Chris Dobey secured victory at Players Championship 3, marking a strong start to the season with what he described as a "pretty steady" performance. The Englishman triumphed in the final against Stephen Bunting, who Dobey noted "didn't play his best game," adding that Bunting felt great beforehand but it just didn't happen. Dobey reflected on staying cool in decisive phases, saying, "I think I lost it mid-game a bit when we both started missing doubles, but I was happy to get over the line."
Dobey's path to the title included a narrow escape in the quarter-finals against Daryl Gurney, with the winner acknowledging, "Yeah, and you need luck to win tournaments like this." Earlier, he swept aside Ryan Joyce convincingly, joking afterward, "I smashed Ryan Joyce – that's the main thing! No, I'm happy with the way I've played today. Obviously me and Ryan have that banter, and he keeps telling me my finishing's poor. I think I might have been sixth or eighth against him, but I dug in because I didn't want to lose that one for sure."
This win represents Dobey's ninth ProTour title and helped him defend prize money on the one-year ranking, as he explained, "I think I was actually defending this one from the one-year ranking. I said to Chris Mason at the weekend, 'I've got a big job to do this weekend,' and on day one I've done it – so yeah, I'm happy." Currently ranked world number thirteen, Dobey emphasized his commitment to playing all Players Championship events this year, stating, "Last year when I was in the Premier League I missed quite a few because you've got to manage your schedule a bit better. This year I'm dedicated again – I'm doing them all."
Despite his success, Dobey expressed disappointment at missing out on the Premier League this year, saying, "I want to be back there. I felt last year I didn't do enough on TV, losing early in the World Championship. But I felt on the floor I was brilliant – I was up there. I want to produce it on TV as well as on the floor." He aims to use this early title as momentum, adding, "It gives you that momentum to take throughout the year. It's always good to start the year well, and I have done the past few years. I just need to keep my feet on the floor, keep practising, and hopefully produce a lot more than this." Dobey confirmed he will compete in all upcoming events, declaring, "One hundred per cent – I'll be in them all."
