Joe Hunt capped an outstanding season on the PDC Challenge Tour in style, winning his fifth title of 2026 on Sunday in Wigan to seal top spot on the Challenge Tour Order of Merit. The 33-year-old Englishman's victory came at the Robin Park Leisure Centre, where the final two Challenge Tour events of the season were played. Later in the day, Patrik Williams claimed the season's final tournament.
For Hunt, Event 23 opened with a pivotal match as the rankings leader drew Derek Coulson in round one, with Coulson sitting second before play began. A tight contest never materialised, as Hunt swept aside his main rival 5-0 before making a major statement against Nathan Rafferty, winning 5-1 with a 109.56 average. Mike Warburton also fell with Hunt averaging over a ton, and in the next two matches Hunt dropped just two legs combined to march into the quarter-finals. There he met far sterner resistance from Jack Aldridge, posting his third ton-plus average of the day and edging the decider. A 5-3 win over Harrison Leigh then booked his place in the final.
Jack Tweddell, the Event 5 winner earlier this season, awaited in the final, but Hunt was rarely troubled and ran out a 5-1 winner. It secured his second title of the Wigan weekend and his fifth Challenge Tour crown of the season. Topping the rankings earns Hunt a Tour Card for the 2027 and 2028 seasons, and he will also make his debut at the Grand Slam of Darts in November and is assured of a spot at the World Darts Championship in December.
The final Challenge Tour event of 2026 went to Patrik Williams. The 25-year-old, who tasted success on the Development Tour last year, beat Aldridge 5-3 in the final to pocket £3,000 in prize money. Williams opened with a 5-0 win over Llewellyn Roberts, averaging exactly 100, then posted back-to-back 5-2 victories over Tony Fleming and former UK Open quarter-finalist Steve Hine. Matty Washbrooke was dispatched 5-0 before Williams had to dig deep against Oliver Mitchell, a 5-4 success taking him into the quarter-finals, where he overcame Belgian Jenson Remory. In the semi-final his run looked over when Sam Jackson led 4-1, but Williams turned it completely around to reach his first final of the year. Against Aldridge he trailed 2-1, but by winning four of the last five legs he secured his maiden Challenge Tour title.
Despite two first-round exits on Sunday, Coulson finished second on the Challenge Tour Order of Merit. The Welshman also receives a Tour Card for 2027 and 2028 and will make his World Darts Championship debut in December. Tommy Morris took third and likewise secured a Worlds berth at Alexandra Palace, narrowly keeping Daniel Klose at bay in the standings. Klose, however, will also book a trip to London. Hunt is set to qualify for the World Darts Championship via the Pro Tour rankings, which shifts his Challenge Tour spot to the fourth-placed German.
