Stephen Bunting ended his 2026 BetMGM Premier League campaign on a high as he secured his second nightly win with victory in Sheffield on Thursday. With the line-up for Finals Night at London’s O2 on May 28 already confirmed, pride was on the line for the eight Premier League stars at the Utilita Arena. Bunting […]
Stephen Bunting ended his 2026 BetMGM Premier League campaign on a high as he secured his second nightly win with victory in Sheffield on Thursday.
With the line-up for Finals Night at London’s O2 on May 28 already confirmed, pride was on the line for the eight Premier League stars at the Utilita Arena.
Bunting put together arguably his best string of performances in this year’s tournament – seeing off three of next week’s finalists in Jonny Clayton, Gerwyn Price and Luke Humphries.
“I felt great all night,” confessed the 41-year-old.
“I’ve really enjoyed myself. It’s been a lot better than last year I believe. I’ve got a lot more confidence and a lot more belief.
“I’ve played some fantastic darts tonight and I’m just so proud of myself.
In an electric final, Bunting averaged 106.37 and landed seven 180s as he blitzed Luke Humphries 6-3.
This backed up a 6-3 victory over Jonny Clayton in the night’s opener, and a dismantling of Gerwyn Price in the semi-finals by the same scoreline.
The victory pushed Bunting to fifth in the table on 18 points, usurping Michael van Gerwen and Gian van Veen – also on 18 points – based on overall nights won.
“I feel like I’ve played a great tournament. Obviously people wrote me off, but I’ve finished fifth, I’ve dug deep and got two nightly wins,” added Bunting.
“Tonight I wanted to make a statement. I want to be in the Premier League for years to come, and we’ll see what happens for the rest of the year, but that was a massive statement tonight for me.
“This game is all about confidence. When you’re in the Premier League you’re playing against the best players in the world week in, week out. It’s been difficult, but I’ve really enjoyed it.”
Humphries’ run to the final began by seeing off Van Gerwen 6-5 in his opening game, before a statement 6-1 victory over Luke Littler in the semi-finals means he will now face Clayton at The O2 after finishing third in the table.
Price’s semi-final defeat to Bunting means he slipped to fourth in the overall standings, and he will now face Littler in London for a place in next week’s showpiece in the capital.
Earlier in the night, the Welshman averaged 106 in overcoming Gian van Veen 6-2, which saw the Dutch number one finish in seventh spot, while table-topper Littler edged past Rock in a last-leg decider to finish the season on 43 points, nine clear of his closest rival Clayton.
The 2026 Premier League Finals will take place at The O2 next Thursday, with Littler up against Price in the evening’s opener, before Clayton and Humphries go head-to-head in the second semi-final.
The 2026 BetMGM Premier League is being broadcast live on Sky Sports in the UK & Ireland, through the PDC’s worldwide broadcast partners including DAZN and Viaplay, and on PDCTV for Rest of the World Subscribers (outside of the UK, Ireland, Germany, Austria & Switzerland).
2026 BetMGM Premier League
Night Sixteen – Utilita Arena, Sheffield
Thursday May 21
Quarter-Finals
Stephen Bunting 6-3 Jonny Clayton
Gerwyn Price 6-2 Gian van Veen
Luke Littler 6-5 Josh Rock
Luke Humphries 6-5 Michael van Gerwen
Semi-Finals
Stephen Bunting 6-3 Gerwyn Price
Luke Humphries 6-1 Luke Littler
Final
Stephen Bunting 6-3 Luke Humphries
Finals Night – The O2, London
Thursday May 28
Semi-Finals
Luke Littler v Gerwyn Price
Jonny Clayton v Luke Humphries
Best of 19 legs
Final
v
Best of 21 legs