Chris Dobey continued his sensational ProTour form in Wigan, defeating Stephen Bunting 8-3 to clinch his third Players Championship title of 2024.
Wednesday's Players Championship 25 showpiece saw the two most recent Masters champions go head-to-head, and it was Dobey who ran out a convincing winner.
The Bedlington thrower performed magnificently at the Robin Park Tennis Centre, averaging 100.95 across his seven matches to extend his lead at the top of the Players Championship Order of Merit.
“Confidence is key,” declared Dobey, who looks poised to head to November’s Players Championship Finals as the top seed.
“I have won a couple of Players Championships already before today, and I know where I am on the Order of Merit.
“Once I saw I was in that number one spot, I set myself the target of being there at the end, and it’s given me the motivation to get on the practice board and start performing like this on a regular basis.
“Coming off the back of the Premier League [last year], I wanted to pick my floor game up, because during the Premier League season, I was struggling to get myself up for these events.
“That had to change this year. I’ve knuckled down and really put the work in, and I’m just delighted to get my floor game back to where it should be.”
Dobey was imperious throughout the afternoon in Wigan, following up an opening round victory over Nathan Rafferty with successive 6-2 wins against William O’Connor and Gabriel Clemens.
The 34-year-old averaged 107 to dispatch the Irishman, and after sweeping aside Clemens, he was forced to come through deciding-leg tussles against Jeffrey de Graaf and Luke Littler.
Dobey took out 150 to prevail in his quarter-final epic against Littler, before maintaining his charge with a ruthless 7-1 demolition of Daryl Gurney in the last four, averaging 104 in the process.
The former Masters champion then capped off a sensational campaign with a dominant display against Bunting, reeling off five straight legs to pocket the £15,000 top prize.
Bunting squandered three darts to break Dobey’s throw in the opening leg, sparking a sequence of four consecutive breaks – featuring a majestic 140 checkout from Bunting in leg five.
The St Helens star then pinned double ten to level at three apiece, although he was unable to make further inroads, as Dobey punished missed opportunities from Bunting to triumph in emphatic style.
Bunting was featuring in back-to-back Players Championship finals, having succumbed to emerging Dutchman Wessel Nijman in Tuesday’s decider.
The reigning Masters champion was bidding to end a three-year wait for a Players Championship win, and he put in a series of stellar displays to reach his fourth ProTour final of 2024.
Following wins over Danny van Trijp and Jamie Hughes to kick off his campaign, Bunting moved through to the last eight after posting ton-topping averages to account for Jermaine Wattimena and Mike De Decker.
The 39-year-old then reeled off three straight legs to complete a comeback win against Connor Scutt, before closing out a 7-4 semi-final success at the expense of Andrew Gilding.
Gilding enjoyed his best result since his run to July’s World Matchplay quarter-finals, overcoming Gary Anderson and Dave Chisnall after averaging 104 in his third round whitewash of Robert Owen.
The 2023 UK Open champion was joined in the last four by Daryl Gurney, who also impressed in progressing to his fourth Players Championship semi-final of 2024.
The Northern Irishman recorded deciding-leg victories against Michael Smith and Dirk van Duijvenbode earlier in the afternoon, which he backed up with a quarter-final victory against Ryan Joyce.
Joyce was one of Wednesday’s stand-out performers, averaging over a ton to defeat Dutch duo Wesley Plaisier and Danny Noppert, before averaging 112.53 to stun Damon Heta in an astonishing last 16 contest.
Littler also exited in the quarter-finals alongside top seed Chisnall and Challenge Tour star Scutt – a runner-up on the PDC ProTour earlier this month.
Tuesday’s winner Nijman suffered a first round defeat at the hands of his compatriot Jimmy van Schie, while world number one Luke Humphries was beaten at the same stage by Jeffrey de Graaf.