Premier League Darts Table: Stephen Bunting’s Belfast surge reshapes pressure on rivals and delights home crowd

Stephen Bunting’s Belfast night matters first to his own standing and to several rivals who must now recalibrate: the 40‑year‑old moved from zero to five points overall and shifted the Premier League Darts Table, while home debutant Josh Rock produced the event’s nine‑darter moment that thrilled the crowd. For Gian van Veen, Jonny Clayton and world number one Luke Littler, the results change form lines and fan expectations heading into the midweeks of the campaign.

Immediate impact on the Premier League Darts Table and the players who feel it

Bunting, sixth in the PDC order of merit, answered critics who had questioned his place after he failed to win a game in the first three weeks. The win in Belfast — his third final defeat of the season inflicted on Gian van Veen — pushed him up the scoreboard and altered the immediate look of the Premier League Darts Table. Jonny Clayton, the current league leader, and others now face a different points picture after Bunting’s jump from zero to five points overall.

What happened in Belfast (event details embedded)

Rank‑outsider Stephen Bunting beat Gian van Veen 6‑2 in the final to claim Night Four in Belfast. Earlier, Bunting recorded a 6‑4 quarter‑final victory over defending champion Luke Humphries, registering his highest Premier League average of 106. 63, and followed that with a 6‑0 semi‑final whitewash of Jonny Clayton, again averaging 106. Bunting has stepped away from social media amid criticism and had hypnotherapy on the morning of the event; he is a two‑time World Championship semi‑finalist and returned to this season after last year taking nine weeks to register a point in the tournament — his first involvement since being a challenger in 2020.

Gian van Veen is playing in the competition for the first time and has now made three finals in four weeks but remains unable to close out the winner’s prize. Northern Ireland’s Josh Rock — the other debutant this season — lost 6‑2 to Van Veen in the quarter‑finals, yet thrilled the home crowd by hitting the first nine‑darter of this year’s tournament; that mark is the 20th nine‑darter in the history of the Premier League. Players are presented with a set of 18‑carat gold darts for hitting a nine‑darter in the event.

World number one Luke Littler suffered another early exit, losing 6‑3 to Jonny Clayton in the quarter‑finals and leaving him with only one win from the opening four weeks.

Scores, averages and performance snapshot

• Final: Stephen Bunting 6–2 Gian van Veen
• Semi: Stephen Bunting 6–0 Jonny Clayton (Bunting averaged 106)
• Quarter: Stephen Bunting 6–4 Luke Humphries (Bunting averaged 106. 63)
• Quarter: Gian van Veen 6–2 Josh Rock
• Quarter: Jonny Clayton 6–3 Luke Littler (Littler now has one win in four weeks)

The shifting lines and what could confirm a new pattern

Here’s the part that matters: Bunting’s form night and Rock’s nine‑darter are two different kinds of momentum — one solidifying a comeback, the other creating a single unforgettable highlight in a struggling debut. The real question now is whether Bunting can sustain back‑to‑back high averages and whether Rock can convert big moments into better match results.

• Bunting’s return from social media and use of hypnotherapy preceded a surge in scoring and two consecutive 106 averages on the night — continued high averages would confirm a genuine turnaround.
• Van Veen’s three finals in four weeks show consistency in reaching late stages, but continued final losses suggest a closing issue that needs addressing for him to convert form into titles.
• Rock’s nine‑darter secures a career memory and an 18‑carat gold darts reward, but his four‑week scoring and checkout numbers indicate a gap between his reputation as a top scorer and current Premier League returns; improved checkout efficiency would be the clearest sign of progress.
• Littler’s solitary win in four weeks raises questions about an early‑season slump; a bounceback next Thursday on television would alter that narrative heading toward the finale at The O2 in London on May 28.

It’s easy to overlook, but the mix of individual highs and persistent struggles in Belfast underlines how quickly the Premier League Darts Table can shift: one night can vault a veteran back into contention while leaving promising newcomers still finding their footing.

A small editorial aside: Bunting’s night reads like the product of technical form and mental reset — both are hard to sustain, but when they align the scoreboard moves fast.

The competition continues on television every Thursday through to the finale at The O2 in London on May 28; schedule subject to change.