Pugs Claims First PDC Darts Title

Maiden PDC Challenge Tour winners quickly became a recurring theme over the weekend in Hildesheim. After a couple of fresh champions were crowned on the opening day, Saturday continued in much the same vein before league leader Joe Hunt underlined exactly why he sits at the summit.

Pug’s First Bite: Wickenden Sinks Teeth into Maiden PDC Title

Nicknamed Pugs, Christopher Wickenden’s personal Challenge Tour best was a quarter-final appearance some four years ago. However, thanks to a series of resolute and tenacious performances, he emphatically rewrote that statistic to claim a maiden PDC title.

It was a relatively assured start for the 37-year-old before he was forced to navigate a pair of precarious last-leg deciders to overcome Swiss thrower Marcel Walpen and the in-form Welshman Derek Coulson. Into the quarter-finals, Wickenden dispatched Germany’s Liam Maendl-Lawrance before edging another nerve-shredding contest against Austria’s Patrick Tringler to book his place in the final.

There, the Nuneaton man showcased further composure, recovering from an early 3-2 deficit against Dave Evans to seize control. A clinical burst of three consecutive legs saw him stretch his legs, surge clear and ultimately secure the title.Hunt Strikes Again: League Leader Lands Season Hat-TrickThat made it three new champions from the opening three events.

The fourth, however, went the way of a more familiar name, as Hunt claimed his third title of the campaign at the expense of compatriot Tommy Morris.There is a very good reason why the Portsmouth-based thrower leads the standings, and this afternoon in Germany, Hunt once again demonstrated that fact.

Progressing with minimal fuss, he navigated his route to the semi-finals, largely consisting of composed 5-3 victories. He then survived a gripping decider to edge past fellow Order of Merit contender Coulson, setting up a shot at an early-season title hat-trick.

Morris, a runner-up on the opening weekend in Milton Keynes, was eager to go one better. However, with the contest poised at 2-2 in the early stages, it was Hunt who eyed his prey, found an extra gear then produced a couple of quality legs and race to another title. And as a result – giving himself a handy £3,000 cushion at the top of the table.

There are still plenty of events to come, including the final one in Germany tomorrow, but ideally, you want to be exactly where Joe Hunt finds himself right now – especially given he is also impressing when stepping up to Pro Tour level.

2026 PDC CHALLENGE TOUR – EVENT 13

Hildesheim, Germany (Sat 2nd May)

Quarter-Finals

Christopher Wickenden (ENG) 5-2 Liam Maendl-Lawrance (GER)

Patrick Tringler (AUT) 5-3 Stef Kosters (NED)

Dave Evans (ENG) 5-0 Joe Hunt (ENG)

Gilbert van der Meijden (NED) 5-4 Marcel Hausotter (GER)

Semi-Finals

Christopher Wickenden (ENG) 5-4 Patrick Tringler (AUT)

Dave Evans (ENG) 5-2 Gilbert van der Meijden (NED)

Final

Christopher Wickenden (ENG) 5-3 Dave Evans (ENG)