Saturday, August 29, 2026

Yesterday’s Darts Results – Honey Hits 104.86 as Boundy, Steed and Rowley Take Friday Titles (28th August 2026)

 


Friday produced another busy evening of grassroots darts, with 22 tournaments from 28 August added to the Q4QS database.

There was plenty to pick out across the South West and beyond, headed by an excellent 104.86 average from Dave Honey at Evesham, while Steve Boundy continued his strong run at Portishead and Andy Steed came through a competitive opening night at Galaxy Sports Bar.

Honey stars at Evesham

The standout individual performance came at Evesham Darts Competitions, where Dave Honey won the Champions Elect Round Robin.

Honey defeated Pete Hughes 4–1 in the final, but it was his 104.86 average earlier in the competition that really caught the eye – the highest recorded average across Friday's 22 events.

There was plenty of quality around him too. Hughes reached 95.94, Shaun Vernall produced 93.94, and Tony Gisbourne registered 90.18.

It wasn't the only competition at Evesham either. Richard Coombes won the Champion of Champions Final Qualifier, edging Richard Bambridge 5–4 in the deciding match.

Boundy comes through another Portishead battle

Steve Boundy added another title at Portishead Workmens Darts, winning Friday's open event after a close final against Logun Godbeer.

Godbeer produced the highest average of the tournament at 81.83 and accumulated nine wins across the event, but Boundy came through the final 4–3 to take the honours.

It's another good result for Boundy at a venue where his name has appeared regularly in recent Q4QS roundups.

Steed wins as Godfrey breaks 100

There was a high-quality night at Galaxy Sports Bar, where Andy Steed won the first Friday Night Series event.

Steed defeated Charlie Wiles 2–0 in the final, with both players recording nine wins during the competition.

The biggest number, though, came from Ross Godfrey, who produced a 103.12 average. Steed wasn't far behind with a 96.97, while Curtis Green also reached 93.94.

Rowley wins SDO Summer Series thriller

Paul Rowley came through the SDO Summer Series 6.6 Open at Severn Darts Organisation.

Rowley edged Dean Rogers 4–3 in the final and produced a 96.58 average during the event.

Mark Crutchley provided another of Friday's ton-plus performances, hitting 100.20, but Rowley beat him on his way to the title.

Avis takes Bridgwater title

At Bridgwater Darts Academy, Reuben Avis enjoyed an excellent run through BDA DiDo Week 4.

Avis finished the competition with nine wins and defeated Alex Bird 2–0 in the final. His highest recorded average was 69.91.

Plenty more winners across Friday

There were plenty of other titles worth noting.

Andrew Quinn won the Bradmoor Farm Friday Vault Break 2, defeating Sean Holley 3–1 after a competition in which Sam Ridgway hit 96.97. Kev Raynsford took the Epsom Social Club Vault Break 2 with a 4–3 victory over John Power, while Corey Milward won the Friday One Off Round Robin.

Elsewhere, Jake Shipley won at Bostin Darts 180 Bar, Adam Mitchell took the Money In Money Out title at Shooters Bar and Jamie Chaplin won the Wicketts Friday Night Round Robin.

Friday's standout numbers

Honey's 104.86 led the way, followed by Godfrey's 103.12 and Crutchley's 100.20.

Sam Ridgway, Andy Steed and Rico Anderson all reached 96.97, with Paul Rowley at 96.58 and Pete Hughes at 95.94.

It was another night that showed the depth of grassroots darts being captured by Q4QS – big averages, close finals and established names sharing the headlines with players continuing to emerge through local competition.

With another 22 tournaments added, the database continues to grow and feed into the wider Q4QS rankings, statistics and player analysis.

Friday, August 28, 2026

Country Spotlight: Guyana – The Tiny Nation Punching Above Its Weight

 



After Brazil and Argentina, this week’s Country Spotlight stays in South America and heads to a country with a completely different darts story.

Guyana has a population of only around 830,000. It does not have anything like the player base of the major European darts nations, and even within the Caribbean and Latin American scene participation remains relatively modest.

Yet Guyana has repeatedly found a way to produce players capable of competing on the international stage.

That alone makes it one of the most fascinating nations I have looked at so far.

Because when it comes to darts, Guyana has consistently punched well above its weight.

A Small Country With a Surprisingly Big Darts History

Guyana sits on the northern coast of South America, bordering Venezuela, Brazil and Suriname.

Culturally, however, its sporting links often extend into the Caribbean as much as South America, and darts is a good example of that crossover.

For more than two decades, Guyanese players have appeared on PDC stages, regional tours and major Caribbean competitions.

At the centre of that story are two names:

Norman Madhoo and Sudesh Fitzgerald.

Between them, they have provided Guyana with remarkable longevity at international level.

Norman Madhoo – The Standard Bearer

Few players from developing darts nations can match the longevity of Norman Madhoo.

Madhoo first qualified for the PDC World Championship in 2004 and returned in 2010, 2011 and 2024. He is also a multiple Caribbean and South American Masters champion.

More than 20 years after that first World Championship appearance, he remains one of Guyana’s strongest players.

And the current Q4QS data backs that up.

Across 41 matches, Madhoo has won 30, giving him a 73.2% win rate. His 2026 record includes a tournament victory, a runner-up finish, a semi-final and two quarter-finals.

His scoring numbers are also very respectable.

Madhoo has an overall match average of 71.77, a Q4QS Average of 71.75 and a best recorded average of 88.41.

For a player now well into his sixties, that level of competitiveness is extraordinary.

Still Winning in 2026

Madhoo’s 2026 CDLC title might be the clearest indication that he remains a serious force.

After Jesús Salate had won the first two events in Panama, Madhoo stopped the Argentine’s run in the semi-final of Event Three, beating him 6–4 before defeating Dean Persad 6–1 in the final.

The Q4QS data adds another layer to that result.

Madhoo averaged 82.20 in the victory over Salate, whose Q4QS rating is significantly higher, making it one of Madhoo’s best recorded wins of the year.

His best performance of the season was even higher — an 88.41 average in a 6–0 win over Denis Valerin.

Madhoo eventually finished fourth on the 2026 CDLC Tour, earning complimentary entry to PDC Q-School and a place in the qualifying rounds of the Winmau World Masters.

That is a remarkable level of longevity.

Sudesh Fitzgerald – Another Guyanese Mainstay

If Madhoo is the headline figure, Sudesh Fitzgerald is almost as important to the Guyana story.

Fitzgerald has been competing internationally for well over a decade and reached the PDC World Championship himself in 2009.

More recently, he and Madhoo have formed Guyana’s leading World Cup partnership.

And in 2026, Fitzgerald remains highly competitive.

The Q4QS database currently contains 21 matches, of which he has won 15 — a strong 71.4% win rate.

He has reached one semi-final and two quarter-finals from six recorded events.

His overall match average stands at 66.71, his Q4QS Average at 66.96, and his best performance at 74.60.

Those averages sit below Madhoo’s, but Fitzgerald’s ability to win matches consistently remains impressive.

Fitzgerald’s Best Results

One of Fitzgerald’s strongest wins of the year came against Trinidad and Tobago’s Joshua Balfour.

Fitzgerald beat him 6–4, averaging 70.95, and has also recorded victories over George Patterson, Jonathan Quiros and Luis Ramirez-Merlano.

His best recorded average of 74.60 came in a 6–2 victory over Andres Vega.

Fitzgerald ultimately finished sixth on the 2026 CDLC Tour, meaning Guyana placed two players inside the competition’s top six.

For a nation of Guyana’s size, that is a significant achievement.

Guyana on the World Cup Stage

Madhoo and Fitzgerald have also helped ensure Guyana is visible on one of darts’ biggest international stages.

Their partnership has represented the country at the PDC World Cup in recent years, while qualification performances have repeatedly placed Guyana among the strongest countries in the Caribbean and Latin American region.

The pair again earned a World Cup berth through the 2025 CDLC qualifying process after reaching the semi-finals in Panama.

That recurring international presence is important.

For a country without a huge domestic darts scene, qualification for events like the World Cup provides visibility that would otherwise be extremely difficult to achieve.

Christopher Lochan – Evidence of Some Depth

Guyana’s story isn't entirely dependent upon Madhoo and Fitzgerald.

The Q4QS database also contains Christopher Lochan, who has competed across the CDLC circuit during 2026.

His numbers are more modest: four wins from 10 matches, with a Q4QS Average of 56.24 and a best average of 64.14.

However, his presence is still relevant.

Lochan has recorded victories over players including Mikhael Achong and Navarro Bastian and pushed Robin Albury all the way before losing 6–5 with his best average of the season.

He isn't currently at the same level as Guyana’s leading pair, but players such as Lochan demonstrate that there is at least some competitive structure underneath them.

The Question Guyana Must Answer

The biggest question surrounding Guyanese darts is obvious.

What happens after Madhoo and Fitzgerald?

Both players have given the country remarkable service.

But the Guyana Darts Association itself has acknowledged that the domestic game has historically relied heavily on a relatively small group of experienced players.

That is why its new focus on youth development could be so important.

In January 2026 the association launched a Youth Darts Training Programme, designed to attract new players, teach the fundamentals and begin widening the country’s darts base.

Later in the year, the GDA again said that it wanted to develop a structured junior programme capable of sending youth players to future Caribbean championships.

That may ultimately be more important than any single tournament result.

A Strong Caribbean Cup Showing

Guyana’s recent Caribbean Cup campaign also showed that the country remains highly competitive regionally.

Fitzgerald reached the men’s singles semi-finals, losing narrowly 6–5 to eventual champion Joshua Balfour.

He then partnered Luis Miguel Remirez-Merlano to the men’s doubles final, where the Guyanese pair finished runners-up.

The same tournament also highlighted some of Guyana’s challenges.

The association acknowledged that it was unable to field a full female contingent, contributing to a seventh-place overall finish, and identified both female participation and junior development as areas needing further attention.

That is an important reminder that international success at the top doesn't necessarily mean the domestic game is deep.

Why Guyana Matters

Guyana is probably one of the best examples yet in this Country Spotlight series of why population alone tells us very little about a darts nation.

Brazil has more than 200 million people.

Argentina has around 46 million.

Guyana has fewer than one million.

Yet Guyana has produced multiple World Championship representatives, regular World Cup players and two competitors who finished inside the top six of the 2026 CDLC standings.

That's impressive.

The country appears to have developed a small but extremely resilient competitive darts culture.

The challenge now is turning that resilience into something sustainable.

Looking Ahead

Guyana already has something many developing darts nations would love to possess:

history.

It has players who have qualified for major PDC events.

It has a proven international partnership.

It has current regional success.

What it needs now is another generation.

Madhoo continues to defy age.

Fitzgerald continues to win matches.

But if the new junior programme can eventually produce players capable of joining them, the foundations they have created could become something much bigger.

For now, Guyana remains a small darts nation.

But it is a small darts nation that opponents continue to underestimate at their peril.

Q4QS Darts Nation Rating

Current Strength: 7/10
Participation & Depth: 5.5/10
International Achievement: 8/10
Future Potential: 7/10

Overall Q4QS Nation Rating: 7/10

That might look high for a nation with such a small player base.

But international achievement matters.

Two established players inside the upper reaches of the CDLC, a 2026 tournament winner, multiple World Championship appearances and repeated World Cup representation give Guyana a record that many much larger countries would happily take.

The next chapter depends on whether the country can produce the players who follow Madhoo and Fitzgerald.

If it can, Guyana could continue punching above its weight for many years yet.

PDC Round-Up: Littler Makes His Players Championship Return as Wattimena and Humphries Take the Titles

 





It was a busy few days on the PDC circuit, with the World Series of Darts Finals Tour Card Holder Qualifier followed by Players Championship 27 and 28.

There was plenty to take from all three tournaments. Jermaine Wattimena and Luke Humphries collected the Players Championship titles, four players booked World Series Finals places, and Luke Littler made his first Players Championship appearances of the 2026 season.

Littler's return to the floor was always going to attract attention, and despite not taking either title, a quarter-final and semi-final represented an impressive first couple of days back.

Four come through World Series qualifier

The week's action began on 24 August with the Tour Card Holder Qualifier for the World Series of Darts Finals.

The four players to emerge from the field were Callan Rydz, Rob Cross, Kevin Doets and Karel Sedlacek.

Rydz came through with five victories and a 96.44 tournament average, eventually beating Daryl Gurney 6-2 with a 98.95 average in his qualifying match.

Cross also produced some excellent darts. His route culminated in a 6-3 victory over Dirk van Duijvenbode, averaging 98.41, having previously edged Peter Wright 6-5.

Doets completed his run by defeating Maik Kuivenhoven 6-3.

But statistically, one of the performances of the qualifier belonged to Karel Sedlacek.

The Czech averaged 99.53 across his five victories, and saved his best for the decisive match. Sedlacek averaged 105.22 in a 6-4 win over Owen Bates to secure his place.

There was plenty of quality elsewhere too, with Cristo Reyes producing a 106.67 during the tournament and Van Duijvenbode, Mickey Mansell and Keane Barry also recording individual averages above 103.

Four places were available, though, and they ultimately belonged to Rydz, Cross, Doets and Sedlacek.

Wattimena wins Players Championship 27

The first of the week's two Players Championship events produced a title for Jermaine Wattimena.

Wattimena completed a perfect seven-match run by beating Kevin Doets 8-6 in the final, averaging 93.81 against Doets' 93.22.

His overall tournament average was an impressive 95.20, but perhaps the most significant thing about his victory was the quality of opposition he negotiated towards the end.

In the semi-final he defeated Luke Woodhouse 7-4 with a 100.71 average.

Before that came one of the biggest matches of the week.

Wattimena faced Luke Littler in the quarter-finals and edged a tight contest 6-5.

Littler actually produced the higher average at 95.68 to Wattimena's 92.36, but it was the Dutchman who found the decisive leg before going on to take the title.

Nijman produces the performance of the day

Wattimena took the trophy, but Wessel Nijman produced some spectacular numbers.

Nijman averaged 109.77 in a 6-1 Last 16 victory over Bradley Brooks and finished the tournament with a 97.49 overall average.

He eventually lost 7-5 to Doets in the semi-finals despite averaging 97.31.

Luke Woodhouse was another player to enjoy a strong run, reaching the last four with a 95.71 tournament average, while Cameron Menzies, Kim Huybrechts and Mickey Mansell all reached the quarter-finals.

But the big additional talking point was Littler.

Littler's first Players Championship of 2026

For all Luke Littler has already achieved, this was something we had not seen during 2026 – Littler competing on the Players Championship circuit.

And his first appearance certainly wasn't a token visit.

He began with a 6-2 victory over Archie Self before defeating Arno Merk 6-3 with a 105.12 average.

William O'Connor was beaten 6-3 before Littler whitewashed Chris Dobey 6-0 in the Last 16.

That set up the quarter-final against eventual champion Wattimena.

Littler lost 6-5, but finished his first floor tournament of the season with four wins, one defeat and a 97.47 tournament average.

Not bad for a first appearance.

And he wasn't finished.

Humphries takes PC28 – Littler goes one better

Players Championship 28 belonged to Luke Humphries.

The former World Champion went unbeaten through seven matches, defeating Brendan Dolan 8-6 in the final.

Humphries averaged 97.63 across the tournament and produced several outstanding individual displays along the way.

His peak came earlier in the event with a 108.66 average, while he also averaged 99.70 in his 6-5 Last 16 victory over Danny Noppert and 99.97 when defeating Mike De Decker 7-4 in the semi-final.

Dolan's appearance in the final was perhaps less predictable.

His overall tournament average was only 88.38, but he repeatedly found ways to win – and his biggest victory came against Littler.

Littler reaches the semi-finals

Having reached the last eight 24 hours earlier, Littler went one round further at PC28.

And this time his overall numbers were even better.

He averaged 98.36 across six matches, the best tournament average among the four semi-finalists.

His route included a 6-1 demolition of Martin Schindler in the Last 32 with a huge 107.23 average.

Andy Boulton was beaten 6-3 before Littler faced Krzysztof Ratajski in the quarter-finals.

That was an excellent contest.

Littler averaged 100.65, Ratajski 99.99, with Littler coming through 6-4.

That put him into his first Players Championship semi-final of the season at only the second attempt.

Dolan stopped him there.

The Northern Irishman produced one of his best performances of the tournament when it mattered most, averaging 97.63 to Littler's 96.42 in a 7-4 victory.

Humphries then denied Dolan the title in the final.

Two events, nine wins for Littler

The temptation whenever Littler enters a tournament is to judge anything short of victory as a disappointment.

The numbers don't really support doing that here.

Across his first two Players Championship appearances of 2026, Littler recorded:

9 wins from 11 matches

Quarter-final at PC27

Semi-final at PC28

97.47 tournament average at PC27

98.36 tournament average at PC28

105.12 best average at PC27

107.23 best average at PC28

And his only defeats came against the eventual PC27 champion Wattimena and PC28 runner-up Dolan.

There was no title, but there was very little evidence of difficulty adapting to the floor environment.

If anything, the second day suggested he was getting stronger.

A good week for Kevin Doets

Another name running throughout the week's results was Kevin Doets.

First he qualified for the World Series Finals by defeating Maik Kuivenhoven.

Twenty-four hours later he reached the PC27 final.

Doets beat Rob Cross, Cameron Menzies and Wessel Nijman during the latter stages before Wattimena finally stopped him 8-6.

That made it an excellent couple of days for the Dutchman: a World Series Finals place followed by a Players Championship final.

Woodhouse consistently goes deep

Luke Woodhouse didn't quite get the headline result, but his consistency deserves mentioning.

He reached the PC27 semi-finals and followed it with a PC28 quarter-final.

Across PC27 he averaged 95.71, including a 101.97 in his quarter-final win over Mickey Mansell.

At PC28 he averaged 96.95 across five matches and produced a 101.61 against Daniel Ayres.

Two events, two deep runs and some very solid numbers.

PC28 produces some huge averages

There were also several eye-catching individual performances away from the latter stages.

Martin Schindler hit 109.52, the highest match average in the PC28 data.

Humphries reached 108.66.

Littler produced 107.23.

Jimmy van Schie averaged 105.36, while Owen Bates, Chris Dobey and Kim Huybrechts were among several others to break through the 100 barrier.

It reinforced just how unforgiving these floor tournaments can be.

An excellent performance can still leave a player several rounds away from the title.

A week with several different stories

If there was one theme running through the week's PDC action, it was probably opportunity.

Rydz, Cross, Doets and Sedlacek took theirs to reach the World Series Finals.

Wattimena converted an excellent PC27 run into a title.

Humphries did the same a day later.

Doets enjoyed one of the week's most consistent spells, while Nijman produced one of its biggest individual performances.

And then there was Littler.

His decision to make his first Players Championship appearances of 2026 added another dimension to both tournaments.

A quarter-final followed by a semi-final may not have produced the trophy, but nine victories from 11 matches and tournament averages of 97.47 and 98.36 suggest his first venture onto the floor this season was hardly unsuccessful.

Whether we see considerably more of him in the remaining Players Championship events remains to be seen.

But his first two appearances certainly made the floor tournaments even more interesting.

Yesterday’s Darts Results – Simon Lloyd Takes Hangar61 Title as Big Averages Light Up Thursday (27th August 2025)

 


Thursday brought another strong night of grassroots darts, with 27 tournaments from 27 August added to the Q4QS database.

For the South West, much of the attention was on Hangar61 in Bristol, where Simon Lloyd came through a competitive Thursday night round robin. Elsewhere, there were several eye-catching performances, including a 109.98 from Jack Seymour and three more averages above 100.

Lloyd takes the honours at Hangar61

Simon Lloyd was the winner at Hangar61, defeating Glenn Pearce 3–1 in the final.

Lloyd also produced some excellent darts during the competition, with a 97.57 average among his performances, but the highest number of the night at the Bristol venue belonged to Luke Harding, who fired in a superb 102.21.

There was further quality behind them too. Rich Griffee hit 93.94, Lewis Kendall 90.18 and Jamie McKinnon 89.36, making it another strong night at a venue that continues to produce competitive fields.

Seymour hits 109.98 as Cole takes MiMo title

One of the biggest averages anywhere on Thursday came at MiMo 2708 at Locks Heath Working Men’s Club.

Jack Seymour recorded a huge 109.98 average, the highest figure logged across Thursday's tournaments. He also produced a 107.36, underlining the level he reached during the event.

However, it was Joey Cole who eventually took the title, beating Seymour 3–1 in the final. Cole was impressive in his own right, with a 103.66 average among his performances.

More ton-plus darts

Seymour wasn't alone in breaking through the 100-average barrier.

Mitchell Leeming recorded 107.36 in the Night Nine, while Andy Smith produced averages of 103.66 and 101.07 during the Cressex Round Robin – Vault Break Week 2.

Smith's strong numbers didn't ultimately translate into the title, with Stuart Dutton beating Brian Rawlings 2–0 in the final.

At The Junction Inn, Jonathan Davies also joined the ton-plus club with a 100.20 average.

Small comes through Fun Cash In Cash Out

Alec Small added another victory to his record by winning the Fun Cash In Cash Out tournament.

Small defeated Lucas Milligan 3–1 in the final, while Callum Smith's 93.94 was the highest recorded average from the competition.

Moule wins at The Wolverdene

David Moule took the Money In Money Out Round-Robin Thursday title at The Wolverdene Club.

Moule came through a close final against Carlton Hope, winning 3–2, while Lee Evans produced the tournament's highest recorded average at 93.94.

There was also success for Mat Caste at Hotshots Sports Bar in Bletchley, where he defeated Dean Taylor 3–1 in the final.

Juniors in action

Thursday also brought another collection of JDC VOLTS competitions.

Among the winners were Ashton John at Arrows in Resolven, Mitchel Hunt at the Simeon Arms in Ryde and Joshua Russell at Cogan Coronation in Penarth.

Russell also produced a 90.12 average, while Cayden Evans hit 83.50 at Resolven and Hunt recorded 79.11 during his winning run on the Isle of Wight.

Another 27 tournaments into Q4QS

Thursday's results again demonstrated exactly why following the grassroots game can be so interesting.

At Hangar61 there was a 102.21 from Luke Harding but the title went to Simon Lloyd. At Locks Heath, Jack Seymour produced the day's biggest average, yet Joey Cole took the trophy. Andy Smith passed 100 twice at Cressex, but Stuart Dutton emerged as champion.

High averages tell part of the story – winning the tournament tells another.

With another 27 competitions added to Q4QS, all of these results continue to build the database behind the rankings, player form and statistics on Quest For Q School.

Thursday, August 27, 2026

Yesterday’s Darts Results – Pete Hughes Fires in 104.86 as 37 Events Hit the Q4QS Database (26th August 2026

 


Another busy Wednesday of grassroots darts saw 37 tournaments added to the Q4QS database for 26 August, with action stretching across the South West and beyond.

There was plenty to pick out, but one of the clearest performances of the night came from Pete Hughes at Evesham Darts Competitions. Hughes took the Round Robin title with a 3–0 final victory over Shaun Vernall, producing a superb 104.86 average along the way.

Hughes delivers at Evesham

Pete Hughes continues to be a familiar name around the regional circuit, and this was another strong night.

His 104.86 was one of the best recorded averages across Wednesday's results, while Mitchell Leeming also impressed at Evesham with a 95.94, and Darrel Williams recorded an 88.41.

Hughes completed the job by defeating Vernall 3–0 in the final, adding another title to his recent results.

McCready takes Leominster honours

Alec McCready came through the Money In Money Out competition at Leominster & District Darts League.

McCready defeated Oscar Evans-Clay 3–1 in the final and also produced a 90.18 average during the tournament.

It was another useful result for McCready in an increasingly competitive part of the regional grassroots scene.

Richard Smith edges a seven-leg final

There was a much tighter finish at the Purton Red House Round Robin, where Richard Smith defeated James Roberts 4–3.

Ben Spencer was among the notable performers there, recording an 88.41 average.

Sanderson takes another JDC VOLTS title

The junior circuit again featured heavily in Wednesday's programme.

Charlie Sanderson won JDC VOLTS Series 7 at The Kings, defeating Charlie Fone 3–1 in the final.

With JDC and VOLTS competitions now appearing regularly in the Q4QS results database, they are also beginning to provide a much clearer picture of the young players producing results week after week.

Huntley wins 4–0

At Vetz Sports and Social Club, Mike Huntley produced one of the more emphatic final results of the night.

Huntley defeated Lloyd Sterio 4–0 to take the title and also registered an 88.41 average during the competition.

Pairs success in Devizes

There was also pairs action at the Devizes Town Pairs Special, where Sheppard/Perkins took the honours.

They defeated Dicker/Ferguson 3–0 in the final, with the winning pair recording an 80.52 average during the event.

Big numbers elsewhere

While the Q4QS daily roundup puts particular emphasis on the South West, there were some huge numbers elsewhere among Wednesday's 37 recorded competitions.

Andy Smith produced the highest recorded average of the day with 115.62 at the Bradmoor Farm Wednesday Vault Break 2. Adam Mould hit 108.15, while Chas Barstow recorded 107.36 and 104.27 during MIMO 2608.

Sam Jackson and Mark "Bully" Cannon were also among those breaking the 100 mark.

It was another night showing the depth of darts being played away from the major televised circuits — from established regional names to juniors and local players putting together eye-catching performances.

With 37 more tournaments now logged, all of the results continue to feed into the growing Q4QS database, rankings and player statistics.

Wednesday, August 26, 2026

What Are the Toughest Non-Televised Darts Tournaments of 2026 So Far?

 


Over the past few weeks, I've been using the Q4QS Tournament Strength data to look at the competitive landscape of darts from several different angles.

I've compared the world's leading tours, looked at the difference between the Players Championship, Challenge Tour and Development Tour, and most recently investigated just how tough ADC Vault tournaments can become.

This time I'm asking a simple question:

What have been the toughest individual non-televised tournaments of 2026 so far?

There is one important distinction before looking at the rankings.

This analysis does not include the PDC's televised events.

The ranking is based on the floor, qualifying, pathway, regional and open tournaments currently represented in the Q4QS Tournament Strength database. Events such as the World Championship, World Matchplay and other televised PDC tournaments are therefore not part of this comparison.

And, of course, we're only in August. This is a snapshot of 2026 so far, not a final end-of-year ranking.

First – Tournament Strength Is NOT an Average

This distinction is particularly important when looking at the numbers below.

A Q4QS Tournament Strength Score of 93.00 does not mean the players averaged 93.00.

Tournament Strength is a calculated Q4QS measure designed to assess the overall quality of a tournament field. It incorporates factors including player ratings, player performance and the overall strength of those competing.

It allows tournaments from very different levels and parts of the game to be compared using the same scale.

Think of it as a field-strength rating, not a three-dart average.

The Toughest Non-Televised Tournaments of 2026 So Far

RankTournamentQ4QS Tournament Strength
1PDC Players Championship 499.01
2PDC Players Championship 198.15
3Winmau World Masters – Preliminary Round Finals97.99
4PDC Players Championship 397.81
5PDC Players Championship 297.75
6European Tour 1 – Tour Card Holder Qualifier96.51
7European Tour 2 – Tour Card Holder Qualifier95.00
8UK Q-School Final Stage – Event 293.00
9UK Q-School Final Stage – Event 192.81
10PDC Challenge Tour 192.80
11UK Q-School Final Stage – Event 492.61
12UK Q-School Final Stage – Event 392.53
13PDC Challenge Tour 292.46
14PDC Challenge Tour 992.31
15UK Q-School Stage 1 – Event 192.00
16PDC Challenge Tour 391.50
17EU Q-School Final Stage – Event 391.44
18PDC Challenge Tour 491.41
19EU Q-School Final Stage – Event 491.19
20EU Q-School Final Stage – Event 191.18

Players Championship Is Still the Benchmark

Within the non-televised tournaments covered by this analysis, the Players Championship is the clear benchmark.

Players Championship 4 leads the database with a Tournament Strength Score of 99.01.

Players Championship 1, 3 and 2 are also all inside the top five.

These are 128-player fields packed with Tour Card holders, and there simply aren't many places for a weaker player to hide.

You can draw an outstanding player in the opening round and, should you win, potentially face another immediately afterwards.

The Players Championship doesn't have the crowds and atmosphere associated with televised darts, but purely in terms of field strength, the numbers underline just how unforgiving the floor circuit can be.

The World Masters Preliminary Stage Is a Standout

Sitting amongst all those Players Championships is something very different.

The Winmau World Masters Preliminary Round Finals scores 97.99, putting it third in the entire non-televised ranking.

That's an enormous Tournament Strength Score.

And it illustrates something that has become increasingly apparent while producing this series:

the most prestigious part of a tournament isn't necessarily the strongest part statistically.

When large numbers of extremely capable players are fighting for a limited number of places, preliminary rounds and qualifiers can create extraordinarily concentrated fields.

Tour Card Holder Qualifiers Are Brutal

Two European Tour Card Holder Qualifiers are next, scoring 96.51 and 95.00.

Those aren't European Tour stage events.

They're the tournaments players have to survive simply to reach them.

With fields consisting almost entirely of PDC Tour Card holders and only a limited number of qualification places available, straightforward matches are difficult to find.

Some of the strongest fields in darts therefore aren't playing in front of thousands of spectators.

They're playing on the floor trying to earn the right to do so.

Q-School Really Is That Difficult

Anyone who has followed Q-School knows its reputation.

The Tournament Strength data gives us an indication of just how difficult it really is.

UK Q-School Final Stage Event 2 records 93.00.

Event 1 scores 92.81, while Events 4 and 3 register 92.61 and 92.53 respectively.

For comparison, the strongest Challenge Tour event in the current data is 92.80.

That means the strongest UK Q-School Final Stage event actually edges it.

Q-School brings together former Tour Card holders, leading Challenge and Development Tour players, international competitors and ambitious players attempting to break into the professional game.

The numbers reinforce something anyone who has attempted Q-School already knows:

earning a Tour Card is brutally difficult.

Challenge Tour Shows the Depth Below the 128

Challenge Tour 1 reaches 92.80, with Events 2 and 9 recording 92.46 and 92.31.

That's another indication of the depth immediately beneath the PDC Tour.

It can be tempting to see Tour Card holders and non-Tour Card holders as two clearly defined standards of player.

The Tournament Strength data suggests reality is considerably less straightforward.

There is a huge amount of quality immediately outside the professional 128.

And Then It Starts Getting Really Interesting

The overall Top 20 is understandably dominated by Players Championship, Q-School and Challenge Tour events.

But move a little further down the rankings and tournaments from very different parts of darts start appearing alongside one another.

One in particular stands out.

ADC Winmau Championship South – Event 3: 89.02

The ADC Winmau Championship South Event 3 scores 89.02.

That's a significant number.

The event attracted more than 300 players in the Q4QS database, while another Championship South event scores 87.90 and the Friday night warm-up reaches 86.86.

In the previous article in this series I looked at how strong the sharp end of the ADC Vault system could become.

The Championship data takes that story another step further.

The strongest ADC Championship fields aren't at Challenge Tour level – there is still a meaningful gap between 89.02 and the Challenge Tour events above 92.

But they're considerably stronger than the term "grassroots darts" might lead some people to assume.

And Then There's the Dutch Open

The 2026 Dutch Open records 88.56 in the Q4QS database.

There is an important caveat with this figure.

The Q4QS Dutch Open data currently covers the tournament from the Last 1,024 onwards, rather than the complete entry.

The 88.56 Tournament Strength Score should therefore be interpreted as the strength of the section of the tournament represented in my database – not as a measurement of every player who originally entered the Dutch Open.

Even with that qualification, it provides another interesting reference point for the strength of major open darts.

Beyond the Top 20

Once we move away from the PDC-dominated top of the ranking, the variety becomes much more apparent.

TournamentQ4QS Tournament Strength
ADC Winmau Championship South – Event 389.02
UK Q-School Stage 1 – Event 388.80
Dutch Open*88.56
ADC Winmau Championship South – Event 187.90
EU Q-School Stage 1 – Event 187.86
PDC Europe Next Gen – Weekend 186.64
EU Q-School Stage 1 – Event 286.59
PDC Asian Tour 286.58
Scottish Open86.56

*Dutch Open score represents the tournament from the Last 1,024 onwards.

This might actually be the most interesting part of the analysis.

We have ADC Championship darts, Q-School, Next Gen, the Asian Tour and major international opens all beginning to occupy similar territory.

They're very different competitions with very different purposes.

But Tournament Strength gives us a way of asking the same question of all of them:

How strong was the field?

A Bigger Tournament Doesn't Necessarily Mean a Stronger Field

Tournament prestige, prize money, crowd size and Tournament Strength are completely different things.

A small invitational event can contain some of the greatest players in the world.

A huge open tournament can contain hundreds or even thousands of players across a massive range of abilities.

And a qualifier can contain an unusually concentrated group of extremely strong players because almost everyone in the room is fighting for only a handful of places.

Tournament Strength isn't designed to tell us which event matters most.

It measures the competitive strength of the field represented in the Q4QS database.

That's a very different question.

And it's producing some fascinating answers.

Final Thoughts

So far in 2026, one thing remains very clear.

Within the non-televised tournaments covered by the Q4QS database, Players Championship darts sets an extraordinarily high benchmark.

But underneath it lies a much more interesting hierarchy.

Tour Card Holder Qualifiers are exceptionally strong.

Q-School really is as brutal as its reputation suggests.

The Challenge Tour demonstrates the enormous depth immediately outside the PDC's professional 128.

And further down, ADC Championships, major opens, Next Gen and international PDC circuits show just how much quality exists across the wider darts world.

Perhaps the biggest lesson from this series continues to be the same one:

The name above the tournament doesn't necessarily tell you how difficult the draw is going to be.

The players in the room do.

And that's exactly what the Q4QS Tournament Strength Score is designed to measure.

These are the standings in August 2026.

There is still plenty of darts to be played.

It will be fascinating to see whether anything can dislodge Players Championship 4 from the top before the end of the year.

Coming Next: The Toughest Darts Venues in Britain

We've compared tours.

We've compared individual tournaments.

Now the next question is:

Where are the toughest places to play?

Yesterday’s Darts Results: Godbeer Goes Back-to-Back as Boundy Wins at Portishead (25th August 2026)

 


Tuesday produced another packed night of grassroots darts, with 39 tournaments from 25 August added to the Q4QS database.

There was plenty to pick out across the South West, headed by another victory for Logun Godbeer at Highbridge, while Steve Boundy took the Tuesday Open at Portishead. Further afield, some huge averages were recorded, with Kaydon Doherty topping the night's numbers with a remarkable 116.83.

Godbeer does it again at Highbridge

Logun Godbeer made it back-to-back JDC VOLTS victories at Highbridge Social Club after also winning Monday's competition.

This time Godbeer defeated Tai Anderson 3-0 in the final, and the standard increased significantly from the previous night.

Godbeer produced an 85.08 average in the final itself, the best recorded performance of the tournament. He finished with nine victories across the night, with Anderson recording eight wins and a best of 75.15.

Two wins in two nights makes Godbeer one of the week's early standout performers.

Boundy takes Portishead Tuesday Open

At Portishead Workmens Darts, Steve Boundy came through a 60-match Tuesday Open to claim the title.

Boundy defeated Liam Trotman 3-1 in the final, with both players accumulating eight victories during the competition.

Boundy's best performance was an 81.87 average, while Jack Kempster recorded 77.08 and Trotman reached 75.61.

It continues Boundy's excellent run at Portishead after he also featured prominently in recent Q4QS results.

Astbury impresses with 104.86

Daniel Astbury combined a tournament victory with one of Tuesday's strongest performances.

Astbury won the Wicketts Tuesday Round Robin, beating Terry Nash 3-1 in the final, having earlier produced a superb 104.86 average.

Nash wasn't far behind, reaching 98.02, while Astbury added another 91.70 during his run.

Bryan Flew hits 103.66 on way to title

At Tredegar Constitutional Club, Bryan Flew put together an impressive night in Vault Break Round Robin 2.

Flew beat Dewi Beynon 3-0 in the final and recorded eight wins across the competition.

His standout performance was a 103.66 average, while he also produced 87.61 and 81.98 during his title-winning run.

Kaydon Doherty tops the averages

The biggest number recorded anywhere in Tuesday's data came from Kaydon Doherty at The Bullseye Bar in Lichfield.

Doherty averaged a huge 116.83 during the Custom Handicap Round Robin before going on to win the tournament, defeating Antony Dent 3-0 in the final.

It was an extraordinary set of numbers from the event. Darren Tunnicliffe recorded 113.45, Stan Stannard 109.98, Doherty another 108.94 and Dent 107.50.

Robert Lovelle wins at the Railway

There was also a strong night at DARTS@ THE RAILWAY INN, where Robert Lovelle emerged victorious.

Lovelle beat Jamie Roberts 3-0 in the final and finished with nine wins, the most at the tournament.

He also hit a 100.20 average, matched by Dan Williams, who added performances of 93.94 and 91.17.

More JDC VOLTS action

Highbridge wasn't the only JDC venue in action.

Joseph Lauridsen won at Minehead, defeating Kyle Chivers 3-0 in the final after both Lauridsen and Joshua Pravato recorded seven victories. Pravato's 74.74 was the highest average there.

Elsewhere, Freddie Rowlands won at Gosport, Tyler Shuck took the Halesowen event and Spencer Edwards won at Ogmore Vale, where he produced an impressive 91.09 average.

Plenty more winners across Tuesday

With 39 tournaments added, there was far more action than could fit into one roundup.

Among the other winners were Stephen Jones, Stewart Doughty, Darren Malt, Sean Holley, Ben Rowley, Shaun Vernall, Jack Seymour, Kyle Jones, Jack Wright, David Fisher and Donna Buckley.

There was also a women's singles victory for Jane Price, who beat Sharon Brewer 2-1 in the final and produced the event's highest recorded average of 79.11.

Another big night added to Q4QS

Tuesday's results offered a bit of everything.

Godbeer's second Highbridge victory in two nights and Boundy's Portishead success provide the main South West stories, while performances from Astbury, Flew and others underline the quality appearing throughout the grassroots game.

And with 39 more tournaments now in the Q4QS database, the picture of players, venues and form across the grassroots circuit continues to grow.

Welcome to Questforqschool.com

Yesterday’s Darts Results – Honey Hits 104.86 as Boundy, Steed and Rowley Take Friday Titles (28th August 2026)

  Friday produced another busy evening of grassroots darts, with 22 tournaments from 28 August added to the Q4QS database . There was plen...