Stephen Bunting secured his first victory in the 2026 Premier League Darts on Thursday night in Belfast, defeating Gian van Veen 6-2 in the final. The win comes after a challenging start to the season for Bunting, who had failed to register a win in the first three weeks of the competition.
The 40-year-vintage, nicknamed ‘The Bullet’, had faced criticism regarding his place in the tournament following a difficult 2025 campaign where he took nine weeks to earn a single point. Bunting had even stepped away from social media due to the negative feedback, according to reports. His performance in Belfast, however, demonstrated a significant turnaround. He achieved a personal best Premier League average of 106.63 in his 6-4 quarter-final win against defending champion Luke Humphries.
Bunting continued his dominant form with another 106 average in a decisive 6-0 semi-final victory over current league leader Jonny Clayton. This set up the final against Van Veen, who had previously reached the final in the two preceding weeks of the tournament. Bunting ultimately proved too strong, securing a 6-2 win.
“I do believe I am one of the best players in the world – I deserve to be in the Premier League,” Bunting stated after the match to Sky Sports. “Everyone was writing me off, people saying I should not be in it, but I know how hard I work behind the scenes. These are the nights I play for.” He as well credited his struggles last year with providing valuable experience, stating, “Losing seven or eight on the bounce last year really helped me, gave me a lot of experience in this field. When you play in the Premier League, you’re playing against the best of the best. This ranks up as one of the best wins of my career.”
Despite his impressive run to the final, Gian van Veen continues to seek his first Premier League title, having now lost three finals this season. The night also saw a memorable moment for Northern Ireland’s Josh Rock, who delighted the home crowd with the first nine-dart finish of the 2026 tournament, though he ultimately lost 6-2 to Van Veen in the quarter-finals.
Elsewhere in Belfast, world champion Luke Littler continued to struggle in the Premier League, suffering a 6-3 defeat to Jonny Clayton in the quarter-finals. This result leaves Littler with only one win in four weeks of competition.
Following the night’s results, Jonny Clayton remains at the top of the Premier League table with 11 points, two ahead of Gian van Veen. Stephen Bunting’s victory moves him up to fifth place, surpassing both Luke Littler and Luke Humphries, whereas Josh Rock remains at the bottom of the table.
