Luke Humphries is the 2026 World Grand Prix champion. He trailed Gerwyn Price 3-0 in sets in Sunday night's final in Leicester, then won six of the last seven sets to take it 6-4 and the £150,000 first prize. Closer to home, New Zealand's Jonny Tata won ANZ Premier League Night 2 in Adelaide, beating Tim Pusey 5-2 in the final.
The league comes to Melbourne this Saturday, Damon Heta heads to Basel as a seed, and Australia's national team is off to Mongolia. Here's the week.
In this roundup
- How did Luke Humphries come back from 3-0 down?
- How did the rest of the World Grand Prix finish?
- Who won ANZ Premier League Night 2 in Adelaide?
- Where are the Australians playing this week?
- That's the week
How did Luke Humphries come back from 3-0 down?
By staying patient while Price cooled off. Price opened the final with a 132.62 average in the first set, according to Darts News, and won the first three sets. In a double-in format, that kind of start usually ends matches.
Humphries got on the board in the fourth set with a 105 checkout, then took the next three to lead 4-3. Price levelled at 4-4, but Humphries won the ninth and tenth sets to close it out. He finished with a 93.16 average and ten maximums (Sky Sports).
It's his second World Grand Prix title after 2023, and his first major title in a while, which he made clear afterwards: "A win like that is sweeter than when you win with ease." Darts News also notes he's the first player to reach four consecutive World Grand Prix finals.
Watch: Official PDC highlights of Humphries v Price in the World Grand Prix final.
How did the rest of the World Grand Prix finish?
Last week we covered the first round, where Luke Littler and Michael van Gerwen went out on opening night and Damon Heta lost a decider to Gary Anderson. From the quarter-finals on, the seeds took over.
Price was nearly out on Friday night. He trailed Jonny Clayton 2-0 in sets and survived three match darts before winning the decider. James Wade, meanwhile, beat Gian van Veen in under 20 minutes, according to Darts World.
The standout quarter-final belonged to Nathan Aspinall. His 105.15 average against Ryan Joyce is the fourth-highest in World Grand Prix history and the best ever in a quarter-final (Sky Sports). Price then stopped him 5-2 in the semis.
Multiple grip zones built around Aspinall's throw, with Swiss Point tips. 22g, 23g and 24g in stock.
Who won ANZ Premier League Night 2 in Adelaide?
Jonny Tata, and he did it the hard way. He edged Brody Klinge 5-4 in the quarter-finals and Night 1 winner Raymond Smith 5-4 in the semis, then beat Tim Pusey 5-2 in the final with a 91.45 average.
That's Tata's third ANZ Premier League nightly title, worth $1,000 and five ranking points (Darts News). Smith had the highest average of the night, 97.04 in his quarter-final win over Ben Robb, and still went out to Tata despite averaging 92.38 in the semi.
Two nights, two different winners, and Pusey has now made a final. The league winner collects $30,000, a PDC World Championship spot and a place at the Grand Slam of Darts, so every nightly point matters.
Where are the Australians playing this week?
Damon Heta in Basel. Heta is the 13th seed at the Swiss Darts Trophy (9 to 11 October), according to Darts News, so he skips Friday's first round and starts on Saturday against a first-round winner. After his deciding-set loss to Gary Anderson in Leicester, a seeded start on the European Tour is a good chance to reset.
Heta's tapered barrel with ring cuts along the full length and Quick Point tips. 21g, 23g, 24g and 25g in stock.
Choosing between Heta's barrels? Our guide, Damon Heta Darts: 5 Things To Know Before Buying The Heat's Setup, explains the shapes and which weights suit which throw.
Team Australia in Mongolia. The WDF Asia-Pacific Cup runs 7 to 11 October in Ulaanbaatar. Darts Australia is sending four men, four women, two youth boys and two youth girls, selected at the Australian Darts Championships in Perth. Russell Verlinden joined the squad after Mal Cuming withdrew to pursue PDC World Championship opportunities.
2027 calendar out now. Darts Australia released its 2027 calendar on 28 September. If you play WDF or DA-ranked events, it's worth locking in dates before leave and accommodation get tight.
That's the week
The big one for Victorians is Saturday night. The ANZ Premier League comes to Margaret Court Arena, and it's a rare chance to watch Australia's best PDC-pathway players up close.
All times are Melbourne time (AEDT, now that daylight saving has started):
- WDF Asia-Pacific Cup: Wednesday 7 to Sunday 11 October, Ulaanbaatar (three hours behind Melbourne).
- Swiss Darts Trophy draw: 9pm Thursday 8 October.
- Swiss Darts Trophy first round: 10pm Friday 9 October and 4am Saturday 10 October.
- ANZ Premier League Night 3: Saturday 10 October, Margaret Court Arena, Melbourne Park. Gates 6pm, darts from 7pm. The Melbourne Marathon is on the same weekend, so public transport is the smart move.
- Swiss Darts Trophy second round (Heta's round): 10pm Saturday 10 October and 4am Sunday 11 October.
- Swiss Darts Trophy last 16: 9pm Sunday 11 October.
- Swiss Darts Trophy quarter-finals to final: from 3am Monday 12 October.
Further out, the Victorian Classic and Victorian Classic Grand Prix are on 24 October at the MDDA venue. More on those closer to the date.
Results and schedules sourced from Sky Sports, Darts News, Darts World, PDC Europe, Darts Australia and Margaret Court Arena.