The final weekend of the Winmau Challenge Tour of 2025 saw the contenders battle down to the last event for ranking points, Pro Tour cards and places in the end of season majors.
Michael Unterbuchner and Jurjen Van der Velde were victorious on Saturday, in winning Challenge Tour Events 21 & 22 respectively, as the final weekend of the PDC’s second tier tour season commenced at the Robin Park Leisure Centre, Wigan.
Unterbuchner, a two-time finalist on the Challenge Tour in 2025, went a step further in Event 21, as he reached the final firstly by recording victories against James Howard Hughes, Daniel Klose, Kevin Burness, Shane McGuirk, Sam Spivey and Charlie Manby, to set up a clash with England’s Peter Burgoyne.
The final began with Burgoyne racing into a 2-0 lead with winning legs coming in 16 and 17 darts respectively before Unterbuchner fought back by winning three successive legs in a total of 48 darts to move 3-2 ahead in a race to five. Burgoyne then levelled up the tie in Leg Six with a 22 dart hold of throw to make it 3apiece and a best of three contest. Unterbuchner then took control of the remainder of the tie, as the German won back-to-back legs and sealed the victory in Leg Eight with a 14-darter to pick up a maiden PDC title as well as collecting the £2,500 top prize.
In Event 22, Jurjen Van der Velde was victorious as the 2024 World Youth Championship runner-up reached the final firstly by recording victories against Jack Secular, John Henderson, Steve West, Carl Wilson, Jack Tweddell and Daniel Klose, to set up a clash with Jamie Hughes.
The final began with the pair holding throw for the opening two legs, before Van der Velde charged in front by rattling off three successive legs in 16,13 and 17 darts respectively to move 4-1 ahead and within one of victory. Hughes did pull one leg back, before his Dutch opponent sealed the victory in Leg Seven with a 12 darter to pick up a third Challenge Tour title of his career and the £2,500 top prize.
Stefan Bellmont secured top spot on the 2025 Challenge Tour Order of Merit on Sunday after the Swiss star and Sam Spivey shared the spoils in Events 23 & 24 as the second-tier tour season ended at Wigan’s Robin Park Leisure Centre.
Bellmont, the winner of two Challenge Tour titles previously in 2025, reached the final of Event 23 firstly by recording victories against Charlie Symons, Carl Wilson, Martin Grearson, Colin Osborne, Adam Smith-Neale and Jurjen Van der Velde, to set up a clash with England’s Daniel Ayres.
The final began with Bellmont racing into a 2-0 lead with winning legs coming in 14 and 17 darts respectively before there was a run of six consecutive holds of throw between the pair which saw the Swiss thrower seal the victory in Leg Eight with a 19 darter to pick up a third title of the year and a fifth of his career.
In Event 24, Sam Spivey claimed the victory, as he reached the final firstly by recording victories against David Hill, Ashley Coleman, Andy Hamilton, Stefan Bellmont, Matt Gallett and Jurjen Van der Velde, to set up a clash with Dutchman Alexander Merkx.
The final began with Merkx taking the opener in 16 darts, before Spivey stormed in front by rattling off three successive legs in a total of 53 darts to move 3-1 ahead in a race to five. The tie then saw four straight holds of throw between the pair before Spivey sealed the victory in Leg Eight with a 14 darter to pick up a maiden PDC title as well as the £2,500 top prize.
Elsewhere, following his victory in Event 23, Stefan Bellmont secured top spot on the Challenge Tour Order of Merit and a place at next month’s Grand Slam of Darts. The Swiss star also created history by becoming the first player from his nation to secure a PDC Tour Card for 2026/27 as well as a return to the Alexandra Palace for the 2025/26 Paddy Power World Darts Championship.
Lithuania’s Darius Labanauskas also secured a return to the professional circuit for 2026/27 after finishing second on the Order of Merit. Since ‘Lucky D’ is set to qualify for the sport’s showpiece event via the Pro Tour Order of Merit rankings, the two remaining World Championship spots went to Former World Youth Champion Ted Evetts and 2009 Semi Finalist Mervyn King with the pair finishing third and fourth respectively on the Order of Merit.
The top two players on the final 2025 Challenge Tour Order of Merit earn a PDC Tour Card for 2026/27 and the top three players securing a place at the 2025/26 Paddy Power World Darts Championship. Also, the winner of the Challenge Tour Order of Merit will book a place at next month’s Grand Slam of Darts in Wolverhampton.
PDC Winmau Challenge Tour
Event 21
Quarter Finals
Peter Burgoyne 5-1 Scott Campbell
Jamie Hughes 5-2 Oliver Mitchell
Michael Unterbuchner 5-2 Sam Spivey
Charlie Manby 5-3 David Davies
Semi Finals
Peter Burgoyne 5-2 Jamie Hughes
Michael Unterbuchner 5-4 Charlie Manby
Final
Michael Unterbuchner 5-3 Peter Burgoyne
Event 22
Quarter Finals
Jurjen Van der Velde 5-2 Jack Tweddell
Daniel Klose 5-0 Ted Evetts
David Pallett 5-2 Daniel Astbury
Jamie Hughes 5-1 Nathan Potter
Semi Finals
Jurjen Van der Velde 5-2 Daniel Klose
Jamie Hughes 5-3 David Pallett
Final
Jurjen Van der Velde 5-2 Jamie Hughes
Event 23
Quarter Finals
Daniel Ayres 5-4 Kurt Parry
Keegan Brown 5-4 Joe Croft
Jurjen Van der Velde 5-3 Sam Spivey
Stefan Bellmont 5-2 Adam Smith-Neale
Semi Finals
Daniel Ayres 5-1 Keegan Brown
Stefan Bellmont 5-4 Jurjen Van der Velde
Final
Stefan Bellmont 5-3 Daniel Ayres
Event 24
Quarter Finals
Sam Spivey 5-2 Matt Gallett
Jurjen Van der Velde 5-4 Michael Unterbuchner
Alexander Merkx 5-4 Daniel Ayres
Mervyn King 5-4 Lee Cocks
Semi Finals
Sam Spivey 5-3 Jurjen Van der Velde
Alexander Merkx 5-4 Mervyn King
Final
Sam Spivey 5-3 Alexander Merkx
—–ENDS—–
Images: PDC
