Ross Smith claimed his second European Tour title of 2026 in emphatic fashion, thrashing Gary Anderson 8-2 in the Hungarian Darts Trophy final in Budapest on Sunday.
The Englishman, who secured his maiden European Tour crown at the International Darts Open in May, produced a clinical performance at the MVM Dome in front of a record-breaking European Tour crowd of almost 6,000 fans.
Smith averaged 101 and converted 73% of his checkouts in a dominant final display worthy of the £35,000 top prize. After establishing a 2-1 lead with 103 and 124 checkouts, he stretched clear to a five-leg advantage before sealing the title with an 11-dart break of throw.
“I feel a bit in disbelief in a way because I was coming here on the back of two losses in the World Series,” reflected Smith, who climbs to world number 15.
“Playing Gary – it’s Gary Anderson isn’t it, he’s a legend. To be able to beat Gary, wow.”
The victory also propelled Smith to the top of the 2026 European Tour rankings, leapfrogging fellow two-time title winner Wessel Nijman.
Smith’s route to the final was equally impressive. He opened with a 6-2 win over William O’Connor, posting a ton-plus average, before overcoming Jonny Clayton 6-4 on Sunday afternoon with a 60% success rate on the outer ring.
A 6-2 defeat of Dave Chisnall followed, and he then dispatched Danny Noppert 7-3 in the semi-finals to reach a third European Tour final of the year.
“At the end of the day, I’m playing in front of thousands and thousands of people,” Smith continued.
“This is my job, wow! I’m so grateful, it’s a pinch myself moment. I absolutely love the European Tour. To travel the world and see everything and take my little lad with me, it’s an absolute privilege.”
Anderson, despite the final defeat, enjoyed a memorable campaign that bolstered his European Championship qualification hopes.
The two-time World Champion collected his first four European Tour wins of 2026, beginning with a sparkling 105.27 average in a 6-2 victory over Krzysztof Ratajski.
He edged Stephen Bunting in a last-leg decider, produced another ton-plus average to defeat Gian van Veen in a deciding leg, and survived five match darts against Nathan Aspinall to reach his first European Tour final since July 2025.
“I ran out of steam a long time ago!” jibed Anderson, competing in just his third European Tour event of the year.
“Making the final was sheer luck, it was a gift from the gods I got this far. Ross has been brilliant throughout the day. We watched him during the second game, he was fantastic. We’ve got a few tournaments left to get into the Finals, so I’m going to give it my damnedest.”
Elsewhere on Finals Day, last year’s runner-up Noppert advanced to the semi-finals with wins over Ryan Searle and Dirk van Duijvenbode, while Aspinall reached the same stage after hard-fought victories against Michael van Gerwen and Chris Dobey.
In the afternoon session, Van Duijvenbode defeated Rob Cross 6-4, Chisnall eased past Keane Barry 6-2, Van Veen extended his winning streak over Jermaine Wattimena to five matches, and Dobey finished his 6-3 win over Josh Rock with a 170 checkout.
The European Tour resumes next weekend with the Czech Darts Open in Prague from 4-6 September, as the race for European Championship qualification intensifies.
2026 Hungarian Darts Trophy
Sunday August 30
Afternoon Session
Round Three
Dirk van Duijvenbode 6-4 Rob Cross
Danny Noppert 6-4 Ryan Searle
Ross Smith 6-4 Jonny Clayton
Dave Chisnall 6-2 Keane Barry
Gian van Veen 6-3 Jermaine Wattimena
Gary Anderson 6-5 Stephen Bunting
Nathan Aspinall 6-4 Michael van Gerwen
Chris Dobey 6-3 Josh Rock
Evening Session
Quarter-Finals
Danny Noppert 6-5 Dirk van Duijvenbode
Ross Smith 6-2 Dave Chisnall
Gary Anderson 6-5 Gian van Veen
Nathan Aspinall 6-5 Chris Dobey
Semi-Finals
Ross Smith 7-3 Danny Noppert
Gary Anderson 7-6 Nathan Aspinall
Final
Ross Smith 8-2 Gary Anderson
Images: Gabor Kiss/PDC Europe
