Winmau Championship Grand Finals 2026 Preview: 16 Players, £10,000 and a Global Championship Place on the Line

 

The road through the 2026 ADC Winmau Championship reaches its conclusion this weekend as 16 players head to the MODUS Live Lounge in Portsmouth for the Winmau Championship Grand Finals.

After 24 events split between the North and South series, the top eight from each ranking table have made it through to the Grand Finals on October 3rd-4th 2026

There is £10,000 in prize money to play for, with £3,000 going to the champion, but there is also another significant prize attached to the weekend.

The winner earns qualification for the ADC Global Championship. If the champion has already secured a Global Championship place, that qualification opportunity passes to the next eligible player who has not already qualified.

The action will be shown live on Pluto TV from the MODUS Live Lounge. (from 12.30pm BST)

For Q4QS, it also gives me the chance to put the entire 16-player field through the database and see who arrives in Portsmouth with the strongest numbers and recent form.

And this is a seriously strong field.

Ryan Hogarth arrives in outstanding form

There probably isn't a better recent-form story in the field than Ryan Hogarth.

Hogarth is currently No.30 in the Q4QS rankings with an 88.68 Q4QS average, and he comes into the Grand Finals having won his last ten recorded matches.

His most recent tournament ended with a title at the Welsh Open, Masters & Classic, where he went 9–0 and averaged 89.16 across the event.

Among those results was a 6–3 victory over Ross Montgomery with a 95.10 average.

Before that he had also reached successive semi-finals in Winmau Championship North events, averaging 87.35 and 90.27.

He could hardly be arriving in Portsmouth in better form.

Daniel Ayres brings PDC-level numbers

Daniel Ayres is only two places behind Hogarth in the Q4QS rankings at No.32, but actually has the slightly higher Q4QS average at 89.89.

His recent results have included plenty of action against PDC-level opposition.

Ayres averaged 94.92 in beating Cameron Menzies at Players Championship 28 and also recorded wins over Niels Zonneveld and Ritchie Edhouse.

Even in defeat in his latest event, the UK & Ireland Tour Card Holder and Amateur World Championship Qualifier, he averaged 94.11.

Those are serious numbers heading into this weekend.

Steve Lennon is another major threat

Steve Lennon sits at No.45 in the Q4QS rankings and actually has the highest Q4QS average of these opening three at 89.97.

He reached the semi-finals of the recent UK & Ireland qualifier, averaging 90.20 across the event before eventually losing to Carl Wilson.

His recent Challenge Tour performances include tournament averages of 91.52 and 90.93 in reaching consecutive quarter-finals.

That consistency around the 90 mark makes Lennon another player to watch very closely.

Plenty more depth behind them

This isn't simply a tournament dominated by three names.

Lewis Pride is Q4QS ranked No.70 with an 87.68 average and has produced a 97.15 match average recently.

Lewis Cook sits just outside the Q4QS Top 100 at No.102 and comes into Portsmouth with an 8–2 recent record. His last two Vault appearances produced a victory and a final.

Danny Trueman has an 84.47 Q4QS average and recently averaged 89.72 in the UK & Ireland qualifier.

Callum Francis reached a Challenge Tour final recently, going 7–1 and averaging 85.40 across the tournament. His run included victories over Steve Lennon and Daniel Ayres.

Ashley Coleman is another interesting name. His Q4QS average is 86.35 and he averaged 92.88 across his recent run to the last 32 of the UK & Ireland qualifier.

Don't overlook the players further down the Q4QS rankings

One of the things I like about this field is that even the players further down the Q4QS rankings have numbers which suggest they can cause plenty of problems.

Jack Main recently reached a Vault quarter-final averaging 86.50 and produced a 103.66 match average along the way.

Chas Barstow has won a recent Vault and also reached a final and semi-final, while his last five events include a 91.91 tournament average.

Dan Nicholls is 9–1 from his last ten recorded matches. He recently won a round-robin event with an 85.67 average before reaching another semi-final averaging 84.11.

And then there is Roger Crook.

Crook may be Q4QS ranked No.532, but his recent Vault record is remarkable. His last five recorded events include three tournament victories, another unbeaten group-stage run and a final.

Those events have included tournament averages of 81.84, 86.51, 81.07, 84.16 and 85.80.

That is exactly why rankings alone never tell the whole story.

Q4QS Six to Follow

Ryan Hogarth – Q4QS No.30, 10–0 in his last ten and arrives having just won the Welsh Open, Masters & Classic with an 89.16 tournament average.

Daniel Ayres – Q4QS No.32 with an 89.89 average and recent wins against established PDC opposition.

Steve Lennon – Q4QS No.45 with an 89.97 average and comes straight from a semi-final run averaging 90.20.

Callum Francis – Recent Challenge Tour finalist whose run included victories over both Lennon and Ayres.

Ashley Coleman – An 86.35 Q4QS average and averaged 92.88 during his latest tournament run.

Roger Crook – The form outsider from the Q4QS numbers. Three wins and a final among his last five recorded events, with some excellent tournament averages along the way.

North meets South in Portsmouth

This is what the Winmau Championship series has been building towards.

Twelve events in the North and twelve in the South have reduced the field to eight qualifiers from each region, and now those 16 players meet on the MODUS stage.

The prize fund breaks down as £3,000 for the winner, £1,500 for the runner-up, £750 for each semi-finalist, £500 for the quarter-finalists and £250 for reaching the last 16. ADC - Amateur Darts Circuit

There is also that ADC Global Championship opportunity waiting at the end of it.

Looking purely at the Q4QS database, Hogarth, Ayres and Lennon bring some exceptional numbers into the weekend. But the deeper I look through this field, the harder it becomes to find anyone who can safely be discounted.

And with players such as Francis, Coleman, Main, Barstow, Nicholls and Crook all bringing their own strong recent form, this looks a fitting conclusion to the first North and South Winmau Championship campaign.

Q4QS Weekly SpotlightQ4QS Weekly Spotlight

 

Three Players Who Caught My Eye This Week

Every week, hundreds of matches are played across the Q4QS coverage area, producing countless stories that deserve to be told. While tournament winners often grab the headlines, they're not always the only players making an impression. Sometimes it's a player who strings together deep runs across multiple events, someone who produces exceptional averages against strong opposition, or someone who simply finds another level when it matters most.

That's what Q4QS Weekly Spotlight is all about.

Each weekend I'll be selecting three players whose performances genuinely caught my eye over the previous seven days. Some weeks they'll be established names continuing their excellent form, while other weeks they'll be rising stars announcing themselves with a breakthrough performance. The common theme is that every selection has earned their place through what they've achieved during the week.

This week's spotlight falls on three players who impressed in very different ways. Ashton Brown enjoyed a remarkable Saturday that included a major tournament victory and a memorable nine-dart leg, Spencer Edwards demonstrated why consistency remains one of the most valuable qualities in darts, while Dan Nicholls capped a sensational week by collecting two titles in a single day.

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Ashton Brown

Player Profile

Ashton Brown has established himself as one of the South West's leading performers, combining success on the regional circuit with impressive results against elite opposition. His Q4QS statistics paint the picture of a player who consistently performs at a high level, winning 313 of his 376 recorded matches for an outstanding 83.2% win rate. His overall match average sits just below 80, while a Q4QS average of 80.78 underlines the consistency that has made him one of the area's most respected competitors.

Brown has already collected 25 tournament titles during the period covered by the database, alongside a further three runner-up finishes and numerous deep runs. His recent form has been particularly eye-catching, arriving into this week on a 10-match winning streak, while averaging over 92 across his last ten recorded matches.

What perhaps stands out most is the calibre of opposition he has defeated. Victories over players such as Derek Coulson, Nathan Potter, Adam Gawlas and Henry Coates demonstrate that Brown is equally capable of producing on the PDC Development and Challenge Tours as he is on the local circuit.

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This Week

If there was one player who demanded a place in this week's spotlight, it was Ashton Brown.

His headline achievement came at the Sartan Club £300 Summer Open, where he produced a superb unbeaten run to lift the title. Brown defeated Gary Greenslade, Connor Davies, Zach Quinn and twice overcame John Brown on his way to the trophy, producing a string of outstanding performances throughout the day.

The numbers alone tell an impressive story. Brown fired in averages of 107.36, 100.77, 95.94 and 95.43, before completing the job with an 86.82 average in the final. Few players anywhere in the Q4QS network enjoyed a more consistently high-scoring day.

As if lifting one of the week's biggest titles wasn't enough, Brown also added another memorable moment by producing a nine-dart leg during the week—an achievement that every darts player dreams of and one that underlined just how high his level has been.

Taken together, it was a week that showcased everything Ashton Brown is capable of: scoring power, consistency, tournament-winning mentality and moments of genuine brilliance.

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Spencer Edwards

Player Profile

Few players are as active on the Welsh circuit as Spencer Edwards, and few are rewarded for that commitment as regularly. Across 684 recorded matches, Edwards has compiled 532 victories, giving him a superb 77.8% win rate while collecting 23 tournament titles, 21 runner-up finishes and 33 semi-final appearances.

His best average of 103.66 proves he possesses the ability to produce exceptional darts, but perhaps his greatest strength is consistency. Week after week Edwards puts himself into contention, regularly appearing in the latter stages of events through a combination of steady scoring and experience.

His recent form suggests he is enjoying one of his strongest spells of the season, having won nine of his last ten matches while steadily increasing his scoring levels over recent weeks.

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This Week

While others may have grabbed the biggest headlines, Spencer Edwards produced the sort of week that every player strives for—one built on consistency.

Rather than relying on one standout evening, Edwards kept appearing deep into tournaments throughout the week. He reached the latter stages of the Clwb Emrys Circuit at The Baden Porth, defeating Craig Davies and Owen Alford before eventually falling just short of another final.

He then went one better on Saturday at Emrys Darts, producing another impressive run that included victories over Riley Sadd, George Humphreys, Harrison Graves and Owen Chant before defeating Josh Williams 3–0 in the final with a 77.74 average.

Across the week Edwards once again demonstrated why he remains such a dangerous opponent. He didn't just win one event—he repeatedly placed himself in contention, finishing the week with another title and reinforcing his reputation as one of the Welsh circuit's most reliable performers.

For players chasing long-term success, consistency is every bit as valuable as spectacular averages, and Spencer Edwards delivered exactly that throughout the week.

Dan Nicholls

Player Profile

Dan Nicholls has established himself as one of the most formidable players on the Black Country circuit, and his statistics underline exactly why. Across 383 recorded matches, Nicholls has won an incredible 357, giving him a remarkable 93.2% win rate. Add in 38 tournament victories from just 55 events and it's clear he has developed a habit of turning strong performances into silverware.

His scoring power is equally impressive. An overall average of 83.32, a best recorded average of 120.24, and recent averages of 90.70 across his last five matches and 85.77 across his last ten show a player operating at an exceptionally high level.

Nicholls has also proved himself against quality opposition. Wins over Lewis Cook, Neil Wild, Harrison Leigh and Ashley Coleman demonstrate he is more than capable of competing with some of the strongest players in the Q4QS database, while his current 10-match winning streak reflects the confidence he is carrying into every tournament.

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This Week

Dan Nicholls produced one of the most dominant individual days of the week, collecting two tournament titles at Bostin Darts and showing exactly why he remains one of the area's most feared competitors.

He began by winning the 301 DIDO Round Robin, defeating Shaun Hercules 3–0 in the final after another commanding display. Along the way he recorded the day's five highest averages, peaking at 79.68 in the final while also finishing with eight match victories.

If that wasn't enough, Nicholls immediately followed it by claiming the Bostin Darts Champion of Champions title. His route to the trophy included victories over Kyle "Baggies" Edwards, Jack O'Donnell, Phill Jones, Grant Jackson and Shaun Betts before defeating Grant Jackson again in the final. During that run he produced averages of 107.36, 100.20, 92.02 and 88.41, underlining the quality of his scoring throughout the day.

Winning one tournament is always an achievement. Winning two titles in the same day, while producing ton-plus averages and extending an already impressive winning streak, made Dan Nicholls one of the easiest selections for this week's Q4QS Weekly Spotlight.

Weekend Round-Up: Grand Slam Glory, World Championship Qualifiers, and More

 The PDC Grand Slam of Darts wrapped up with a cracking final. It was the battle of the two Lukes ,Luke Littler and Luke Humphries, in a match that lived up to their world-ranking status. Littler came out on top, winning 16–11, and by reaching the final, he made history as the youngest player ever to become PDC World No. 1. Both now head to Minehead for the Players Championship Finals, where the draw could see them meet again in another blockbuster final.

It wasn’t just about the Grand Slam this weekend. Across Europe, five players booked their spots at Ally Pally for December: Cristo Reyes, Adam Gawlas, Krzysztof Kciuk, Boris Krcmar, and Andy Baetens. They’ll be joined by Mitsuhiko Tatsunami, who secured his place by winning the Japan Steel Darts Tour. 

Great to see Reyes back on the big stage as only days ago, I wrote about Spanish players making their mark, and this proves the point.

One of the biggest talking points of the weekend came from the JDC Unsigned event, where 13-year-old Harley Glycos hit a nine-dart leg, becoming only the third player ever to do so at a JDC event. Even more impressive, he beat Luke Littler’s record as the youngest player to achieve this feat. A name to watch for the future.

In the WDF, Jenson Walker claimed the Malta Open, beating Cliff Prior in the final. Walker’s decision to focus on WDF events this season has paid off, and he looks like a serious contender for the upcoming WDF World Championships.

The Amateur Darts Circuit (ADC) saw over 300 players take part in the Vault Finals weekend, proving just how strong the amateur scene is right now. With a £10,000 prize for the winner, this is no small achievement for a non-professional event. The eventual champion was Chas Barstow, who produced stunning performances, hitting 100+ averages in both his quarter-final and semi-final matches before defeating Martin Grearson in the final. A huge statement from Barstow and a reminder that the amateur circuit is packed with talent.

What a weekend for darts history made, records broken, and new stars emerging. Next stop: Minehead for the Players Championship Finals