Jeffrey de Graaf claims second ranking title with glory at Players Championship 19 ” It felt like I couldn’t miss”
Jeffrey de Graaf claims second ranking title with glory at Players Championship 19 ” It felt like I couldn’t miss”
Jeffrey de Graaf secured the second PDC ranking title of his career with a superb Players Championship 19 triumph in Milton Keynes on Tuesday, producing a series of high-quality performances to cap a memorable day at Arena MK.
The Swedish number one arrives at this weekend’s Mr Vegas Nordic Darts Masters in excellent form after defeating Jonny Clayton 8-5 in the final, collecting the £15,000 winner’s cheque and continuing his impressive progress on the professional circuit.
De Graaf averaged over 101 in the showpiece and fired in eight maximums during a clinical display against the Welshman, claiming his first Players Championship title since August last year and providing the perfect confidence boost ahead of his return to World Series action in Copenhagen.
The 35-year-old enjoyed a challenging route to the title, beginning his campaign with successive 6-4 victories over Karel Sedlacek, Adam Lipscombe and Premier League star Josh Rock.
His momentum continued in the latter stages of the tournament. De Graaf swept aside Bradley Brooks 6-2 in the last 16 before producing one of the standout moments of the day in his quarter-final clash against top seed Wessel Nijman.
A spectacular 170 checkout helped the Swede secure victory in a high-quality contest, and remarkably he repeated the feat in his semi-final encounter with Luke Woodhouse.
Woodhouse appeared poised to continue his recent title-winning run after earning four match darts, but De Graaf held firm under pressure, surviving a dramatic deciding leg to reach the final.
That resilience proved crucial, as the Swede carried his confidence into the showpiece against Clayton.
An early 104 checkout helped De Graaf establish control, and a pair of clinical 12-dart legs saw him move into a 3-1 lead.
Clayton responded in trademark fashion, winning the next two legs in just 27 darts to level proceedings at three apiece. However, De Graaf immediately wrestled back the initiative, producing a decisive burst of three consecutive legs to move within touching distance of the title.
A nerveless 117 finish in the eleventh leg edged him closer still, and although Clayton attempted to mount a late fightback, De Graaf calmly pinned double nine to seal an 8-5 victory and a second ranking title.
“The final was great. It felt like I couldn’t miss,” insisted De Graaf after lifting the trophy.
“My finishing was really good today, especially at important times. That is what got me over the line.
“This is my third year now with a Tour Card – the first two years, it was very inconsistent, I had a good day and that saved my year. This year, I’ve been way more consistent.
“On the other side, this is already the 19th [Players Championship] tournament and I hadn’t had a deep run. So it’s amazing I got the win!
“I just want to improve, and then I think the results will come in the end.”
While Clayton was unable to claim his first ranking title of 2026, the Welsh number one delivered another strong campaign, averaging close to 101 across his seven matches.
The former Premier League champion began his day by defeating Raymond van Barneveld 6-1 before posting consecutive ton-plus averages against Niall Culleton and Max Hopp.
One of the most dramatic matches of the tournament came in the last 16, where Clayton staged a remarkable recovery against Stephen Rosney.
Trailing 5-0 and facing three darts for a whitewash defeat, Clayton somehow turned the contest around to snatch victory in a deciding leg and keep his title hopes alive.
That comeback appeared to galvanise the Welshman, who followed up with a commanding 6-1 win over Cristo Reyes before producing one of the performances of the day in the semi-finals.
Clayton averaged 111.21 in a superb 7-4 victory against Rob Cross, denying the former World Champion a place in the final.
Cross nevertheless continued his encouraging recent form, strengthening his hopes of World Matchplay qualification with another deep run on the ProTour.
The Englishman averaged 103 and 106 in victories over Thomas Lovely and Charlie Manby respectively, while also overturning a 5-4 deficit to defeat Ireland’s William O’Connor in the quarter-finals.
Woodhouse also continued his recent surge up the rankings, reaching the semi-finals just days after claiming both his maiden Players Championship title and first European Tour crown.
The quarter-final line-up was completed by Nijman, Reyes, O’Connor and Mickey Mansell, all of whom enjoyed productive runs in Milton Keynes.
Elsewhere, several leading names suffered surprise early exits. Gian van Veen, Stephen Bunting, Nathan Aspinall, Danny Noppert, Chris Dobey and Kevin Doets all exited in the opening round.
Australian star Damon Heta, Dutch pair Dirk van Duijvenbode and Jermaine Wattimena also departed at the first hurdle, while two-time World Champion Gary Anderson was eliminated by Nijman in round three.
Attention now turns to Players Championship 20 on Wednesday, where another £15,000 title will be up for grabs as the ProTour double-header concludes in Milton Keynes.
Jeffrey de Graaf claims second ranking title with glory at Players Championship 19
2026 Players Championship Nineteen
Tuesday June 2
Arena MK, Milton Keynes
Last 16
Wessel Nijman 6-1 James Hurrell
Jeffrey de Graaf 6-2 Bradley Brooks
Mickey Mansell 6-3 Andrew Gilding
Luke Woodhouse 6-2 Mervyn King
William O’Connor 6-2 Ross Smith
Rob Cross 6-2 Charlie Manby
Cristo Reyes 6-1 Rob Owen
Jonny Clayton 6-5 Stephen Rosney
Quarter-Finals
Jeffrey de Graaf 6-4 Wessel Nijman
Luke Woodhouse 6-4 Mickey Mansell
Rob Cross 6-5 William O’Connor
Jonny Clayton 6-1 Cristo Reyes
Semi-Finals
Jeffrey de Graaf 7-6 Luke Woodhouse
Jonny Clayton 7-4 Rob Cross
Final
Jeffrey de Graaf 8-5 Jonny Clayton
