Joe Hunt has regained the lead on the PDC Challenge Tour Order of Merit after winning Event 22 in Wigan. Hunt defeated Callum Francis 5-3 in the final, producing a 93.68 average to Francis's 94.37. The victory moves Hunt to the top of the standings with 17,050 in prize money, ahead of Derek Coulson on 15,500 and Daniel Klose on 11,900.
The final day of Challenge Tour action at the Robin Park Leisure Centre saw Hunt battle through a tough semi-final against Harry Ward, winning 5-4 with an 85.54 average to Ward's 79.89. Francis, meanwhile, defeated Scott Campbell 5-2 in the other semi-final, averaging 87.16 to Campbell's 87.56. In the quarter-finals, Francis edged Steve Lennon 5-4, Campbell beat Kevin McDine 5-3, Ward overcame Ashton Brown 5-2, and Hunt saw off Ted Evetts 5-3.
Event 21, held earlier in the weekend, was won by Archie Self, who produced a stunning 104.49 average in a 5-1 final victory over Tommy Morris, who averaged 98.13. Self had earlier beaten Daniel Klose 5-2 in the semi-finals, while Morris defeated Hunt 5-3. The quarter-finals saw Self beat Jack Aldridge 5-4, Klose overcome Ashley Coleman 5-3, Hunt defeat Martijn Dragt 5-4, and Morris beat Geoffrey Murray 5-3.
Event 20 was won by Daniel Klose, who defeated Tommy Morris 5-1 in the final. Klose averaged 96.07 to Morris's 93.78. Derek Coulson and Klose reached the semi-finals, with Coulson beating Geoffrey Murray 5-3 and Klose edging Scott Waites 5-4. The quarter-finals included Coulson's impressive 110.44 average in a 5-1 win over James Howard Hughes.
The Challenge Tour Order of Merit after 22 of 24 events sees Hunt leading on 17,050, followed by Coulson (15,500), Klose (11,900), Tommy Morris (11,350), and Archie Self (9,400). Tommy Lishman sits sixth on 8,600, with Daniel Ayres seventh on 7,650 and Henry Coates eighth on 7,000. The top two players on the Order of Merit who have not obtained a PDC Tour Card via another method will win a two-year Tour Card for the 2027 and 2028 seasons. The top three will qualify for the 2027 PDC World Championship, while the highest ranked player will receive a spot at the 2026 Grand Slam of Darts. The top 16 will be granted free entry to the final stage of Q-School, and the top eight will qualify for the first round of the 2026 UK Open.
The 2026 Challenge Tour features 24 events held across Milton Keynes, Leicester, Hildesheim, and Wigan. The season began on 16 January at Arena MK in Milton Keynes and concludes on 27 September at the Robin Park Leisure Centre in Wigan. Prize money remains unchanged, with £3,000 for the winner of each tournament, £2,000 for the runner-up, £1,000 for semi-finalists, £750 for quarter-finalists, £350 for last 16 losers, £250 for last 32 losers, and £100 for last 64 losers, totaling £20,000 per event. The Challenge Tour is not available to watch live, with results available through DartConnect and the Tournament Centre.
