Doets Delivers: Dutchman Claims Players Championship Darts Title

Following a frustrating catalogue of near misses, Dutch darts star Kevin Doets finally watched his ball drop into the pocket, securing that long-awaited maiden PDC Pro Tour title with victory over Luke Woodhouse in a high-calibre, fiercely competitive final.

It had begun to feel inevitable that Hawkeye would eventually make the pot – after all, he had been ominously circling all season. Then, at last, on the thirteenth attempt of the year, fortune favoured the Netherlander. Certainly not an unlucky number for him.

MORE ELITE DARTS COVERAGE: Check Out Our Devoted PDC Area

Only serial Players Championship juggernauts Wessel Nijman and Chris Dobey had accumulated more on the tour during this campaign than Doets. And with a significant portion of the sport’s elite opting to withdraw from the event, the stage felt perfectly primed for him to strike gold.

After ruthlessly whitewashing Kim Huybrechts in the last 16, Doets surged into yet another quarter final – his seventh of the year – and was required to be at his absolute clinical best, as stable mate and compatriot Jermaine Wattimena was also producing blistering form.

In what was arguably the match of the day, the Almere born arrow-smith built upon that triumph to deliver another colossal average, dismantling Rob Owen and cruising into a fourth semi-final in his last six appearances.

There, Doets smith emphatically obliterated fellow Netherlander Niels Zonnerveld, advancing into only his second career PDC Players Championship final. Eager to go one better than his previous final appearance against Luke Humphries a few years prior, another Luke stood in his path this time – Woodhouse.

Luke Woodhouse, Darts Player, England, PDC, World Championship, 2026

Curiously, it marked the first ever meeting between the pair – and with Woody also chasing a maiden crown, a brand-new name on the Pro Tour roll of honour was guaranteed.

Half a dozen legs in, it appeared as though the Worcestershire man might be that name, edging into a 4-2 lead and looking composed. However, a scintillating five leg salvo from Hawkeye dragged him to the precipice of glory. And despite Woodhouse narrowing the deficit to 7-5, Doets held his nerve to seal the title with his seventh match dart.

DARTS PLAYER MERCHANDISE AND COLLECTABLES AT OUR DARTSWORLD STORE!

A truly splendid and richly deserved achievement from a player who had been relentlessly knocking on the door all season. Born in the Netherlands. Residing in Sweden. Darts career wise: Made in Hildesheim.