Bunting Denies Clayton Comeback to Claim PC25 Title
- Darts Central
- Aug 26
- 6 min read
Stephen Bunting bounced back from yesterday’s thriller final at PC24, where he was edged out 8-7 by Jeffrey de Graaf, to claim victory at Players Championship 25, his fifth PDC title of the 2025 season.
‘The Bullet’ capped off an extraordinary couple of days at Arena MK, registering ten 100+ averages across 14 games and holding off a late comeback from Jonny Clayton to seal the title.
Here’s how the action unfolded...
Round 1: Cullen Impresses as Wright Suffers Whitewash Exit
Joe Cullen eased concerns over his recent form with a commanding 6-4 win over Germany’s rising star Niko Springer, averaging 106.42 and hitting seven maximums.
Beau Greaves impressed again, whitewashing PDC veteran Mickey Mansell 6-0, while Dennie Olde Kalter, who has struggled this season, gained confidence by thrashing former World No.1 Michael Smith 6-1.
Damon Heta suffered another early exit, losing 6-4 to Ricky Evans, and Peter Wright endured a shock 6-0 defeat to Darius Labanauskas, averaging just 81.84.
Following Luke Littler’s late withdrawal, his replacement, Jenson Walker, was beaten 6-1 by Wessel Nijman. Second seed Martin Schindler averaged 105.40 to dispatch yesterday’s winner, Jeffrey de Graaf, 6-3.
Rounds 2 & 3: Bunting Dominates, MvG Shocked, Olde Kalter Shines
Yesterday’s finalist, Stephen Bunting, produced a dominant Round 2 performance, averaging 111.66 in a 6-2 win over Mario Vandenbogaerde. Dennie Olde Kalter continued his rise, recording a career-high 106.06 average in a 6-1 demolition of Connor Scutt.
Welshman David Davies, making his Pro Tour debut after winning the Champions of Champions in Cardiff last weekend, edged Joe Cullen 6-5 to reach the Last 32. Meanwhile, Michael van Gerwen suffered a shock 6-5 defeat to Latvia’s Madars Razma.
Round 3 featured several elite performances: Jonny Clayton averaged 110.80, Martin Schindler 105.66, and Rob Cross 105.21, all advancing comfortably to the Last 16.
Scottish duo Cameron Menzies and Alan Soutar overcame Scott Williams and Dave Chisnall 6-4 each. Dennie Olde Kalter’s run ended with a 6-3 loss to Gian van Veen, who averaged 102.91. Meanwhile, Dirk van Duijvenbode hit a perfect nine-dart leg but fell 6-2 to Daryl Gurney.
Last 16: O’Connor Dazzles in all-Irish Clash as Davies Exits Narrowly
Dutch youngsters Wessel Nijman and Gian van Veen produced professional displays to defeat Rob Cross and Cameron Menzies, advancing to the Quarter-Finals.
Alan Soutar and Jonny Clayton won, battling 6-4 encounters against Daryl Gurney and Robert Grundy, respectively.
Stephen Bunting continued his dominant form, averaging 106.21 in a 6-2 victory over Norway’s Cor Dekker. Karel Sedlacek and Martin Schindler survived last-leg deciders against David Davies and Justin Hood.
The standout performance came from ‘The Magpie’ William O’Connor, who averaged 109.61 in a 6-2 thrashing of World Cup teammate Keane Barry.
Quarter-Finals: Clayton & Bunting Shine as Four Post 104+ Averages
All four quarter-final winners averaged above 104, while none of the losers fell below 95, highlighting the elite standard of play.
Jonny Clayton (106.64) and Stephen Bunting (105.67) recorded the top two averages in dominant 6-1 victories over Alan Soutar and Wessel Nijman. Martin Schindler (104.86) and William O’Connor (104.28) followed with 6-3 wins over Gian van Veen and Karel Sedlacek, securing their places in the Semi-Finals.
Semi-Finals: Bunting and Clayton Edge Thrillers to Reach Final
Martin Schindler took the opening leg in a 13-dart hold to lead 1-0, but Clayton hit back with consecutive 14 darters to go 2-1 up. Schindler responded with two 14-dart holds to move 3-2 ahead, before Clayton capitalised on missed chances to level at 3-3 with an 18-dart hold.
Schindler regained the lead with a magnificent 125 checkout for a 12-dart hold, but Clayton answered with a 16-dart hold and a 14-dart break to lead 5-4. ‘The Wall’ replied with an 11-dart break and 15-dart hold to move 6-5 up, yet ‘The Ferret’ forced a decider with a 17-dart hold. Schindler wired Double 11 for a 142 checkout for the win, only for Clayton to hold firm under immense pressure with a 76 finish on the final dart to reach the final.
The other semi-final was equally tense. Bunting opened with a 15-dart hold, but O’Connor edged 2-1 ahead through scrappy 17 and 18-dart legs. ‘The Bullet’ then stormed with a four-leg burst (12, 17, 14, 12) to lead 5-2, with the Irishman not registering a single shot at double in this burst.
Bunting faltered in legs 8 and 9, allowing O’Connor to close to 5-4 with 17 and 15-dart legs. A composed 101 finish under pressure moved Bunting within a leg at 6-4, but ‘The Magpie’ fought back, surviving a match dart to force a decider after a 13-dart break and 16-dart hold. In the final leg, it was edgy, but Bunting on throw reached a double first and sealed victory with his fourth match dart, reaching back-to-back finals.
Road to the Final:
Stephen Bunting and Jonny Clayton both produced a series of impressive performances to reach the Players Championship 25 final.
Their respective paths were as follows:
Round | Stephen Bunting | Jonny Clayton |
Last 128 | 6-5 vs Michele Turetta | 6-3 vs Tom Bissell |
Last 64 | 6-2 vs Mario Vandenbogaerde | 6-2 vs Stephen Burton |
Last 32 | 6-3 vs Ritchie Edhouse | 6-3 vs Krzysztof Ratajski |
Last 16 | 6-2 vs Cor Dekker | 6-4 vs Robert Grundy |
Quarter-Final | 6-1 vs Wessel Nijman | 6-1 vs Alan Soutar |
Semi-Final | 7-6 vs William O'Connor | 7-6 vs Martin Schindler |
🏆 The Final: Bunting Holds Off Clayton to Claim PC25 Title
Stephen Bunting has shown immense improvement over the past two years, reaching 10 Players Championship finals in that period, including yesterday’s. However, he has struggled in finals, winning just one of his previous nine. Jonny Clayton, on the other hand, was appearing in his fourth Players Championship final in two years and had converted two of his previous three into titles.
It was ‘The Ferret’ who opened the contest with a 16-dart hold to lead 1-0. From there, ‘The Bullet’ surged ahead, taking the next five legs in 17, 14, 16, 14, and 20 darts to move 5-1 up. Clayton failed to register a single dart at double during this sequence as Bunting put the foot on the accelerator.
Bunting then began to falter, missing darts at double in the next three legs, allowing Clayton to capitalise with three consecutive legs to cut the gap to 5-4. Showing nerves of steel, Bunting responded with a brilliant 10-dart leg to restore a 6-4 lead. Clayton hit back with a 14-darter to reduce the deficit to 6-5.
In leg 12, Clayton missed three crucial darts at double 16, and Bunting punished with a crucial last-dart double 3 to move 7-5 ahead. Clayton held in 15 darts to stay in the match at 7-6.
Leg 14 saw both players exchange maximums and impressively reach two-dart finishes after nine darts. Bunting missed a dart at the bull to seal the title, while Clayton, unusually, squandered two darts at double 16 to break and force a deciding leg.
In the crucial moment, Bunting calmly hit a 25 checkout in two darts to win 8-6, clinching a rare Pro Tour final victory. Clayton embraced him as Bunting beamed with relief.
🏅 Champion: Stephen Bunting
Tournament Average: 102.94
180s: 33
Prize Money: £15,000
Highlight Performance: 6-2 Last 64 vs Mario Vandenbogaerde (111.66 average)
✍️ Talking Points & Highlights
🇳🇱 Olde Kalter Lands Career-High Average
Dennie Olde Kalter has continued his rise, building on his first win at PC23. He has started posting bigger averages and taking out top names, notably thrashing former World No.1 and World Champion Michael Smith 6-1, before setting a career-best PDC average of 106.06 in a 6-1 victory over Connor Scutt.
🏴 Davies Makes Impressive Last 16 Debut
Fresh from his Champions of Champions win in Cardiff, Welshman David Davies enjoyed his first taste of PDC Pro Tour action, reaching the Last 16. He claimed a notable 6-5 scalp over former Premier League player Joe Cullen along the way.
🍆 Dirk Hits Perfect Nine-Darter
Dirk van Duijvenbode hit a perfect nine-dart leg during the day’s action, though it counted for just half the legs he found in a 6-2 defeat to Daryl Gurney in Round 3.
⭐ Bunting Claims Fifth PDC Title of 2025
Stephen Bunting has been prolific in 2025, converting his recent finals appearances into victories. In his previous 11 years as a PDC tour card holder, he had won just four titles, but this year alone, ‘The Bullet’ has claimed a remarkable five, matching Gerwyn Price and sitting just one behind Luke Littler’s six for the season.
🎙️ Post-Final Interview: Stephen Bunting’s Reaction to PDC.tv:
“I’ve played exceptionally this week,”
“I was disappointed not to win yesterday, but to reach two finals and get one title over the line, I’m really happy with that.
“We’re coming into that part of the season where everyone wants to be playing well, and I’m over the moon with my performances over the last two days.
“I need to keep working hard at my game or I’ll get left behind, but I’m really happy with where it is at the moment and I’m just looking forward to the rest of the season.”
📅 What’s Next?
Flanders Darts Trophy (ET10)
August 29th-August 31st at Antwerp Xpo, Antwerp (Live on PDC.tv)
Czech Darts Open
September 5th-September 7th at PVA EXPO, Prague (Live on PDC.tv)
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