Dobey Denies Van Duijvenbode to Claim PC17 Title in Last-Leg Thriller
- Darts Central
- 4 days ago
- 6 min read
After a lengthy break, the Players Championship season returned with a bang at Leicester’s Mattioli Arena, delivering high drama and intense competition as the battle for World Matchplay qualification neared its conclusion.
Despite the absence of several top stars, such as World No.1 Luke Humphries, No.2 Luke Littler, and No.3 Michael van Gerwen, the event delivered fierce competition, with some fresh faces making their mark.
At the center of the action was Chris Dobey, who secured his 8th PDC title, and sixth in just two and a half years, cementing his reputation as one of the very best floor players in the game. Here’s how the day unfolded in a gripping event full of twists and turns...
Round 1: Hopp Shines While Big Names Crash Out
The opening round saw Max Hopp produce his highest average on the Pro Tour since February 2021. The German, continuing his bid to rebuild a once-promising career, averaged 104.27 in a convincing 6-2 win over Ryan Searle.
Top seed Dave Chisnall and World No.5 Jonny Clayton were among the big names to fall early, bowing out to Rusty-Jake Rodriguez and Karel Sedlacek, respectively, in fairly average displays.
There were more upsets as Euro Tour winners this season, Gary Anderson and Martin Schindler also suffered first-round defeats to new Tour Card holders Justin Hood and Oskar Lukasiak. Despite averaging 105.14, eight points higher than his opponent, Anderson missed eight of his ten darts at double and paid the price. Schindler, meanwhile, was well below his usual level.
On a different note, Peter Wright (101.68) and Damon Heta (100.47) both began with ton-plus averages, recording solid 6-4 wins over Scott Campbell and Cor Dekker.
Round 2 and 3: Familiar Faces Impress, All-Dutch Duels Deliver
Round two featured strong performances from some of the Pro Tour’s in-form names. Ross Smith continued his fine run with a 102.40 average in a 6-2 win over George Killington, while newly crowned World Cup champion Josh Rock matched that scoreline and averaged 102.08 to defeat Alan Soutar.
Newcomer Tom Bissell produced a personal-best average of 100.62 to dominate Rusty-Jake Rodriguez 6-2 and move into round three. Meanwhile, ‘The Magpie’ Willie O’Connor held his nerve in a last-leg decider to edge out recent Euro Tour finalist Niko Springer.
Round three focused on two high-profile all-Dutch battles. Dirk van Duijvenbode edged out Danny Noppert 6-4, while Gian van Veen thrashed Raymond van Barneveld 6-2, both with ton-plus averages.
Elsewhere, Josh Rock saw off former Northern Ireland captain Brendan Dolan 6-3 to reach the last 16, and Dimitri Van den Bergh made a successful return to the Pro Tour after two months out. The Belgian averaged 99.27 to overcome Karel Sedlacek 6-5 in a composed display.
Last 16: Dobey Dumps Out Rock & Tricole Breaks New Ground
Chris Dobey produced his best performance of the day, averaging 103.21 in a 6-3 victory over newly crowned World Cup champion Josh Rock.
Thibault Tricole broke new ground, reaching his first Pro Tour quarter-final of 2025 with a composed 6-3 win over Darren Beveridge.
Elsewhere, Damon Heta breezed past Wessel Nijman 6-1, and James Wade averaged 100.03 to defeat Challenge Tour call-up Carl Sneyd 6-2 comfortably.
Dutch duo Dirk van Duijvenbode and Richard Veenstra booked their spots in the quarter-finals with wins over Willie O’Connor and Stephen Bunting, despite both averaging lower than their opponents, who each posted ton-plus figures.
Michael Smith, despite a below-par 87.45 average, edged past Darius Labanauskas 6-5 in a nervy decider, while Gian van Veen ended Dimitri Van den Bergh’s return run with a clinical 6-4 win, averaging 100.18.
Quarter-Finals: Heta Turns Up the Heat & Smith Falters
Michael Smith suffered a heavy 6-1 defeat at the hands of Dirk van Duijvenbode, falling 5-0 behind before managing a single leg in a one-sided contest.
Damon Heta lit up the last eight with the highest average of the day, an outstanding 108.94 in a dominant 6-2 win over Richard Veenstra.
On the other side of the draw, Chris Dobey and Gian van Veen capitalised on sub-par displays from their opponents. Both James Wade and Thibault Tricole averaged in the 80s, allowing Dobey and Van Veen to secure comfortable 6-3 victories.
Semi-Finals: Close Battles See Dobey & Dirk Emerge Victors
In the first semi-final, Dirk van Duijvenbode powered into a 5-2 lead with relentless scoring. Damon Heta hit back superbly, reeling off three consecutive legs to level at 5-5. Van Duijvenbode edged ahead with a sensational 11-darter to make it 6-5, only for Heta to respond with an 18-dart hold. But it was the Dutchman who held his nerve in the decider, producing a clinical 15-darter to seal a 7-6 victory without facing match darts.
The second semi-final was equally gripping. Gian van Veen led for much of the contest with advantages of 2-0, 4-2, and 5-3, putting the pressure firmly on Chris Dobey. But ‘Hollywood’ surged back in style, firing in four consecutive legs in 13, 11, 18, and 15 darts to storm into the final with a brilliant comeback.
Road to the Final:
While Dirk van Duijvenbode dropped more legs en route, both he and Chris Dobey navigated tough paths to book their place in the Players Championship 17 final. Here’s how they got there:
Round | Dirk van Duijvenbode | Chris Dobey |
Last 128 | 6-5 vs Jitse Van der Wal | 6-3 vs Adam Mould |
Last 64 | 6-4 vs Keane Barry | 6-1 vs Adam Warner |
Last 32 | 6-4 vs Danny Noppert | 6-2 vs Jack Tweddell |
Last 16 | 6-4 vs Willie O'Connor | 6-3 vs Josh Rock |
Quarter-Final | 6-1 vs Michael Smith | 6-3 vs James Wade |
Semi-Final | 7-6 vs Damon Heta | 7-5 vs Gian van Veen |
🏆 The Final: Dobey Holds Nerve in Classic Decider
Neither finalist was a stranger to this round in a Players Championship event, with both boasting multiple titles on the Pro Tour. For Chris Dobey, this marked his third final of the 2025 season, while Dirk van Duijvenbode was appearing in his first since March 2024, when he was beaten by Dave Chisnall.
The opening six legs were tightly contested, with the score locked at 3–3. Dobey had reason to feel fortunate, as Dirk missed several darts at double that could have given him a strong early advantage.
From there, ‘Hollywood’ caught fire. A barrage of scoring power saw Dobey reel off four consecutive legs in 14, 13, 14, and 15 darts to surge into a 7–3 lead. Van Duijvenbode looked rattled as the Geordie star edged within one leg of the title.
But the Dutchman wasn’t done yet. Showing grit and resilience, ‘The Aubergenius’ stormed back with four straight legs of his own to force a dramatic decider. Dobey missed three match darts during that run, and suddenly, all the momentum was with van Duijvenbode.
At 7–7, both players had thrown 12 darts when the deciding leg reached its climax. Dirk sat on 55, but Dobey had first shot at a 70 finish. A treble 18 was followed by a narrowly missed dart at double 8, his fourth missed match dart, but with his last dart in hand, he nailed double 8 to clinch a thrilling 8–7 victory and seal the title.
🏅 Champion: Chris Dobey
Tournament Average: 97.15
180s: 26
Prize Money: £15,000
Highlight Performance: 6-3 Last 16 vs Josh Rock (103.21 average)
Talking Points & Highlights
🇩🇪 Hopp Hits Top Gear:
Max Hopp continues to show encouraging signs in his quest to rebuild his career. The former two-time Pro Tour title winner produced his highest average on the circuit since February 2021, a superb 104.27 as he swept aside Ryan Searle 6–2 in an eye-catching display.
🔥 Tricole Breaks New Ground:
France’s Thibault Tricole continues to blaze a trail for his nation on the PDC circuit. He reached his first quarter-final of the 2025 season and the third of his career as a tour card holder, as he looks to strengthen his position and retain his card.
⭐ Dobey Wins Eighth PDC Title:
Chris Dobey secured the eighth PDC title of his career, with seven of those now coming at Players Championship events. Remarkably, six of those have come in the last two and a half years, underlining his status as one of the best floor players in the sport. The win also lifts him to third on the 2025 Players Championship Order of Merit, with two titles to his name this season, a tally only Gerwyn Price has bettered this year with three.
🎙️ Post-Final Interview: Chris Dobey’s Reaction to PDC.tv:
Chris Dobey was full of praise for Dirk van Duijvenbode after their epic final showdown.
“His scoring power is unbelievable, [he’s] probably up there with one of the best scorers in the world. I had to dig in!” said Dobey.
Reflecting on the tournament as a whole, Dobey acknowledged the challenge ahead. “Every tournament is a tough task, there’s so many good players now... I’m delighted to pick up another title.”
On adding to his career haul, Dobey noted, “This is my second win of the year, but just to win one tournament is an achievement,” picking up his seventh Players Championship title overall.
“I want to be competing with the top boys to give myself more chances of getting to the top. I’ll be here all week!”
📅 What’s Next?
Players Championship 18
June 18th at Mattioli Arena, Leicester (Live on PDC.tv)
Players Championship 19
June 19th at Mattioli Arena, Leicester (Live on PDC.tv)
US Darts Masters
June 27th-28th at The Theater, Madison Square Garden, New York (Live on PDC.tv)
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