Kevin Doets ends the wait for his maiden PDC ranking title to claim Players Championship 13
Kevin Doets ends the wait for his maiden PDC ranking title to claim Players Championship 13
Kevin Doets produced a magnificent mid-match burst to defeat Luke Woodhouse 8-5 and clinch his maiden PDC ranking title at Monday’s Players Championship 13.
Doets has been one of the sport’s most improved players over the last 12 months, and he underlined that progress with a breakthrough victory in Hildesheim.
The Dutchman featured in back-to-back semi-finals during last week’s ProTour double-header, but he went one better at Halle 39 before denying Woodhouse in Monday’s showpiece.
The pair arrived as the two highest-ranked players yet to win a PDC title, although it was Woodhouse who looked set to end that wait after storming into a 4-2 lead.
Doets opened with a sublime 11-dart hold, but Woodhouse quickly settled, breaking throw with a clinical 80 checkout before backing it up with legs of 14 and 13 darts to seize control.
However, Doets burst into life with a two-dart 100 finish in leg seven – igniting a five-leg blitz that transformed the contest.
The 27-year-old followed up his second 11-darter by pinning back-to-back 105 and 128 checkouts to surge 7-4 ahead, before eventually sealing victory with his ninth match dart on double 10.
“I don’t even know what to say. Finally! What a relief,” expressed Doets.
“My confidence is growing. I have been playing pretty well lately, and I showed it again today.
“I was a bit nervous in the beginning of the final, but as soon as I got into it, I played great.”
Doets posted an impressive tournament average of 99.65, following up wins over Mervyn King and Darryl Pilgrim with a six-leg demolition of Kim Huybrechts to reach round four.
The Dutchman then averaged 105 and 107 in victories over Jermaine Wattimena and Rob Owen respectively, surviving a stunning 107.83 average from Wattimena in a sensational last-16 clash.
Prior to his title-clinching victory over Woodhouse, Doets also came through another all-Dutch tie in the semi-finals, dispatching Maik Kuivenhoven 7-1 with an average north of 99.
“I need to be a winner. Today I was, and I’m going to try and continue that,” vowed Doets, who climbs to third on the 2026 Players Championship Order of Merit.
“I said at the beginning of the year I wanted to get a title otherwise I won’t be satisfied, but now I’ve got one, I’m aiming for more.
“The next goal for me is to get into the top 16 of the world and win a major [title], because I have shown everyone that I have the game to do it.”
Woodhouse’s wait for a first PDC title continues, though the former European Championship semi-finalist impressed throughout the day in Hildesheim.
After whitewashing Cam Crabtree in round one, Woodhouse eased into the last 16 with 6-2 victories over Adam Leek and Mike De Decker, averaging over a ton against the Belgian number one.
The 37-year-old then defeated Poland’s top player Krzysztof Ratajski and second seed Chris Dobey before sweeping aside Austrian veteran Mensur Suljovic in the semi-finals.
Suljovic’s run to the last four was built on trademark resilience, with the Austrian defeating Niels Zonneveld and 2024 European Champion Ritchie Edhouse along the way.
Kuivenhoven also starred in reaching the semi-finals, accounting for Damon Heta, Sebastian Bialecki and Andrew Gilding to advance to his first ranking semi-final of the year.
Earlier in the day, Dirk van Duijvenbode added another nine-darter to his tally, producing perfection in his opening-round clash with Madars Razma.
Van Duijvenbode averaged 109 in defeating the Latvian, although that effort was later eclipsed by Gilding, who averaged a remarkable 118.66 in his round-three whitewash of Joe Cullen.
Michael van Gerwen – the only Premier League player in action – was beaten by Ratajski at the same stage, while top seed Wessel Nijman suffered a shock round-two defeat to Sweden’s Viktor Tingstrom.
The ProTour double-header concludes on Tuesday with Players Championship 14, where another 128 players will battle for the £15,000 winner’s prize.
Kevin Doets ends the wait for his maiden PDC ranking title to claim Players Championship 13
2026 Players Championship Thirteen
Monday May 4
Halle 39, Hildesheim
Last 16
Andrew Gilding 6-3 Viktor Tingstrom
Maik Kuivenhoven 6-4 Marvin van Velzen
Rob Owen 6-2 Tyler Thorpe
Kevin Doets 6-3 Jermaine Wattimena
Chris Dobey 6-1 Dave Chisnall
Luke Woodhouse 6-1 Krzysztof Ratajski
Darius Labanauskas 6-2 Derek Coulson
Mensur Suljovic 6-0 Ritchie Edhouse
Quarter-Finals
Maik Kuivenhoven 6-4 Andrew Gilding
Kevin Doets 6-2 Rob Owen
Luke Woodhouse 6-4 Chris Dobey
Mensur Suljovic 6-4 Darius Labanauskas
Semi-Finals
Kevin Doets 7-1 Maik Kuivenhoven
Luke Woodhouse 7-2 Mensur Suljovic
Final
Kevin Doets 8-5 Luke Woodhouse
Nine-Darter!
Dirk van Duijvenbode hit a nine-darter in his round one tie against Madars Razma.
