Ross Smith captured the fifth Players Championship of the 2026 season with an emphatic 8-2 victory over Chris Dobey in the final at the Mattioli Arena in Leicester on Tuesday. The 37-year-old Englishman secured his eighth career PDC ranking title, continuing his streak of winning at least one Players Championship every year since 2023.
While Smith took the trophy, the highest average of the tournament belonged to Dutchman Kevin Doets. The world number 37 posted a stunning 108.77 average in his last 32 match against eventual finalist Dobey, who averaged 103.16. Despite the superior scoring, Doets fell in a deciding leg, losing 6-5.
Callan Rydz recorded the second-highest average of the event with 108.28 during his 6-3 last 64 win over Mensur Suljovic, who himself averaged an impressive 107.26 in the high-quality encounter. Rydz was eventually eliminated 6-5 in the next round by Poland's Sebastian Bialecki.
The list of standout averages was dominated by players from England, the Netherlands, and Scotland. England's Cameron Crabtree averaged 106.85, while winner Ross Smith also posted averages of 106.38, 104.24, and 103.19. They were joined by fellow Englishmen Owen Bates (104.50) and Chris Dobey (103.16). Dutch players Christian Kist (104.18), Dirk van Duijvenbode (103.45), and Niels Zonneveld (103.16) also featured, alongside Scots Cameron Menzies (104.39), Alan Soutar (103.66), and Gary Anderson (103.15).
