What Shape Is the PDC Women’s Series In?

 

I recently found myself wondering about the current shape of the PDC Women’s Series.

Beau Greaves continues to dominate, while several familiar and experienced names remain near the top of the rankings. When the same players regularly occupy the leading positions, it can sometimes be difficult to judge how much the circuit beneath them is changing.

However, the PDC Women’s Series is only one part of women’s darts. Many players also compete regularly in WDF competitions and other events around the world, so this is not intended as an assessment of the entire women’s game.

Instead, I wanted to look specifically at what has happened within the Women’s Series.

Is its player base growing? Are new contenders moving through the rankings? Is the group behind the leading stars becoming stronger? And is the circuit producing a new generation capable of challenging the established names?

A closer look at the Women’s Series rankings, alongside the Q4QS data, offers some encouraging answers.

A Broader Player Base

When the Women’s Series began, the top end of the rankings was dominated by established names from the BDO era.

Lisa Ashton topped the inaugural standings in 2020, followed by Deta Hedman and Fallon Sherrock. Corrine Hammond, Aileen de Graaf, Lorraine Winstanley and Vicky Pruim were also among the leading names.

In that opening season, 58 players earned prize money. By 1 September 2026, that figure had increased to 129.

It is not a perfect direct comparison. The inaugural season was heavily affected by the circumstances of 2020, while the number of events and the available prize money have changed over the years.

Nevertheless, the modern rankings demonstrate how many players are now entering events, earning prize money and building experience on the circuit.

That does not automatically prove that the standard has risen at every level, but it suggests a broader competitive structure than existed during the earliest years of the Women’s Series.

The Beau Greaves Effect

Any discussion about the PDC Women’s Series in 2026 has to begin with Beau Greaves.

Since emerging as a major force, Greaves has established a level of dominance rarely seen in the women’s game.

She finished second in the Women’s Series rankings in 2022 before taking over completely, topping the standings in 2023, 2024 and 2025. She leads again in 2026, with £34,700 earned by 1 September—more than double the £17,050 collected by second-placed Lisa Ashton.

That level of dominance can make it difficult to assess the rest of the circuit.

When one player is so far ahead, everybody else can appear to be standing still. However, that is not necessarily what is happening. An alternative interpretation is that Greaves is simply setting an exceptional standard and continuing to improve faster than the field around her.

The gap between Greaves and the chasing pack is enormous, but underneath her dominance there are signs of genuine progress and considerable movement.

Familiar Names Remain Competitive

One of the most interesting features of the 2026 rankings is the continued success of several players who helped establish the Women’s Series.

Lisa Ashton is second in the current standings, while Fallon Sherrock is third. Deta Hedman occupies fifth place, with Vicky Pruim sixth and Trina Gulliver seventh.

Aileen de Graaf, Eleanor Cairns, Jo Locke, Rhian O’Sullivan, Lorraine Winstanley and Denise Cassidy are also inside the top 30.

It would be easy to point to those familiar names and conclude that little has changed. I think that would overlook two important points.

Firstly, their longevity deserves considerable respect. Remaining competitive as the circuit develops is an achievement in itself.

Secondly, established players continuing to succeed does not prevent new challengers from emerging. Both things can happen at the same time—and the movement elsewhere in the rankings suggests that they are.

New Faces Climbing the Rankings

Perhaps the clearest evidence that the Women’s Series is evolving comes from the number of players rapidly climbing the standings.

Gemma Hayter is one of the strongest examples. She moved from sixth in 2024 to fifth in 2025 and sits fourth in the current 2026 standings. She has established herself among the circuit’s leading players and also occupies fourth place in the current Q4QS rankings.

Lauryn Salter has enjoyed a remarkable rise. Ranked 60th in 2024, she climbed to 37th in 2025 before breaking into the top 20 in 2026. By 1 September, she had earned £3,750 and occupied 19th place.

Lauren Bloomfield’s progress has been even more dramatic. After finishing 103rd in 2024 with £200, she surged to 21st in 2025. She has backed that up in 2026, climbing another place to 20th and increasing her prize money to £3,300.

Jade Gofford has produced one of the biggest jumps of the current season. She was ranked 27th in 2025 but has climbed to eighth in 2026, earning £5,500 by the beginning of September.

That is not simply a small move within the middle of the rankings. It represents a breakthrough into the circuit’s leading group.

Another major success story is Joanne Oldershaw. She was 63rd in 2024 and 98th in 2025, but has exploded into the top 20 this season. Her £4,550 in prize money places her 17th in the current standings.

These are not isolated examples. Together, they demonstrate genuine movement throughout the rankings and a competitive landscape that continues to change beneath the established leading names.

Is the Chasing Pack Becoming Stronger?

One of the best indicators of progress in any sporting circuit is not simply the standard of its best player, but the quality and depth of the chasing pack.

The current Q4QS rankings reveal an increasingly dense group of Women’s Series players averaging from the mid-to-high 60s into the 70s.

Karolina Ratajska, Aileen de Graaf, Jade Gofford, Eleanor Cairns, Kim Holden, Denise Cassidy and Lauryn Salter are among those producing strong performances and competing for deep tournament runs.

The important point is not that every one of them is ready to challenge Greaves consistently. It is that there are increasingly dangerous opponents throughout a Women’s Series draw.

The prize-money standings support that impression.

By 1 September, 22 players had earned at least £3,000 during the 2026 Women’s Series season, while 58 had reached £1,000 or more.

Leading players can encounter a dangerous opponent from the opening rounds. More competitors appear capable of defeating recognised names, putting together deep runs and eventually establishing themselves among the leading group.

Competition within the chasing pack should ultimately help to raise standards throughout the circuit, even if Greaves remains some distance ahead of it.

The Next Generation

Perhaps the most encouraging sign for the longer-term future of the Women’s Series is the emergence of younger players beginning to make an impact.

Macy Gibbons is a name that immediately stands out.

Although she currently sits outside the leading group on the Women’s Series Order of Merit, her Q4QS position and performance statistics suggest considerable potential. She has recorded a strong average and win percentage, indicating that she could climb substantially as she gains more experience.

Her progress is already visible in the Women’s Series standings. After earning £200 and finishing 101st in 2025, she had climbed to 74th with £600 by 1 September 2026.

Ruby Grey is another player attracting attention. She currently sits inside the top 50 of both the Women’s Series and Q4QS rankings. Her £1,400 in prize money places her 43rd on the 2026 Women’s Series Order of Merit.

Ella Coburn is also beginning to convert appearances into prize money and ranking progress. She has risen from 104th in 2025 to 51st this season, increasing her prize money from £200 to £1,100.

Olivia Goddard is another young name beginning to appear in the standings, earning her first Women’s Series prize money in 2026.

Whether these players eventually develop into regular title challengers remains to be seen.

Progress is rarely completely smooth, particularly on a circuit where the cost of entries and travel—and the ability to commit to a full schedule—can all affect a player’s development.

However, these are exactly the type of emerging players worth following over the coming seasons.

What Do the Rankings Tell Us?

Rankings never provide the complete picture.

They reward results rather than potential, while players who enter more events naturally have more opportunities to earn money. The Q4QS data adds performance averages and win percentages, but that also depends on which tournaments and matches are available within the database.

The 2026 Women’s Series season was also still in progress when these figures were collected on 1 September.

Despite those qualifications, there are some clear trends.

Greaves remains comfortably ahead. Ashton, Sherrock and several other established stars remain extremely competitive. Behind them, however, a group of newer contenders is beginning to establish itself.

Hayter has become part of the leading group. Gofford has broken into the top 10. Oldershaw, Salter and Bloomfield have reached the top 20.

Further down the rankings, players such as Gibbons, Grey, Coburn and Goddard are beginning to create their own signs of progress.

There is experience at the top, considerable competition in the middle and emerging potential beneath it.

So, What Shape Is the Women’s Series In?

Based on the available evidence, I think the PDC Women’s Series is in a healthy and increasingly competitive position.

Its player base is broader than it was during the circuit’s earliest years. More players are earning prize money, several newer names are climbing rapidly through the standings and the group behind the leading stars appears to be developing greater depth.

The extraordinary dominance of Beau Greaves can sometimes obscure that progress.

When one player sets such a high standard, everybody else can appear static by comparison. However, the movement beneath Greaves tells a different story.

Gemma Hayter, Lauryn Salter, Lauren Bloomfield, Jade Gofford and Joanne Oldershaw all provide evidence of players making significant progress within the Women’s Series.

Behind them, Macy Gibbons, Ruby Grey, Ella Coburn and Olivia Goddard offer signs of another generation beginning to emerge.

There are still areas in which the circuit can develop. More opportunities, greater international participation and more players being able to compete regularly across a full season would all strengthen it further.

It is also important to remember that the Women’s Series is not the entirety of women’s darts. Many players continue to develop and achieve success through WDF competitions and other routes around the world.

But judged specifically on its own rankings and recent trends, the PDC Women’s Series does not appear to be standing still.

Beau Greaves may continue to take most of the headlines, but beneath her dominance there is genuine movement, increasing depth and a developing group of players hoping to become the circuit’s next leading names.

Yesterday’s Darts Results: Williams Wins at Evesham as Walker Fires 108.51 (1st September 2026)

Tuesday brought another busy night of grassroots darts, with 34 tournaments from 1 September added to the Q4QS database.

There was plenty happening across the South and South West, with Darrel Williams winning at Evesham, Robin Stutt-Hannaford taking the opening Taunton U70 Super Series event, and Logun Godbeer adding another Portishead title. Further afield, Lloyd Walker produced the biggest average of the day with a superb 108.51.

Williams takes the title at Evesham

The Pre Vault 19 Round Robin at Evesham Darts Competitions produced 75 recorded matches and another competitive field.

Darrel Williams eventually emerged as champion after a final against Joe Quiney, with both players finishing the tournament on seven victories.

Quiney produced the standout individual performance at Evesham with a huge 107.36 average, while Mitchell Leeming hit 93.94, Shaun Vernall 91.09 and Williams himself reached 90.90 and 90.18 during his title-winning run.

It was a good example of something these daily results regularly show: the player producing the biggest average does not necessarily end the night with the trophy.

Stutt-Hannaford opens Taunton series with victory

There was also a strong first night of the Taunton U70 Round Robin Super Series 10.0 at Darts @ The Lawns.

Robin Stutt-Hannaford came through the competition after collecting nine wins, with Ryan Greenslade finishing with eight.

Stutt-Hannaford also produced the four leading averages attributed to him in the tournament, headed by 85.89, followed by 83.50, 79.11 and 71.57. Greenslade's best was 77.08.

That is an excellent way to begin a new series, particularly in an average-restricted format where consistency throughout the night is so important.

Godbeer adds another Portishead title

Logun Godbeer continues to appear regularly among the Q4QS winners, and Tuesday brought another success at Portishead Workmens Darts.

Godbeer won the Tuesday Open, finishing with eight victories, ahead of a group containing Lewis Kendall, Jacob Huxtable and finalist John Maggs.

He also recorded the competition's best average at 76.42, as well as a 74.55. Maggs reached 74.93 and Kendall 72.09.

Godbeer's recent run of results continues to make him one of the more noticeable young players appearing in these daily roundups.

Walker produces the performance of the day

The biggest average anywhere in Tuesday's results came at Fareham MIMO.

Lloyd Walker produced an outstanding 108.51 average, comfortably topping the overall Q4QS list for the day.

This wasn't simply one isolated leg of form either. Walker also hit 99.16 and eventually won the competition, finishing level with Taylor Harding on seven victories.

A tournament victory combined with 108.51 and 99.16 makes Walker's performance one of the strongest all-round displays from Tuesday.

Ton-plus darts elsewhere

Walker and Quiney weren't the only players to break the 100 barrier.

Archie Bourne produced a 100.20 average during the NDC End Of Summer Round Robin, while Toby Clements also hit 100.20 at the Royal British Legion Vault Break event in Sunbury-on-Thames.

Clements' performance came in an event eventually won by John Nelson, who himself reached 98.02. Clements finished with seven victories, the same number as Nelson.

Lee Evans dominates at Loughor

One of the most statistically convincing tournament performances came from Lee Evans at Loughor Workingmens Club.

Evans won Loughor Vault Break 3 with seven victories and filled all five of the event's leading-average positions.

His best performances were 93.94, 93.94 and 92.02, followed by 88.41 and 83.15.

That is a particularly impressive level of consistency across an entire tournament.

Astbury produces another strong night

Daniel Astbury was also among Tuesday's winners, coming through a 67-match round robin.

Astbury recorded eight wins and hit averages of 94.28 and 92.02, while Jamie Chaplin reached 92.44 during his run to the final.

Astbury has been appearing increasingly often in the results, and this was another strong combination of scoring and tournament success.

More winners across the circuit

There were plenty of other titles among the 34 competitions.

Pete Hughes won the Batchley Tuesday Open after eight victories, with Stewart Doughty recording the tournament's best average of 97.57.

Martin Tonks enjoyed an excellent night at Bostin Darts 180 Bar, winning the Inbetween Vault with ten victories and recording four of the event's five leading averages, headed by 85.08.

There were also wins for James Mann at Widden Rugby Club, Lee Judd at Faringdon, Rhys Evans in the Junior Round Robin Open, and Jack Davies in PSC Event 11.

A strong start to September

The first day of September has therefore added another 34 tournaments to Q4QS, with plenty of performances worth following.

The South West stories are headed by Williams' Evesham victory, Stutt-Hannaford's excellent start to the new Taunton series and another Portishead success for Godbeer.

But the numbers further afield were difficult to ignore too: Walker 108.51, Quiney 107.36, Bourne 100.20 and Clements 100.20 provide an impressive start to the new month.

Where Are the Toughest Places to Play Darts South of Birmingham? Q4QS Venue Rankings 2026

 

Over the past few weeks, I've been using the Q4QS Tournament Strength database to look at darts from a slightly different perspective.

I've compared the major tours.

I've looked at the toughest individual tournaments.

I've compared ADC Vaults with recognised international circuits.

Now I'm bringing things much closer to home.

Where are the toughest venues to regularly play darts south of Birmingham?

Not which venue has produced one spectacular tournament.

Not which has the biggest names or the largest prize fund.

But if you repeatedly turned up and entered tournaments at the same venue, where would you statistically be most likely to encounter a strong field?

This is the first version of the Q4QS venue rankings. My current database coverage is strongest across the southern half of Britain, so rather than pretend it represents every part of the country equally, this opening edition concentrates on venues south of Birmingham.

I'll be expanding the geographical coverage in the very near future as more tournaments and venues are added to the database.

First – What Does Tournament Strength Mean?

As always with this series, an important explanation comes first.

Tournament Strength is NOT a tournament average.

A venue with a Tournament Strength figure of 65 does not mean its players average 65.

The Q4QS Tournament Strength Score is a calculated field-strength measure incorporating factors such as player ratings, recorded performances and the overall quality of the players taking part.

In simple terms:

Tournament average tells us how players performed.

Tournament Strength attempts to tell us how difficult the field was.

For this particular analysis, I've taken that one stage further.

Rather than ranking a venue by the strongest tournament it has ever staged, I've looked at its results across multiple events.

A venue needed at least six qualifying tournament records in the database to make the main table.

That gives us a much better indication of where strong fields appear consistently.

Q4QS Toughest Darts Venues South of Birmingham – 2026 So Far

Rank	Venue	Events	Typical Strength	Peak
1	Lindsay Constitutional Club, Cefn Hengoed	17	65.20	73.44
2	The Sartan Club, Bishopsworth	23	64.89	69.26
3	North Star Club, Calne	25	64.77	67.86
4	Bridley Moor & Batchley Social Club, Redditch	14	64.54	68.31
5	Brynmawr Social Club, Brynmawr	28	64.35	67.85
6	Dorchester Trinity Club, Dorchester	20	64.05	68.51
7	Faringdon Football Club, Faringdon	37	63.74	68.59
8	The Academy, Basingstoke	7	63.60	66.37
9	Windmill Hill Golf Centre, Milton Keynes	21	63.53	66.43
10	The Banckers Draft, Minehead	12	63.51	67.55
11	Bradmoor Farm, Aylesbury	42	63.51	68.72
12	Frimley Green Working Men's Club	6	63.39	65.21
13	County Conservative Club, Cardiff	16	63.28	69.35
14	Woodbridge Hill Working Men's Club, Guildford	7	63.28	65.05
15	Bagley Sports & Social Club, Shrewsbury	20	63.25	66.96
16	Topsham Football Club	13	63.04	66.58
17	St Johns Club, Banbury	23	62.94	66.08
18	The Cue Corner, Worcester	7	62.94	66.55
19	Chalvey WMC, Slough	19	62.93	66.96
20	Phoenix Pub, Portsmouth	12	62.79	67.34

Typical Strength is the mean Q4QS Tournament Strength of the qualifying events currently recorded for that venue. This opening ranking focuses on venues south of Birmingham where the current Q4QS database has sufficient coverage. Figures are for 2026 so far and will change as further tournaments and regions are added.

Cefn Hengoed Takes Number One

Perhaps the first surprise is that the current number one isn't one of the venues that immediately springs to mind when talking about English grassroots darts.

It's in Wales.

Lindsay Constitutional Club in Cefn Hengoed leads the rankings with a typical Tournament Strength of 65.20 across 17 recorded events.

And this isn't simply the result of one huge night.

Its median Tournament Strength is also above 64, while its strongest recorded event reaches 73.44.

That's exactly what I wanted this ranking to identify.

Not somewhere that happened to attract one exceptional field.

Somewhere that repeatedly does it.

Sartan Confirms Its Reputation

Second place probably won't surprise many people who follow the South West darts scene.

The Sartan Club in Bishopsworth scores 64.89 across 23 tournaments.

What's particularly impressive is the consistency.

Its median score is almost identical to its overall figure, and its peak reaches 69.26.

That tells us Sartan isn't being pushed towards the top by one or two exceptional competitions.

Strong fields are simply normal there.

For players around Bristol, that's probably confirmation of something many already suspected.

If you turn up at Sartan, expect a difficult draw.

Calne Might Be the Most Impressive of All

Third-placed North Star Club in Calne is particularly interesting.

Its overall figure is 64.77, but its median is actually slightly higher at 65.22 across 25 tournaments.

That's significant.

It means the typical North Star event is consistently landing around the very top of this entire venue dataset.

Its peak of 67.86 isn't the highest in the rankings.

It doesn't need to be.

North Star's strength is consistency.

There appear to be very few easy nights.

Redditch and Brynmawr Complete the Top Five

Bridley Moor & Batchley Social Club in Redditch sits fourth at 64.54, followed by another Welsh venue, Brynmawr Social Club, at 64.35.

Brynmawr is particularly convincing because that figure comes from 28 recorded tournaments.

That's a sizeable sample.

Once a venue maintains a figure above 64 across that many competitions, it becomes increasingly difficult to dismiss it as a temporary spike.

Then Comes an Interesting Group

Dorchester, Faringdon, Basingstoke, Milton Keynes and Minehead complete the Top 10.

And there's something worth noticing here.

These aren't all venues concentrated in one recognised darts hotbed.

We're seeing strong tournament environments spread across Wales, the South West, the Midlands, the South Coast and the Home Counties.

That's one of the things I've enjoyed most about building this database.

Strong grassroots darts isn't confined to the places that receive the most publicity.

Faringdon and Bradmoor Deserve Special Mention

Sample size matters.

Faringdon Football Club ranks seventh with 37 recorded events.

Bradmoor Farm in Aylesbury ranks 11th with 42.

Those are two of the largest samples anywhere near the top of the ranking.

Maintaining Tournament Strength figures of 63.74 and 63.51 respectively across that many tournaments is arguably more impressive than reaching a slightly higher figure from six or seven events.

It suggests players attending those venues aren't occasionally encountering strong fields.

They're encountering them over and over again.

And What About Paignton?

This is where comparing peak strength with regular strength becomes fascinating.

In the previous ADC analysis, 8 Ball Bar & Sports in Paignton produced the strongest ordinary Vault event I'd found:

75.08.

That's still an exceptional result.

But across its 12 qualifying events in this analysis, Paignton's typical Tournament Strength is 62.64.

That puts it just outside this Top 20.

There is no contradiction.

It simply answers two different questions.

How strong can Paignton get?

Extremely strong.

Is every Paignton tournament played at that level?

No.

And that's precisely why looking at venues over a longer period gives us a different picture.

Peak Strength Still Matters

It would be wrong to completely ignore those exceptional nights.

Some venues outside the Top 10 have demonstrated how strong they can become when the right field assembles.

Among the notable peaks are:

Paignton – 75.08

Cefn Hengoed – 73.44

Cardiff – 69.35

Sartan Club – 69.26

Bradmoor Farm – 68.72

Faringdon – 68.59

Dorchester – 68.51

Those peaks tell us something different from the main ranking.

A venue's regular score tells us what you're likely to encounter.

Its peak tells us how difficult the room can become.

Both are useful.

Wales Is Producing Some Serious Fields

One of the clearest geographical stories in the rankings is Wales.

Cefn Hengoed is number one.

Brynmawr is fifth.

Cardiff is 13th.

That's three Welsh venues inside the Top 13.

Given how much attention English grassroots darts receives, that's worth highlighting.

The data suggests there are some extremely competitive regular tournament environments on the other side of the Severn.

The South West Is Very Much in the Picture

From my usual South West perspective, there is plenty here too.

Sartan is second.

Calne is third.

Minehead is tenth.

Topsham is 16th.

And immediately below the Top 20 are venues including Paignton, Yeovil and Gloucester.

So while Wales currently supplies the number-one venue, the South West has a very strong presence throughout the rankings.

And the numbers reinforce something I've seen repeatedly while covering darts in this region:

There is an enormous amount of quality operating well below the level that receives national attention.

Does This Mean Cefn Hengoed Is the Hardest Venue to Win At?

Not necessarily.

And that's an important distinction.

Tournament Strength measures the quality of the field.

It doesn't account for everything involved in actually winning a tournament.

A 16-player tournament and a 128-player tournament can have identical field-strength ratings but present very different challenges.

Format matters.

Number of entrants matters.

Match length matters.

Seeding matters.

The draw matters.

So this isn't intended to answer:

"Where is it mathematically hardest to lift a trophy?"

It's answering:

"Which regular venues are attracting the strongest fields?"

That's a subtly different – and I think equally interesting – question.

This Is Only the Beginning

There's another important caveat to these rankings.

This isn't yet intended as a definitive ranking of every darts venue in Britain.

The Q4QS database is growing all the time, and its geographical coverage isn't yet equal everywhere.

That's why I've deliberately started with venues south of Birmingham, where I have enough data to make meaningful comparisons.

I'll be expanding the coverage in the very near future.

As more regions and tournaments are added, we'll start to see whether these venues can hold their positions when they come up against the strongest rooms elsewhere.

And that should make the ranking even more interesting.

And What About My Own Regular Venues?

I was obviously curious to see how some of the venues I regularly cover and play at compared.

Hangar 61 in Patchway comes out particularly well. Across 42 recorded events, it has a typical Tournament Strength of 61.65, with its strongest tournament reaching an impressive 70.03. That leaves Hangar just outside the current Top 20, and there have been several particularly strong fields there recently.

DartAsylum HQ produces a very different number, averaging 53.22 across an enormous 132 recorded events, but that figure needs some context.

DartAsylum runs a huge variety of competitions, including Under-55, Sub-70, junior and other restricted events, so its overall venue figure is naturally pulled down by the type of tournaments it stages. When the stronger fields assemble, the numbers can be very different – DartAsylum's peak Tournament Strength this year is an excellent 73.33.

For me, it's a useful example of why the numbers need a little interpretation. These rankings measure the strength of the tournaments being staged at each venue, rather than rating the venue itself.

Final Thoughts

Looking only at the strongest individual tournament tells us where an exceptional field has assembled.

Looking across repeated tournaments tells us something more useful.

Where is strong darts normal?

Right now, among the venues south of Birmingham sufficiently represented in the Q4QS database, the answer is Cefn Hengoed.

But Sartan and North Star are extremely close.

Redditch, Brynmawr and Dorchester aren't far behind.

And venues such as Faringdon and Bradmoor Farm are producing strong numbers across dozens of competitions.

Perhaps most importantly, the difference between many of these venues is tiny.

A player looking for tough competitive darts doesn't need to enter a PDC event.

Across the southern half of Britain, there are plenty of clubs where strong fields are turning up week after week.

And as the Q4QS database expands, we'll find out just how those venues compare with the rest of the country.

Yesterday’s Darts Results: Rixon Rules Bridgwater as Bank Holiday Monday Delivers 28 Events (31st August 2026)

Bank Holiday Monday produced another substantial day of grassroots darts, with 28 tournaments from 31 August added to the Q4QS database.

There was plenty happening across the South and South West, from a huge tournament at the 49 Club to Bank Holiday competitions in Bridgwater and Wiltshire, while several players pushed averages towards – and beyond – the 100 mark.

For me, Warren Rixon’s performance at Bridgwater Darts Academy deserves to be right near the top of the local stories. Rixon didn’t just win the tournament; he dominated the event statistically too.

Rixon dominates at Bridgwater

The BDA Bank Holiday Madness Academy tournament produced 93 recorded matches, with Warren Rixon emerging as champion.

Rixon beat Tommy Climo in the final and finished the day with ten victories, comfortably one of the strongest tournament records across Monday’s results.

He also occupied all five of the leading-average positions at the event, headed by an 81.24, followed by 75.15, 66.80, 65.35 and 61.35.

That combination of the title, ten wins and complete control of the event’s leading averages makes this one of Monday’s most convincing individual performances.

Holley comes through huge Wiltshire field

There was another sizeable Bank Holiday competition at Wiltshire Darts House, where 113 matches were recorded.

Sean Holley eventually took the title, defeating Johnny Haines in the final and accumulating an impressive ten wins.

Haines may have finished runner-up, but he produced the best recorded average of the event at 98.02. Holley and Wayne Barrett both reached 96.97, with Haines also producing two separate 93.94 performances.

It looks like one of the strongest fields of the day, and Holley had to put together a serious run to come through it.

Freddie Miles wins massive 49 Club Under-55

One result that didn’t make the featured six on the graphic but certainly deserves mentioning came from the 49 Club.

The Wobbly’s Under-55 Bank Holiday Monday competition generated a huge 151 recorded matches.

Freddie Miles emerged with the title after reaching eight wins, with Ellie Harwood finishing runner-up after another strong seven-win run.

Jason White produced the best recorded average at 73.32, while Josh Rose hit 71.57 and Harwood reached 68.05.

The sheer size of the event makes Miles’ victory particularly notable.

Dutton combines title with 96.97

Stuart Dutton enjoyed an excellent night at the Riverside Club in the Vault In-Betweener 3.

Dutton finished with eight victories and defeated Tom Baughan in the final.

He also recorded the tournament’s best average at 96.97, adding another 88.41 against Baughan later in the event. Baughan himself reached 93.94 and 89.38 during an impressive run to the final.

That was another result where the eventual champion was also right at the top of the statistical performances.

Ryan Davies impresses at Wattsville

At Wattsville National Club, Ryan Davies was another player who combined the title with consistently strong numbers.

Davies won Vault Break Week 3 and recorded two separate 93.94 averages, as well as an 88.41.

He finished with eight victories, with David Skinner among those chasing him after recording six wins.

Sam Jackson delivers emphatic charity win

The Hollybush Charity Competition, raising money for the Mel Evans MND Foundation, also produced one of Monday’s strongest individual tournament performances.

Sam Jackson came through the event and produced averages of 95.94, 93.94 and 91.09 during his run.

He eventually beat Ike Richman in the final, with both players having accumulated eight victories during the competition.

Jackson’s combination of strong averages and the tournament victory made him another of the day’s standout performers.

Steed hits 96.97 as Cleave takes Monday Flyer

There was more strong South West form at the Monday Flyer at 8 Ball Bar & Sports.

Andy Steed produced the best average of the tournament at 96.97, but the title went to Finlay Cleave, who defeated Harry Madge in the final.

Cleave recorded seven victories, while Oliver Wells and Madge both collected five.

Tom Crocker tops Monday’s averages

The biggest average recorded across Monday’s entire Q4QS export came in the Summer Bank Holiday Round Robin.

Tom Crocker hit 103.66, putting him at the top of the day’s individual-average list.

The tournament itself was enormous, with 227 recorded matches, and eventually went to David Moule, who accumulated 12 victories. Crocker finished with 11 wins.

That is an extraordinary amount of darts in one competition and another reminder of just how big some of these Bank Holiday events can become.

Manley breaks the ton

Edward Manley also joined the 100 club in Clive Arms Vault Break 3.

Manley fired in a 100.20 average, although the tournament title went to Joshua Russell, with both players recording seven wins during the event.

Elsewhere, Mike Huntley reached 98.02, while Lloyd Sterio, Dean Leaver, Owen Smith, Sean Holley, Wayne Barrett and Andy Steed all recorded 96.97 averages.

More Bank Holiday winners

There was no shortage of other winners across Monday’s programme.

Glenn Pearce came through the Bank Holiday Fun Day Round Robin, where Steve Boundy accumulated eight wins and Owen Smith produced a 96.97 average.

Carl High won the large Under-65 Bank Holiday competition in Minehead, which featured 112 matches, while Luke Messer came through a 125-match Bank Holiday Round Robin elsewhere on the circuit.

There were also wins for Darryl Pilgrim, Gavin Sterio, Mark McGeeney, Mick Rodgers, Cody Sheppard and Trev Brennan among another deep collection of grassroots tournaments.

A strong finish to August

With 28 tournaments added from the final day of August, the month finished with another substantial batch of results for the Q4QS database.

Rixon’s Bridgwater domination, Holley’s success in a strong Wiltshire field, Miles coming through the huge 49 Club event and Dutton and Davies combining titles with big averages all provide strong South West stories.

And further afield, Crocker’s 103.66 and Manley’s 100.20 ensured there was no shortage of quality to close out the month.

Yesterday’s Darts Results: McCready Tops 103 as 39 Events Hit the Q4QS Database (30th August 2026)

Sunday delivered one of the busiest grassroots days I have covered for a while, with 39 tournaments from 30 August added to the Q4QS database.

There was action across the South West and much further afield, including local money-in-money-out competitions, Bank Holiday events, WADC regional finals and another busy programme of JDC VOLTS tournaments.

Among the South West names, Alec McCready produced the performance of the day with a 103.66 average, while Liam Moore won at Portishead, George Miller took JDC VOLTS honours in Exeter and Becca Kay claimed the WADC Vault 2.0 South West Regional Final.

McCready combines big averages with the title

There was no shortage of quality from Alec McCready at the Leominster & District Darts League Money In Money Out.

McCready didn't just win the competition – he produced some exceptional numbers along the way.

His best was a 103.66 average, while he also recorded 102.48, 96.97 and 92.75 during the tournament.

He eventually defeated Zak Turner 3–2 in the final, completing a day on which he recorded nine victories. Turner had an impressive tournament himself, winning seven matches and producing an 89.04 in the final.

It was an excellent combination of consistency, scoring and ultimately the tournament victory from McCready.

Moore takes the Portishead Sunday title

At Portishead Workmens Darts, it was Liam Moore who came through the Sunday Lunch MIMO Round Robin.

Moore was the standout player statistically as well as taking the title, producing the tournament's four highest recorded averages.

His best was 82.29, followed by 81.24, 75.15 and 74.70, with the latter coming as he defeated Andy Darbon 4–1 in the final.

Moore finished with eight wins, while Darbon recorded seven and Josh Rose produced the next-highest average of the competition at 77.08.

Becca Kay wins WADC South West Regional Final

One of Sunday's most significant regional titles went to Becca Kay, who won the WADC Vault 2.0 South West Regional Final at MK Lounge Bar in Bodmin.

Kay came through the competition with seven victories before beating Courtney Hancock 4–2 in the final.

Hancock had five wins during the event and also produced its highest recorded average at 64.05, while Tyrian Jesse reached 60.12.

For Kay, though, it was all about getting through the field and taking the regional title.

George Miller takes JDC VOLTS honours in Exeter

Sunday also featured a substantial programme of JDC VOLTS action around the country, including an event at The Kings Pub in Exeter.

There, George Miller emerged victorious.

Miller recorded five wins and defeated Quin Dymond 3–0 in the final, having produced the event's best recorded average of 67.45 earlier in the competition.

There were JDC winners elsewhere too, including Zach Langley in Milton Keynes, Ryan-Rai Rushton in Rugeley, Damian Gibbon in Halesowen, Joshua Pravato in Minehead, Jenson Macey in Waterlooville, Charlie Wills on the Isle of Wight and Rhodri Phillips in Carmarthen.

Nicholls breaks the ton at Bostin

Dan Nicholls produced another of Sunday's standout performances at Bostin Darts 180 Bar.

Nicholls won the Sunday Bank Holiday Round Robin, defeating Tom Garfield 3–0 in the final, and earlier produced a superb 100.20 average.

He finished with seven victories, while Garfield and Jake Shipley both collected six. Jamie Rollinson also impressed with a 91.09 average.

Corey Milward hits 100.20

There was another ton-plus performance in the Mile End Inn Vault Break Week 2.

Corey Milward hit 100.20, as well as further averages of 93.94 and 88.41 during a strong individual run.

The title, however, went to Liam Davies, who defeated Louis Melville 3–2 in the final. Davies and Melville both accumulated nine victories, while Milward finished with eight.

Plenty more Bank Holiday winners

The volume of Sunday's programme meant there were plenty more performances worthy of mention.

Ian Hilditch won the Amps 2.0 Under-60 Finals Day, defeating Ethan Jones 5–0, while Rhys Gould recorded an 88.41 average.

At Heath Hayes, Jack Aldridge won the Bank Holiday Knockout with a 5–1 final victory over Dan Hands. Hands produced a 96.97 during the tournament, while Aldridge reached 90.18. Earlier, Hands/Aldridge had combined to win the Bank Holiday Doubles Round Robin.

Elsewhere, David Williams won the CUFC Open despite Steve Boundy producing the tournament's highest average of 93.94, while Jake B-Smith took the South Shropshire Bank Holiday Bash.

And the winners kept coming. Shaun Vernall took the Nags Head Pre-Vault Open, Thomas Lynch won the opening week of Oliver's Sports Bar Series 3, Jake Robinson won the Bostin Under-65 Round Robin and Jamie Chaplin came through the Wicketts Sunday Night Round Robin.

Another big day added to Q4QS

Sunday's 39 tournaments make this one of the larger daily additions to the database and, more importantly, provide another substantial batch of results for the rankings, recent-form figures and developing player profiles.

McCready's combination of 103.66 and 102.48 averages plus the tournament victory provides the headline performance, but there was quality throughout the day – from Moore's consistency at Portishead and Nicholls and Milward breaking the ton, to Kay's South West regional title and another generation of juniors competing across the JDC VOLTS circuit.

And with 39 more competitions recorded from a single day, the picture of grassroots darts across the region continues to get deeper.

MODUS Super Series Week 5 Preview: Klose Leads Another Fascinating 12-Player Field

The MODUS Super Series returns for Week 5 with another intriguing 12-player line-up, bringing together PDC experience, proven MODUS performers, international talent and several players arriving in particularly strong form.

On the numbers available to Q4QS, Daniel Klose is the obvious starting point.

The German comes into the week ranked 18th in the Q4QS database with a 90.53 average, and his recent results have been outstanding. Klose reached the quarter-finals of Challenge Tour 17, the final of Event 18 and then went unbeaten to win Challenge Tour 20, averaging 93.75 across the tournament. He subsequently stepped onto the Players Championship circuit and still averaged 97.68 and 95.43 in his two appearances there.

That makes him the statistical standout, but this is far from a one-player week.

Neil Duff brings experience and consistency

Former WDF World Champion Neil Duff is another player who should command plenty of respect.

Duff's Q4QS average sits at 84.18, and his recent results include a Vault victory at Waterlooville as well as a semi-final at an ADC Winmau Championship South event. His scoring remains highly competitive, with individual performances including a 103.66 against Leo Howard.

Duff has plenty of experience in longer-format competitive environments, and that can be particularly valuable in the unusual week-long MODUS format.

Jordan Brooks arrives from a World Masters semi-final

One of the more interesting names this week is Jordan Brooks, who comes into MODUS following an excellent run at the 2026 WDF World Masters.

Brooks reached the semi-finals there, winning six matches and averaging 84.12 across the event. His wins included Ron Meulenkamp, Stefan Schroder, David Flowers and Luka Matković, with several individual match averages in the high 80s. He is also 7-3 across his last ten matches in the Q4QS database.

That sort of tournament run suggests Brooks could be particularly dangerous if he settles quickly in Portsmouth.

Rogov's form deserves attention

Dmitrii Rogov may not have the same profile with UK viewers, but his recent record makes him difficult to ignore.

Rogov is 9-1 across his last ten, reached the final of the Cyprus International Darts Open and has subsequently made three semi-finals at Eastern European Darts Challenge events. His recorded match averages include a 95.37, while his overall Q4QS average stands at 80.85.

He looks like exactly the sort of player capable of outperforming expectations during a MODUS week.

Justin Smith comes in with winning form

There is plenty to like about Justin Smith's recent numbers too.

Smith is 8-2 across his last ten and recently went unbeaten to win a Vault event at Cardigan with an 85.51 tournament average. He followed that with a quarter-final at the Towy Sports Bar Open, averaging 80.04 across nine matches.

His notable performances include a 95.94 average in a 3-0 win over Jamie Evans.

With fewer qualifying events in the database than some of the field, his overall Q4QS average isn't yet displayed, but the performances we do have suggest plenty of ability.

Noa-Lynn van Leuven brings a high ceiling

Noa-Lynn van Leuven is another capable of producing numbers well beyond her overall average.

She reached a PDC Women's Series semi-final with an 86.10 event average and subsequently averaged 91.44 during a quarter-final run at the Swiss Open. Her notable recent performances include a 99.89 average in a 5-1 victory over Leanne Topper.

Recent Swedish Open results were less eye-catching, but the ceiling is clearly there.

Hamilton remains a threat

The most experienced name in the field is Andy Hamilton.

His recent Challenge Tour performances are probably more useful than some of the smaller local events in the database when assessing his chances this week. Hamilton reached the last 32 of Challenge Tour 16 averaging 88.42 and most recently averaged 86.42 in reaching the last 64 of Challenge Tour 20.

He has been around the highest level of the sport for years, and MODUS has repeatedly shown that experience can count for plenty when players have to negotiate multiple sessions across the week.

Six to Follow

Daniel Klose – The standout on recent numbers. A Challenge Tour winner, finalist and quarter-finalist in his last few outings, with a 90.53 Q4QS average.

Neil Duff – Experienced, consistent and still capable of producing very strong scoring bursts.

Jordan Brooks – Comes in fresh from a WDF World Masters semi-final and looks particularly well suited to the format.

Dmitrii Rogov – Perhaps the most intriguing player in the field. He is 9-1 recently and has been consistently reaching finals and semi-finals.

Justin Smith – 8-2 in his last ten with an 85.51 tournament average during a recent unbeaten title run.

Noa-Lynn van Leuven – Has the scoring ceiling to trouble anyone in the field and has produced several excellent tournament performances this season.

There are plenty of alternatives to those six.

Danny Goddard has been competing regularly on the Challenge Tour and has produced a 95.54 match average recently. Mark Layton has won two recent Vault events at Llandeilo and also reached a final and semi-final during a strong sequence of results.

Ziggy Schenk is harder to assess with only three qualifying events currently in the Q4QS database, but his Q-School results included a 90.12 event performance and an 84.96 match average.

The two players I currently have least Q4QS data for are Richard McKee and Martyn Turner, who were not matched to profiles in this export, so I wouldn't manufacture form lines for either of them.

A strong favourite – but an open week behind him

Klose deserves to begin the week as the player to beat on the available evidence. Very few players arrive at MODUS immediately after the sort of Challenge Tour sequence he has put together.

Behind him, though, it becomes much harder to separate the field.

Duff has the experience, Rogov and Brooks have excellent recent tournament form, Smith is winning events, Van Leuven has a very high scoring ceiling, and Hamilton remains capable of producing the numbers required at this level.

That should make MODUS Super Series Week 5 another fascinating week — and one where the battle to reach Saturday could prove every bit as interesting as the eventual title race.

Q4QS Weekly Spotlight: Three Players Who Caught My Eye This Week

 

Another seven days of grassroots darts produced plenty of candidates for the Weekly Spotlight, but this week’s final three stood out for very different reasons.

Louis Melville combined one of the week’s most important victories with another two tournament wins and a further final. Shaun Vernall continued an extraordinary run of consistency, winning three events and finishing the week by taking the £800 Gloucester Open. And Cody Sheppard produced an excellent sequence of results at Out Out Bar, culminating in a convincing Premier League Qualification victory.

As always, this isn’t simply about picking the three highest averages or the biggest names. It’s about the players whose performances, consistency or individual stories caught my eye over the previous seven days.

Louis Melville

Player Profile

Louis Melville has put together an outstanding record in the Q4QS database.

Across 243 recorded matches, Melville has won 215, giving him an excellent 88.5% win rate. From only 38 recorded events, he has already collected 22 tournament victories, alongside three runner-up finishes, four semi-finals and five quarter-finals.

His overall match average stands at 77.96, but his peak numbers show considerably more. His best recorded average is 111.33, with further performances of 107.36 and three separate 103.66 averages among his top five.

There is also plenty of quality in the opposition he has beaten. His best-rated recorded win is now against Dean Reynolds, while his record also includes several victories over Timothy Jones and a win over Creed Jenkins.

This Week

Melville began the week by winning the MODUS Super Series South Wales Regional Qualifier at Wattsville National Club, defeating Dean Reynolds 6–5 in the final.

That victory now also appears as the highest-rated win in his player profile, with Melville averaging 80.71 in the deciding match against Reynolds.

He followed it with another title at Olivers Sports Bar, winning the Vault 19 Open Warm Up. Melville produced two 91.09 averages during that tournament before beating Richie Limbert 3–1 in the final.

Then came another victory at the same venue in Friday’s ADC Open Ranking event.

This was arguably his best scoring performance of the week. Melville recorded 96.97, 92.02, 91.09 and 90.18 averages and completed the title with a 3–0 final victory over Liam Hughes.

Even then, the week wasn’t over. On Saturday he reached another final, defeating Ieuan Evans and Harry Morris in the knockout stages before losing 3–1 to Finley Bennett.

Three titles, including a MODUS regional qualifier, plus another final made Melville impossible to leave out this week.

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Shaun Vernall

Player Profile

Shaun Vernall continues to build one of the most impressive grassroots records in the database.

He has played 762 recorded matches, winning 636 of them for an 83.5% win rate across 117 events. Those appearances have produced 39 tournament victories, 22 runner-up finishes and another 43 quarter-final or semi-final appearances.

His overall match average stands at 76.92, while his last ten currently average 84.22. His ceiling is enormous: Vernall’s best recorded average is 128.71, with further peaks of 120.24, 112.63 and two 107.36 performances.

His list of significant victories includes Josh McCarthy, Neil Wild and Joe Quiney — with one win over Wild accompanied by a 98.40 average.

This Week

Vernall started his winning run at Widden Rugby Club, where he took the title after eight victories and produced a 93.94 average during the event.

He then added another tournament victory at Faringdon, once again defeating Rich Griffee in the final.

But the biggest performance was saved until Saturday.

The Gloucester Open featured 288 recorded matches, and Vernall came through the event with 20 victories recorded across the day before defeating Declan Cox 5–1 in the final.

His player profile gives an even clearer picture of the knockout run. Vernall beat James Mann and Archie McChristie with consecutive 96.97 averages, defeated Joe Bagguley 4–1 in the semi-final and then completed the title with a 5–1 victory over Cox.

It also left his latest recorded form at a perfect 10 wins from 10.

Vernall has featured before, but this series isn't about avoiding repeat names for the sake of it. Three titles in a week, capped by the Gloucester Open, demanded another appearance.

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Cody Sheppard

Player Profile

Cody Sheppard brings a completely different story to this week’s three.

His profile already contains a substantial 605 recorded matches, with 367 victories and a 60.7% win rate across 132 events. He has recorded 10 tournament victories, alongside 25 runner-up finishes, 15 semi-finals and 33 quarter-finals.

His overall match average is 55.48, but that number hides some very eye-catching peaks.

Sheppard’s best recorded average is a remarkable 112.78, while he has also produced a 100.20 and two 88.41 performances.

His record also contains wins against much higher-rated opposition, headed by Alec Small and Alfie O’Brien.

This Week

Sheppard’s week was built around a series of events at Out Out Bar.

He first won the NDC Open, beating Charlie Morgan 4–2 in the final.

There were then two further Premier League Qualification runs. On Wednesday he reached the final after beating Mason White and Archie Bourne, before Cody Vodden edged him 3–2.

Two days later, Sheppard turned that result around emphatically.

He beat Kenzie Thomas 5–3 in the semi-final and then defeated Vodden 6–1 in the final, averaging 67.75 to complete the tournament victory.

That was particularly notable after several close battles between the pair during the week, and it gave Sheppard a second tournament victory from a run that also contained multiple finals.

For a player still developing, that sort of repeated exposure to latter-stage matches can be every bit as interesting as one isolated big average.

Two tournament victories, multiple finals and a 6–1 win to finish the week earns Cody Sheppard his place in the Weekly Spotlight.