Chris Dobey claims Players Championship 9 title in dazzling day for Hollywood “It’s hard just to win one of these, so to win ten is a great feeling”
Chris Dobey claims Players Championship 9 title in dazzling day for Hollywood “It’s hard just to win one of these, so to win ten is a great feeling”
Chris Dobey powered his way to a second Players Championship title of 2026 with an impressive 8-4 victory over Justin Hood in Monday’s Event Nine final in Wigan.
Dobey produced a dominant display throughout the day at the Robin Park Tennis Centre, winning seven consecutive matches to secure the tenth Players Championship title of his career. The former Masters champion showcased both consistency and scoring power, underlining his status as one of the form players on the ProTour.
His run to the title began with a solid 6-4 victory over Dennie Olde Kalter, before stepping up a level in the next round. Dobey delivered a superb 109.74 average to dismantle Rhys Griffin 6-1, producing his highest average of the day in a clinical performance.
Momentum continued to build as Dobey comfortably defeated Jim Long 6-2, followed by a dominant 6-1 win over Luke Woodhouse. Averaging 104.38 in the latter, he surged into his third successive Players Championship quarter-final.
In the last eight, Dobey overcame Richard Veenstra 6-3, before producing another top-quality display to thrash Andrew Gilding 7-1 in the semi-finals. Posting a 103.45 average, he set up a final showdown with Hood.
The final itself proved to be a high-quality contest, with Hood making a blistering start. The 32-year-old opened with two 12-dart legs, finishing 121 and 167 on the bullseye to take an early 2-0 lead. However, Dobey responded in emphatic fashion, reeling off five consecutive legs to seize control, including a brilliant 164 checkout to move 5-2 ahead.
Hood refused to go away quietly, producing two more bullseye finishes to keep his hopes alive and close the gap to 7-4. Despite that resistance, Dobey remained composed and sealed the victory on double two, finishing with a 105.28 average to cap off a remarkable performance.
“The way I’ve been playing throughout the year, I’m hoping to pick up more titles,” said Dobey, who had to withstand a 102.91 average from his opponent in the final.
“It’s hard just to win one of these, so to win ten is a great feeling.
“I remember that game Justin had at the World Championship when he was 11/11 on the doubles. When those two bull finishes went in, I thought: ‘Not again!’
“He put up a good fight with some great shots at crucial times, but I played some good stuff all day, and I’m delighted with another win.
“I just want to start doing it on TV and picking up some European Tour titles. I know I can do it, it’s just about being consistent.”
Despite defeat, Hood enjoyed a breakthrough day on the ProTour, reaching his first Players Championship final. His run began with a 6-2 win over Ryan Meikle, followed by a hard-fought 6-4 success against Rob Owen.
He continued to impress with a 6-3 victory over Niall Culleton, registering his first ton-plus average of the day, before repeating that scoreline against Mensur Suljovic to reach the quarter-finals.
Hood then delivered arguably his best display of the tournament, whitewashing Tom Sykes with a 104.86 average. He followed that with a 7-3 victory over Connor Scutt to book his place in the final.
Elsewhere, Scutt’s run to the semi-finals included a 6-4 win over Tom Bissell, marking his first appearance at that stage of a Players Championship event since September 2024.
Gilding also reached the last four after defeating Beau Greaves 6-3. Greaves, however, made history by becoming the first woman to reach a ProTour quarter-final in PDC history. Her impressive run included victories over former World Champion Raymond van Barneveld and Premier League leader Jonny Clayton.
Another notable moment came from Thomas Lovely, who produced a nine-dart finish in his third-round clash against Woodhouse, despite ultimately losing the match.
The Players Championship double-header continues in Wigan with Event Ten on Tuesday, where another 128-player field will compete for the £15,000 top prize, as the ProTour season maintains its relentless pace
Chris Dobey claims Players Championship 9 title in dazzling day for Hollywood
2026 Players Championship Nine
Monday April 13
Robin Park Tennis Centre, Wigan
Last 16
Tom Bissell 6-4 Krzysztof Ratajski
Connor Scutt 6-3 Steve Lennon
Tom Sykes 6-3 Martijn Dragt
Justin Hood 6-3 Mensur Suljovic
Beau Greaves 6-4 Joe Hunt
Andrew Gilding 6-4 Luke Humphries
Chris Dobey 6-1 Luke Woodhouse
Richard Veenstra 6-5 Kevin Doets
Quarter-Finals
Connor Scutt 6-4 Tom Bissell
Justin Hood 6-0 Tom Sykes
Andrew Gilding 6-3 Beau Greaves
Chris Dobey 6-3 Richard Veenstra
Semi-Finals
Justin Hood 7-3 Connor Scutt
Chris Dobey 7-1 Andrew Gilding
Final
Chris Dobey 8-4 Justin Hood
Nine-Darter!
Thomas Lovely hit a nine-darter in his round three tie against Luke Woodhouse.
