Henry Coates won Players Championship 25 in Hildesheim, Germany, to claim his maiden PDC title and become only the fifth player ever to win a ranking title without a PDC Tour card.
The 20-year-old Challenge Tour player beat Damon Heta 8-4 in a 12-leg final after producing a 104.88 average, a performance that underlined just how quickly he is rising. It was a major breakthrough for Coates, who entered the event as a top-up player and made the most of the opportunity.
A breakthrough run in Germany
Coates's win was notable not just for the final, but for the context around it. At an earlier point in his career, he had played Heta in his second ProTour event and lost 6-0. This time, he turned the tables in a ranking final, showing the progress he has made through the Challenge Tour.
After the win, Coates said the result probably would not sink in until next week. He added that he hoped this was just the start, saying the hard work and practice had finally started to pay off. He also acknowledged how far he had come from those earlier days on the ProTour, joking that Heta had taught him a lesson in that first meeting.
Established names fall at Players Championship 25
The tournament also produced a few other eye-catching results. In the round of 64, Gian van Veen lost 6-3 to Jim Long. Michael Van Gerwen opened with a 6-0 win over Adam Warner, then beat Darius Labanauskas 6-3 in the second round before Jeffrey De Graaf knocked him out in the last 16 by winning five legs on the bounce.
Beau Greaves, playing in her first tournament since winning the Women's World Matchplay in Blackpool, also reached the round of 16 before losing 6-3 to Niko Springer. The event therefore mixed a breakthrough winner with several strong performances from established names and emerging players alike.
What it means going forward
For Coates, the bigger picture is clear. He is still only a Challenge Tour player, but this title changes the conversation around him. Winning a PDC ranking event without a Tour card is rare, and doing it at 20 gives him a platform to build from as the season moves toward the BoyleSports World Grand Prix.
That event is scheduled to be live on Sky Sports in Leicester from Sept 28 to Oct 4, with Luke Littler the World No 1 defending his World Grand Prix title. Coates may not be the headline act there, but Players Championship 25 ensured he will arrive with far more attention than he had at the start of the week.
