PDC World Masters 2025: Luke Humphries and Gerwyn Price into the Second Round

The iconic World Masters has returned with a bold new identity, now under the Professional Darts Corporation’s (PDC) leadership for the first time. 

Once a staple of the British Darts Organisation (BDO) before its collapse in 2020, the tournament was briefly revived by the World Darts Federation (WDF) but has now been fully reimagined as a PDC ranking event.

Held at Stadium MK in Milton Keynes, the revamped World Masters brings together the sport’s elite in a fiercely competitive format. The top 24 players from the PDC Order of Merit are joined by eight global qualifiers, ensuring a diverse and high-stakes field. 

Unlike the PDC’s previous iteration of ‘The Masters,’ which was an invitational event for the top 24, this edition allows fresh talent to test themselves against the world’s best.

Reigning champion Stephen Bunting kicked off his title defence on day one, looking to maintain his red-hot form following a win in Bahrain and a runner-up finish at the Dutch Darts Masters. He was joined on the oche by world number one Luke Humphries, two-time world champion Peter Wright, and Gerwyn Price, among others.

The return of the tournament’s historic best-of-three-legs per set format made for a cutthroat opening night, with the first eight first-round matches played as a race to three sets.

The tournament opener saw two rapid-fire players go head-to-head as Northern Ireland’s number one faced off against the in-form Dutch qualifier, Jermaine Wattimena.

Josh Rock’s tournament preparations were anything but conventional. Having tied the knot on Tuesday, he opted against turning Milton Keynes into a honeymoon destination, postponing celebrations until next week. But a maiden major televised ranking title this weekend would be the perfect icing on his wedding cake.

Rock also stepped onto the oche for the first time sporting his new darts and t-shirt, following a fresh sponsorship deal with Target—the same manufacturer backing Luke Littler. He certainly put them to good use.

With a three-dart average just shy of 100, ‘Rocky’ powered past Wattimena 3-1, booking his spot in the next round with an assured performance.

Australia’s top-ranked player, Damon Heta, faced former European champion Ross Smith in a highly anticipated clash. 

Having recently been snubbed for this year’s Premier League—despite being ranked higher than three of the selected players, Nathan Aspinall, Gerwyn Price, and Chris Dobey—Heta was eager to make a statement and prove the PDC wrong.

And he did just that with a clinical performance. While he didn’t outscore ‘Smudger’ Smith, his sharp finishing made the difference, landing an impressive 6/11 on doubles to secure a 3-1 victory and a spot in the next round.

The tournament’s first major upset came early, in just the third match. World number four and Premier League contender Rob Cross faced off against qualifier William O’Connor.

Cross entered the event in solid form, fresh off his Dutch Darts Masters victory the previous weekend. However, things simply didn’t fall into place for him in Milton Keynes. Despite posting a higher three-dart average and a better doubles conversion rate, the Irishman found a way to edge out the former world champion, sealing a surprising 3-1 victory.

Next up, Welsh superstar Gerwyn Price faced German qualifier Florian Hempel in a match that showcased the ruthless nature of the new format.

Price wasted no time, winning the first five legs in rapid succession and almost delivering a whitewash to Hempel. 

The German underdog managed to snatch one leg before Price closed it out with a dominant 3-0 set victory. The match highlighted just how unforgiving this quick-fire format can be, with Hempel barely given a moment to regroup before being sent packing in under 10 minutes.

Price now moves on to face Damon Heta in the second round on Saturday.

Two-time world champion Peter Wright faced Dutch qualifier Kevin Doets, who had recently knocked out Michael Smith at the latest World Championships.

The match was a closely contested affair, with Wright edging Doets 7-6 in legs, leaving little to separate the two.

In the end, Wright squeezed through to the next round, building on his strong World Championship campaign where he made it to the quarterfinals after defeating Luke Humphries.

Next up was defending champion Stephen Bunting, who faced Scottish qualifier William Borland, known for his stunning nine-darter debut at Alexandra Palace against Bradley Brooks in late 2021.

This match proved to be the closest contest of the night, going all the way to a nail-biting last-leg decider. With the score tied at two sets apiece and one leg each in the fifth and final set, Bunting held his nerve to edge out Borland in a dramatic finish.

While Borland left Milton Keynes with his head held high, it was a massive, missed opportunity to knock out the reigning champion.

Next up was defending champion Stephen Bunting, who faced Scottish qualifier William Borland, known for his stunning nine-darter debut at Alexandra Palace against Bradley Brooks in late 2021.

This match proved to be the closest contest of the night, going all the way to a nail-biting last-leg decider. With the score tied at two sets apiece and one leg each in the fifth and final set, Bunting held his nerve to edge out Borland in a dramatic finish.

While Borland left Milton Keynes with his head held high, it was a massive, missed opportunity to knock out the reigning champion.