Clayton wins Premier League night three in Glasgow
· Yahoo Sports
Jonny Clayton ruthlessly brushed aside Gian van Veen to become the third different nightly winner of the Premier League Darts season in Glasgow.
The Welshman, who is back in the tournament after a two-year hiatus, beat the world number three 6-2 to continue his impressive start to the year.
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He started the night by ending a near three-year and 10-match losing run against compatriot Gerwyn Price, before demolishing world number one Luke Littler 6-1 in the semi-finals.
The 2021 winner averaged 99.88 and 101.33 in those two matches but it was his checkouts at 60% and 66.67% that really stood out.
While that dropped to 42.86% in the final, his average increased to 104.35 as he follows Price and Michael van Gerwen as night winners this season.
He broke Van Veen in the opening leg and in the seventh before sealing victory with a stunning 156 checkout.
The victory takes him to the top of the early standings, ahead of Van Gerwen, who missed the night through illness, and Van Veen, who has now been beaten in two finals.
"I felt good, my darts are going. Tonight was my night," Clayton told Sky Sports.
"I'm enjoying myself and when you enjoy what you're doing things seem to happen in you.
"I've got a bit of experience in this tournament, it's my favourite tournament, and I know what I have to do to get to finals night."
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Littler & Humphries' struggles continue
World champion Littler and defending Premier League winner Luke Humphries were expected to dominate this season's proceedings again, but the early weeks have not worked out like that.
Littler received a bye to the semi-finals in Glasgow after Van Gerwen's withdrawal so banked another two points, but he has only won one game this year.
His average was down at 97.84 but it was checkouts where he was well below his mesmerising best, taking out just one attempt from six.
Humphries looks like the best and most consistent player on the tour at the moment according to Sky Sports pundit Wayne Mardle, but his Premier League results are failing to back that up.
He was edged out 6-5 by Van Veen in the semi-finals, after clinically disposing of Josh Rock in the quarters.
Littler and Humphries both sit outside the top four at this early stage but it would still be a seismic shock if either failed to reach the play-offs at London's O2 Arena on 28 May.
Rock and Stephen Bunting - who Van Veen beat in the quarter-finals - are both still winless after the opening three weeks.
It follows Bunting taking until week nine to register his first points last year.
Northern Ireland's Rock, who is playing in the tournament for the first time, will have home advantage next Thursday when the event is in Belfast.
Premier League Darts night three results
Thursday, 19 February - OVO Hydro, Glasgow
Quarter-finals
Stephen Bunting 3-6 Gian van Veen
Luke Humphries 6-2 Josh Rock
Michael van Gerwen v Luke Littler (bye) - Van Gerwen withdraws because of medical issue
Jonny Clayton 6-3 Gerwyn Price
Semi-finals
Van Veen 6-5 Humphries
Littler 1-6 Clayton
Final
Van Veen 2-6 Clayton
Premier League Darts table 2026
Premier League Darts format and points system
Premier League Darts is played across 16 initial weeks in the league stage with quarter-finals, semi-finals and a final each night.
Each of the eight players is guaranteed to face the other seven in the quarter-finals in weeks one to seven and 9-15, with week eight and week 16 fixtures done off the table. It means we will get fourth v fifth in Sheffield on the final league-stage night, with the play-off spots potentially on the line.
Players earn two points per quarter-final win, an additional point if they win their semi-final and five for winning the night.
The top four players after the group stage progress to the play-off night at London's O2 Arena on 23 May, with first facing fourth and second against third in a best-of-19-leg match. The final, which is the best of 21 legs, follows.
If players are level on points after the 16 weeks then places are decided by nights won and then matches won.
Premier League Darts night four order of play
Thursday, 26 February - SSE Arena, Belfast
Quarter-finals
Luke Littler v Jonny Clayton
Stephen Bunting v Luke Humphries
Michael van Gerwen v Gerwyn Price
Gian van Veen v Josh Rock