Charlie Manby Wins Maiden Players Championship 31 Title
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Charlie Manby Players Championship 31 success came at last for the Doncaster thrower, who produced the finest day of his career at the Maaspoort in Den Bosch on Wednesday, beating Maik Kuivenhoven 8-2 in the final to claim his first PDC ranking title and book a debut appearance at the Grand Slam of Darts.
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Manby, who averaged 99.72 in the final, sealed the title in style with three consecutive legs in 14, 11 and 13 darts — a landmark moment for a player who had come close before but never stood on top of a PDC podium.
“It’s absolutely amazing. I’m literally lost for words here,” Manby said after the final. “There are so many good players here, so it’s just crazy that I’ve actually done it. I knew I was definitely capable of doing what I did today and winning a title, but I’m over the moon.”
Charlie Manby Players Championship 31: Road to the Final
Manby’s route through the Den Bosch field was anything but straightforward. He opened his account in the last 16 with a 6-3 win over Dominik Gruellich, then stepped up another gear in the quarter-finals to see off Scotland’s Alan Soutar by the same scoreline.
The semi-final brought the toughest test of the day. Beau Greaves, the Women’s World Matchplay champion, had been in superb form all afternoon and pushed Manby all the way before he edged a 7-5 win. Manby later admitted the closing stages against Greaves were the nerviest of his day.
Final: Manby 8-2 Kuivenhoven
Kuivenhoven arrived in the final chasing a maiden ranking title of his own, and his run to a second Players Championship final of 2026 underlined his steady progress. The Dutchman survived a scare against Poland’s Filip Bereza in round one, then produced arguably his best darts of the day against Darius Labanauskas, averaging almost 104.
He followed that with wins over Mike De Decker and Dirk van Duijvenbode to reach the showpiece, but the final belonged to Manby from the early exchanges. The Englishman raced into a commanding lead and closed out an 8-2 win with that blistering three-leg burst of 14, 11 and 13 darts.
Greaves and Van Duijvenbode Shine in Den Bosch
The semi-final line-up told the story of a wide-open day on the ProTour. Alongside Manby and Kuivenhoven, Dirk van Duijvenbode enjoyed a productive day on home soil, reaching his second Players Championship semi-final of the season.
The Dutchman opened with a dominant win over Mervyn King, averaging more than 106, before showing real fighting qualities to overturn a 5-3 deficit against Jeffrey de Graaf in the quarter-finals. His run ended in the last four against Kuivenhoven, who edged him 7-6 in a deciding leg.
Greaves, meanwhile, once again underlined her growing stature on the ProTour. She produced ton-plus averages in wins over Niels Zonneveld and Kevin Doets, launching an astonishing fightback from 5-2 down against Doets. Her semi-final run lifted her to seventh in the Players Championship Order of Merit.
Elsewhere in Den Bosch, Spain’s Cristo Reyes hit a nine-darter in his opening-round win over Cor Dekker — his second perfect leg in three Players Championship events. Kevin Doets also reached a 14th Players Championship quarter-final of 2026 and beat Michael van Gerwen for the second time inside six days.
What the Title Means: Grand Slam Debut and the Minehead Race
Manby’s win carries significance well beyond the trophy. He revealed afterwards that he had been gutted to lose in the World Youth Championship semi-finals and miss out on a Grand Slam place through that route — only to qualify through a far sweeter one.
“I was gutted to lose out in the World Youth Championship semi-finals for the Grand Slam, but I’ve managed to actually qualify through this which is ten times better, so it’s great,” he said. Manby will now make his Grand Slam of Darts debut at WV Active Aldersley in Wolverhampton from November 14 to 22, joining an expanded 48-player field headed by defending champion Luke Littler.
The title also transforms Manby’s position in the Players Championship Order of Merit. He surges up to 21st, gaining more than 20 places, while Kuivenhoven climbs to 16th. Both men now have no concerns about featuring at the Players Championship Finals in Minehead from November 27 to 29.
The same cannot be said for some of the sport’s biggest names. Luke Littler was again absent from the Den Bosch double-header, and with only the Leicester events on November 4 and 5 remaining, he sits outside the provisional qualifying places — as do Nathan Aspinall, Josh Rock, Peter Wright and Raymond van Barneveld, all of whom exited early in Den Bosch. Gary Anderson has slipped to the precarious position of 64th, the final qualifying spot.
What’s Next: Players Championship 32 and Leicester
The Den Bosch double-header continues on Thursday with Players Championship 32, starting at noon GMT with coverage on PDCTV. Littler is again absent, as are Luke Humphries, Gerwyn Price, Jonny Clayton, Stephen Bunting and Ross Smith, so another open field awaits.
After Den Bosch, the ProTour heads to Leicester for Players Championship 33 and 34 on November 4 and 5 — the final two floor events before the Minehead finals. Those two days will settle the last qualifying places, and for the likes of Littler, Aspinall and Anderson, they could hardly matter more.
For Manby, though, the pressure is off. A first ranking title, a Grand Slam debut and a secured Minehead place — all from one golden day in Den Bosch. See our Grand Slam of Darts 2026 field guide and our Players Championship 33-34 preview for what comes next.
FAQ
Who won Players Championship 31?
Charlie Manby won Players Championship 31 in Den Bosch on October 28, 2026, beating Maik Kuivenhoven 8-2 in the final to claim his first PDC ranking title.
How did Charlie Manby qualify for the Grand Slam of Darts?
Manby qualified for the Grand Slam of Darts by winning a Players Championship event, with ProTour winners earning places in the expanded 48-player field at Wolverhampton from November 14 to 22, 2026.
Who did Charlie Manby beat in the semi-finals?
Manby beat Beau Greaves 7-5 in the semi-finals. Greaves had earlier produced ton-plus averages in wins over Niels Zonneveld and Kevin Doets and climbed to seventh in the Players Championship Order of Merit.
When is Players Championship 32?
Players Championship 32 takes place on Thursday, October 29, 2026, at the Maaspoort in Den Bosch, starting at noon GMT with coverage on PDCTV.
Conclusion
Charlie Manby’s maiden title is the kind of story the ProTour exists to produce: a player who believed he could win one, held his nerve against one of the form players of the day in Beau Greaves, then produced a ruthless final display to sweep Kuivenhoven aside. The rewards are immediate and lasting — a first ranking crown, a Grand Slam debut in Wolverhampton, and a secured place at Minehead.
Sources: Sky Sports and Online Darts for the Den Bosch results and quotes.
