Ross Smith Claims 2026 World Series of Darts Finals With Emphatic Win Over Gerwyn Price

Ross Smith sank the final double at the AFAS Live arena in Amsterdam on Sunday night, turned to the roaring Dutch crowd, and finally ended a four-year wait for major silverware. The 37-year-old from Kent dismantled Gerwyn Price 11-5 to claim the 2026 World Series of Darts Finals, securing the £100,000 top prize and fundamentally reshaping the autumn form guide.[1][2]

The showpiece match was a tense, high-octane affair through the opening exchanges. Price, a two-time champion of the event, traded heavy blows with Smith, eventually leveling the score at 5-5 by landing a clinical 11-darter. The Welshman appeared poised to take control of the final as the players headed into the break.[1]

Instead, Smith found an entirely different gear. Returning to the oche, he unleashed back-to-back checkouts of 123 and 127, breaking Price's spirit and triggering a devastating six-leg rampage. Smith did not drop another leg, sealing the victory with a 14-dart break of throw to cross the finish line at 11-5.[1][2]

“I'm absolutely made up with the win, I'm just so happy,” Smith said in the aftermath of his victory. “You're playing Gerwyn Price, he's one of the best players in the world. You've got to up your game, so to beat this man, wow.”[1][2][3]

Smith's statistical dominance in the final was staggering. He averaged 103.89 and crashed in 11 maximums (180s), refusing to let Price settle into a rhythm. The performance made him the sixth different winner of the event since its inception in 2015, and marked his first major televised title since the 2022 European Championship.[2]

For Price, the defeat marked a frustrating continuation of recent struggles in showpiece matches. Despite averaging over 104 in his 11-7 semi-final win against Jonny Clayton and landing a spectacular 170 checkout against James Wade in the quarter-finals, he could not match Smith's relentless treble-hitting when the trophy was on the line. “I was absolutely rubbish in that final, but don't take anything away from Ross, he was brilliant and took his opportunities,” Price admitted. “I'm gutted that I've lost.”[1][2][3]

The tournament in Amsterdam was defined by major upsets long before the final pairing was set. Defending champion Michael van Gerwen crashed out in the very first round, losing a tight 6-5 battle to Daryl Gurney in front of a stunned home crowd.

Meanwhile, 19-year-old sensation Luke Littler saw his bid for a clean sweep of 2026 majors abruptly ended on Sunday afternoon. Jonny Clayton dismantled Littler 10-4 in the quarter-finals, handing the teenager a rare heavy defeat on the Premier stage and proving the world number one is beatable as the season grinds on.[2]

Smith's route to the trophy was a gauntlet of in-form contenders. He dispatched Josh Rock 10-7 in the quarter-finals before surviving a late surge from Dutch favorite Gian van Veen to win their semi-final 11-8, setting up the ultimate clash with Price.[1][2]

Reflecting on his resurgence, Smith credited a simplified approach to the game. “I take each game as it comes and play one game at a time,” he noted. “Every game I play is a final and I give it my all, and it's working for me at the moment.”[1][2][3]

With the World Grand Prix looming in Leicester at the end of September, Smith's triumph fundamentally alters the landscape. By proving he has the firepower to dismantle the sport's biggest names under the brightest lights, the man known as “Smudger” has firmly inserted himself into the championship conversation.