Stephen Bunting showcased his resilience and class on Tuesday, overcoming a fierce late surge from Jonny Clayton to lift the Players Championship 25 title in Milton Keynes. Fresh from finishing runner-up a day earlier, Bunting produced another outstanding display at Arena MK, edging Clayton 8-6 to secure his fifth title of the year and ninth PDC crown overall.
The 40-year-old finally snapped a frustrating run in Players Championship finals, having lost seven of his previous eight since early 2024. Backed by a tournament average of 102.94, Bunting delivered when it mattered most. “I’ve played exceptionally this week,” reflected Bunting. “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.” He added: “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.”
Bunting’s route to the title featured several eye-catching performances, including a stunning 111.66 average in his second-round demolition of Mario Vandenbogaerde. He maintained that high standard through victories over Ritchie Edhouse, Cor Dekker and Wessel Nijman, before edging William O’Connor in a deciding-leg semi-final.
In the final, Bunting surged into a 5-1 lead before Clayton mounted a strong fightback. The Welshman’s late scoring power threatened to turn the tide, but missed chances proved costly, allowing Bunting to close out the contest and claim his fourth Players Championship title.
Clayton, despite missing out on the £15,000 top prize, impressed throughout the day with multiple ton-plus averages, while Martin Schindler, O’Connor and Dirk van Duijvenbode also enjoyed standout runs in a high-quality event.
Source: PDC.TV
