Ross Smith just reminded everyone why darts still loves a late bloomer. In Amsterdam on Sunday night, the 37-year-old from Dover tore through Gerwyn Price 11-5 in the World Series of Darts Finals and walked off with his second major title.
That scoreline does not tell the full story. The match was locked at 5-5. Then Smith won the last six legs. Price, a two-time winner of this event, simply ran out of answers.
Smith finished with an average of 103.89 and smashed in 11 maximums to Price’s five. After the break he landed back-to-back checkouts of 127 and 123. From there it became a procession. Price’s scoring dropped and the doubles dried up. Smith closed it on double 16.
This was not supposed to be Smith’s night on paper. He is world number 14. Price is one of the most decorated players of the last decade. Smith had also gone out in the first round of his only two other World Series appearances this year, in New Zealand and Australia. None of that mattered once he got into the final.
A Night That Flipped After Five-All
Price had looked the more likely winner at times. He had already seen off James Wade 10-7 and then Jonny Clayton 11-7. Clayton was the man who had ended Luke Littler’s bid for a clean sweep of the 2026 majors earlier the same day. Price knew how to win this tournament. He had done it in 2020 and 2022.
Smith refused to be overawed. He had beaten Josh Rock 10-7 in the quarters and then held off home favourite Gian van Veen 11-8 in the semis. When Price levelled at 5-5, Smith raised his game instead of shrinking.
That is the part that should excite fans. Plenty of good players can hang with the big names for a set or two. Very few can then put together six legs in a row against a player of Price’s quality on a big stage.
What Smith Said After the Win
Smith did not try to dress it up. “Honestly, I am made up with the win. I am just so happy,” he said. He added: “You are playing Gerwyn Price – one of the best players in the world. You have got to up your game.”
Later he went further. “It feels a bit mad to be fair. I’m absolutely made up. Jesus Christ I’m so happy.” And then: “To beat this man is wow. I take each game as it comes. Every game I play is a final. I give it my all. It’s working for me at the moment.”
Those words matter because they sound like Smith. No corporate polish. Just a former trucker who still cannot quite believe the ride he is on. He won the European Championship in 2022. That was his first major. Four years later he has another. Two major finals, two titles. That is a ridiculous conversion rate.
Why This Result Matters
The World Series of Darts Finals is not a ranking event, but it is a proper major. The winner’s cheque is £100,000 from a £450,000 prize fund. Smith is now the sixth different champion of the tournament. He also becomes a genuine threat again in the remaining TV events this year.
Littler’s quarter-final loss to Clayton 10-4 had already taken the shine off the weekend for many. The 19-year-old had won the World Championship, World Masters, UK Open, Premier League, World Cup and World Matchplay. A clean sweep of the ten televised majors in one calendar year was still mathematically possible until Clayton ended it. Michael van Gerwen, the defending champion, had already gone out in the first round to Daryl Gurney.
So the final felt like a reset. The young superstar was gone. The established Welsh star was there. And the Englishman who used to drive lorries for a living took the lot.
Smith’s path was not flashy early in the week. He beat Kevin Doets and then Gurney. Solid, professional, no drama. Then the scoring lifted when it had to. That is the sign of a player who has learned how to win ugly and then win pretty in the same tournament.
What Comes Next
The World Grand Prix starts in Leicester on 28 September. Smith will go there with genuine belief. Price will be hurting. Players of his standard do not lose 11-5 in finals very often. The question is whether this is a one-off explosion from Smith or the start of a more consistent run at the very top.
His age works both ways. At 37 he is not a kid learning on the job. He has been around long enough to know what a big night feels like. He also has the hunger of someone who remembers the day job. That combination can be dangerous for the rest of the field.
There is also the simple fact that darts needs these stories. Littler has been extraordinary in 2026. Humphries, van Gerwen and Price remain elite. But a player like Smith winning a major in this fashion keeps the circuit from feeling like a closed shop.
The Amsterdam crowd had been partisan all week. Smith still enjoyed it. He played through the noise and produced his best darts when the trophy was on the line. That is what fans remember.
Smith is not going to average 110 every week. He does not need to. He just needs to keep treating every game like a final, the way he said he does. On Sunday night that approach was enough to blow Gerwyn Price away.
Two majors now sit on his mantelpiece. The first one in 2022 felt like a breakthrough. This one feels like confirmation. Ross Smith belongs in these conversations. The only question left is how many more times he can produce a night like Amsterdam.
What did you make of the final? Was Smith simply too good after the break, or did Price leave the door open? And does this change how you see Smith for the rest of the year?
who ever wins wins on merit and a good stroke of luck when you let go of a dart you lose control of it you just hope it hits its mark you aimed for well done mr Smith shows that anyone can win on the day