Jonny Clayton won the 2026 New Zealand Darts Masters by beating Gerwyn Price 8-4 in the final in Auckland. The score tells one story, but the match tells a slightly different one: in an all-Welsh final, Clayton won thanks to his clinical finishing at crucial moments, culminating in a 124 checkout on the bullseye to seal the victory.
The official report published by the PDC confirms the key point of the final: Clayton took control early with finishes of 72, 158, 80 and 62 to move 5-1 ahead, before closing the match on that 124 checkout on the bullseye. Sky Sports has also published the video of the decisive checkout. For us, the angle is clear: Clayton has not only secured a World Series title, but has also taken a small sporting revenge on Price, four years on from their 2022 Auckland final.
Clayton built his evening around the doubles
The raw average doesn’t tell the whole story. DartsNews credits Clayton with an average of 94.96, compared to 95.49 for Price, while the PDC report underlines the run of finishes that put the Welshman in control. On paper, the gap is narrow, perhaps even in Price’s favour. In the match itself, however, the opposite was true: Clayton chose his moments better, closed out the crucial legs more effectively and prevented the final from turning into a protracted battle of wills.
His final move perfectly sums up his performance. A 124 on the bullseye, in a final he was already firmly in control of, paints a clear picture: Clayton didn’t just hold onto his lead, he finished with authority. The PDC also quotes his smiling reaction after the final, built around the idea of two former Welsh rugby players meeting at the top of world darts in New Zealand. By then, the match had already swung in favour of the man who had navigated the draw with a very clean finish.
A solid run-up to the Welsh final
Clayton didn’t win this title on the back of a single match. In the quarter-final, he knocked out Gian van Veen 6-3, despite the Dutchman being the highest-ranked player in the tournament. DartsNews highlights that Clayton converted six of his seven attempts at the doubles in that match, finishing with a 120 checkout. This is where things get serious: beating Van Veen with that level of precision isn’t just a statistical footnote: it’s a real statement of intent.
In the semi-final, Clayton went on to dominate James Wade 7-2. Wade had beaten Josh Rock earlier in the session, but Clayton quickly cut short his momentum, notably with a strong start and a 135 finish on the bullseye. This run lends even greater significance to the trophy: he beat Van Veen, Wade and then Price on the same day of the final.
Price falls short in the final, but confirms his calibre
For Price, the story is slightly different. Losing 8-4 to Clayton is clearly frustrating, especially in a Welsh fixture he knows very well. But his tournament performance was by no means a failure. Before the final, Price had beaten Damon Heta 6-2, then Raymond Smith 7-2 in the semi-final. He therefore went into the final having thoroughly dominated the draw.
The problem this time was not a lack of overall quality. It was a lack of clinical finishing at crucial moments. Against a Clayton who was so precise on the doubles, that’s unforgiving. Price had the scores to stay in contention, but didn’t secure enough legs at the right moments to make Clayton doubt himself.
Results from the final day
| Round | Match | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Quarter-final | Gian van Veen vs Jonny Clayton | 3-6 |
| Quarter-final | James Wade vs Josh Rock | 6-4 |
| Quarter-final | Gerwyn Price vs Damon Heta | 6-2 |
| Quarter-final | Raymond Smith v Adam Leek | 6-3 |
| Semi-final | Jonny Clayton v James Wade | 7-2 |
| Semi-final | Gerwyn Price vs Raymond Smith | 7-2 |
| Final | Jonny Clayton v Gerwyn Price | 8-4 |
This result changes the narrative in Auckland
We’d already reported on the surprises caused by Raymond Smith and Adam Leek in Auckland. The conclusion of the tournament now casts this leg in a different light: the outsiders provided the excitement at the start, but in the end it was an experienced player who brought the weekend to a close with the most composure.
For Clayton, this is a welcome sign ahead of the rest of the season. A World Series title doesn’t carry the same weight as a major, but it highlights a player capable of navigating a short, tense day full of pitfalls. Put another way: this result doesn’t settle everything, but it serves as a reminder that Clayton remains a threat whenever matches come down to precision and managing the doubles.
