Stephen Bunting Joins Darts Elite Company with Historic PDC Achievement

This past weekend in Basel, the Swiss Darts Trophy reached an exciting conclusion as Stephen Bunting secured the title with a commanding 8-3 victory against fellow Englishman Luke Woodhouse. This win marks Bunting’s second European Tour triumph of the year, adding to his earlier success at the International Darts Open.

Bunting is having an exceptional year. Alongside his two European Tour titles, he has also won two Players Championships and two World Series of Darts events—the Bahrain Darts Masters and the Nordic Darts Masters.

A Strong Contender for Upcoming Majors

Known as ‘The Bullet,’ Bunting has climbed to fourth place in the world rankings, establishing himself as a top contender for the major tournaments scheduled this autumn. He previously won a PDC major, capturing the Masters title last year. His impressive career also includes a 2014 BDO World Championship, back-to-back World Masters titles in 2012 and 2013, and the Finder Masters crown in 2012.

Bunting’s achievement this year is notable—he becomes only the third player in PDC history to win at least two Players Championships, two European Tour titles, and two World Series of Darts events in a single calendar year. Before him, only Michael van Gerwen (2016, 2017, 2019) and Luke Littler (2024) have reached this milestone.

Looking Ahead to the Final European Tour Event

The Swiss Darts Trophy was the second-to-last event of the 2025 European Tour. The final tournament, the German Darts Championship, is set for October 17–19. Following this, the top 32 players on the European Tour Order of Merit will qualify for the European Championship, scheduled from October 23–26 in Dortmund.

However, last year’s champion Ritchie Edhouse won’t be defending his title. Despite his dominant 11-3 win over Jermaine Wattimena in last year’s final, Edhouse is unlikely to qualify for this year’s event in Dortmund.