Brody Klinge picked up his ninth Australian Darts Association Tour title of the year to top the 2026 rankings and secure his Paddy Power World Darts Championship debut in December. The sixth and final weekend of ADA Tour action took place in Elizabeth North from September 11-13, with Klinge scooping the first of four events […]
Brody Klinge picked up his ninth Australian Darts Association Tour title of the year to top the 2026 rankings and secure his Paddy Power World Darts Championship debut in December.
The sixth and final weekend of ADA Tour action took place in Elizabeth North from September 11-13, with Klinge scooping the first of four events at Event 21 to help seal his spot at the summit of the rankings.
The Australian Darts Masters runner-up averaged north of a ton in defeating Alexander Brackstone in his opening contest, before whitewashing Corey Fortington and Jordan Ford on the way to reaching the semi-finals.
The Melbourne-based star then swept aside Karl Schaefer 6-1 to reach the final, where another dominant display against Danny Porter secured his ninth title of the year.
However, that result did not confirm Klinge’s spot at Alexandra Palace immediately, especially after Raymond Smith won back-to-back titles at Event 22 and 23 on Saturday to apply serious pressure at the top of the rankings.
Smith saw off Stephen Schmitt, Dave Burke and Sam Ballinger to reach the last eight in Event 22, where he dispatched Jeremy Fagg 6-1 to breeze into the semi-finals.
There, the ANZ Premier League runner-up averaged 97 to pip Mal Cuming in a last-leg decider, before defeating Klinge 6-3 in the showpiece to keep his World Championship hopes alive.
History repeated itself in Event 23, with Smith defeating Klinge in the final once again to claim a fifth title of 2026.
The 46-year-old recorded a trio of 6-1 wins to reach the quarter-finals, before surviving a tricky test against Sam Ballinger to reach the last four.
Once again, Smith locked horns with Cuming and came out on top in a last-leg decider to set up a showdown with Klinge, where he was forced to survive ten match darts before securing a 6-5 victory.
In the final event, Klinge lost in his opening match to David Boyle, although Smith’s defeat to eventual champion Braidon Charlton in the last 16 meant that Klinge’s spot at the top of the rankings was secured.
Nevertheless, Charlton celebrated a maiden ADA Tour title in the set-play event 24, defeating a string of big names to claim the title.
After sweeping aside Michael Chan and defeating Curtis Patterson, Charlton secured an impressive 2-0 victory over Smith in the last 16 before edging past Fagg in the quarter-finals.
Charlton then defied a seven-point superior average from Cuming to reach the final, where he brushed aside Stuart Coburn in straight sets to break new ground and claim a maiden title.
After all 24 events of the year, Klinge has topped the 2026 ADA Tour rankings, earning himself a debut at Alexandra Palace after scooping nine of the 24 titles.
The top four players on the rankings also secured a spot in the 2026 ANZ Premier League, with Smith, Tim Pusey and Joe Comito joining Klinge in the lineup.
2026 Australian Darts Association Tour
September 11-13
Event 21
Semi-Finals
Brody Klinge 6-1 Karl Schaefer
Danny Porter 6-0 Mal Cuming
Final
Brody Klinge 6-3 Danny Porter
Event 22
Semi-Finals
Brody Klinge 6-1 Joe Comito
Raymond Smith 6-5 Mal Cuming
Final
Raymond Smith 6-3 Brody Klinge
Event 23
Semi-Finals
Brody Klinge 6-0 Harley Kemp
Raymond Smith 6-5 Mal Cuming
Final
Raymond Smith 6-5 Brody Klinge
Event 24
Semi-Finals
Stuart Coburn 2-0 Joe Comito
Braidon Charlton 2-1 Mal Cuming
Final
Braidon Charlton 2-0 Stuart Coburn