finals.

Greaves herself impressed, averaging over 107 in a first-round 6-0 rout of Dennie Olde Kalter before defeating Raymond van Barneveld 6-4, only to fall narrowly to Littler.

Elsewhere, Mike De Decker produced the day’s highest average, hitting 108 in a 6-2 win over Wesley Plaisier, while there were six whitewash wins in round one. Notably, Martin Schindler averaged just under 105 in his 6-0 victory against Mario Vandenbogaerde, while Cam Crabtree posted a 106 average to sweep aside Kim Huybrechts.

What’s next

The ProTour double-header in Milton Keynes concludes on Tuesday with Players Championship 25, with live coverage once again available from four streaming boards on PDCTV.

De Graaf Makes History with First PDC Ranking Title at Players Championship 24

2025 Players Championship 24

Monday August 25

Arena MK, Milton Keynes

Last 16

Dirk van Duijvenbode 6-5 Martin Lukeman

Scott Williams 6-3 Michael van Gerwen

Alan Soutar 6-4 Nick Kenny

Jeffrey De Graaf 6-2 Michael Smith

Stephen Bunting 6-5 Brett Claydon

Rob Cross 6-4 Luke Littler

Karel Sedlacek 6-4 Steve Lennon

Ross Smith 6-4 Jamai van den Herik

Quarter-Finals

Scott Williams 6-4 Dirk van Duijvenbode

Jeffrey De Graaf 6-2 Alan Soutar

Stephen Bunting 6-1 Rob Cross

Ross Smith 6-1 Karel Sedlacek

Semi-Finals

Jeffrey De Graaf 7-1 Scott Williams

Stephen Bunting 7-2 Ross Smith

Final

Jeffrey De Graaf 8-7 Stephen Bunting