PDC darts: Hollywood ending sees Dobey triumph at Players Championship 9
PDC darts: Hollywood ending sees Dobey triumph at Players Championship 9 originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . Once again, it proved to be the perfect script for Hollywood Chris Dobey, who delivered a magnificent performance to claim his tenth Players Championship title in devastating fashion, defeating Justin Hood, who was appearing in a maiden final.
The Geordie star is a perennial standout on the floor circuit, once again showcasing his exceptional tungsten prowess by stringing together seven dominant displays, the majority of which were accompanied by averages comfortably north of the three-figure mark. The result - for the second time in Wigan this year - saw Dobey standing alone as the last man remaining. His opening encounter proved to be his closest test until the final, with Dutchman Dennie Olde Kalter managing to claim four legs before ultimately succumbing.
Dobey then dispatched Rhys Griffin, Jim Long, and Luke Woodhouse with consummate ease, before emphatically dismantling Andrew Gilding in the semi-finals. MORE ELITE DARTS COVERAGE: Check Out Our Devoted PDC Area While Goldfinger would undoubtedly have relished the prospect of securing a maiden Players Championship title to accompany his UK Open triumph, his impressive run nevertheless propelled the 55-year-old into the World Matchplay qualification places, ending the day occupying the final coveted spot for Blackpool. Prior to arriving in Wigan, Justin Hood’s Players Championship résumé featured just a solitary quarter-final appearance in Hildesheim as his most notable achievement.
Now, over five years on from his maiden outing - an opening-round exit in Niedernhausen back in September 2020 - this afternoon’s exploits in Lancashire represent a career-best performance. If the recent news regarding the enforced change of his Happy Feet moniker had any destabilising effect on the Somerset thrower, it certainly did not manifest itself. That said, with what appears to be a permanently affixed smile on the 32-year-old’s face, it was always unlikely to cause any discernible disruption.
After overcoming Ryan Meikle, Rob Owen, and Niall Culleton - the latter including a ton-plus display against the Irish debutant - Hood then defeated Mensur Suljović to reach the quarter-finals and equal his deepest run. He subsequently obliterated another newcomer in Tom Sykes with a ruthless whitewash, registering a colossal average just shy of 105. The semi-final presented arguably the shortest contest of the day in terms of combined stature, as he faced compatriot Connor Scutt.
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