Scott Williams came within one leg of completing one of the most remarkable comebacks of his season. Instead, a missed dart, a dramatic final leg and a heartbreaking defeat to Karel Sedlacek ended with Williams throwing his darts onto the floor in frustration.
The Englishman had every reason to be furious. He had fought back from 7-5 down, survived multiple match darts from Sedlacek and dragged the final all the way to a deciding leg. Then, when the opportunity finally came his way, one tiny mistake proved decisive.
And despite the anger that followed, there was one major consolation: Williams walked away with £10,000 for finishing runner-up at Players Championship 30 in Den Bosch.
A final that Williams nearly stole
This was not a routine final defeat.
Sedlacek had looked ready to close out the contest when he moved 7-5 ahead, but the Czech missed three match darts in the 13th leg. Williams took advantage, pulled one leg back and then produced a huge response to level the match at 7-7.
The former World Championship semi-finalist had momentum on his side, and suddenly the entire contest had flipped.
Williams had already produced nine maximums during the final, while his overall performance across the day was even more impressive. He averaged 99.36 over seven matches and hit an astonishing 33 maximums on his run to the final.
For a player who had endured a difficult season, this was a serious statement.
Then came the deciding leg.
Williams appeared to have the perfect opportunity after hitting another 180, leaving himself on 112. The finish was there, and the title was suddenly within touching distance.
But under enormous pressure, he missed his intended target with his second dart, hitting five instead of the single 20 he needed to leave double 16.
Williams immediately knew what had happened.
He shook his head and exclaimed, “you’re kidding me”, before his final dart landed in the 15.
Sedlacek still had work to do, but Williams’ opportunity had disappeared.
The Czech eventually finished from 32 after missing more match darts, sealing an 8-7 victory and becoming the first Czech player to win a PDC ProTour title.
The emotion boiled over
Once the final dart landed, Williams’ frustration was impossible to miss.
He shook hands with Sedlacek and the officials before throwing his darts onto the ground. It was an ugly ending to what had otherwise been an outstanding day for the Englishman.
And Williams later put the emotion into perspective himself, saying: “I was really f***ing angry, but I earned ten grand.”
That sentence probably tells the story better than anything else.
Yes, Williams had just lost a final that he had every opportunity to win. But he had also collected £10,000 and significantly strengthened his position in the race for the World Championship.
The runner-up prize was particularly valuable because Williams had entered the day £6,000 behind the provisional World Championship qualification cut-off. His run in Den Bosch therefore did far more than provide another deep tournament finish. It gave his qualification hopes a major boost.
From a difficult season to a huge response
The context surrounding Williams makes this run even more interesting.
The 36-year-old has spoken openly this year about struggling with dartitis, explaining that the problem became so severe that he sometimes struggled to release the dart and even broke down in tears during matches.
That makes his performance in Den Bosch especially significant.
Williams has never been the most conventional character on the PDC circuit. His nickname is “Shaggy”, his personality is famously expressive and he has previously found himself in trouble for emotional moments and gestures on stage.
But that same personality is part of what makes him such an entertaining player to watch.
His career also shows that he is capable of performing on the biggest stages. Williams reached the semi-finals of the 2024 World Championship after defeating Michael van Gerwen during his run, and he remains a former PDC ranking-event winner.
So while the tantrum will dominate social media clips, the wider story should really be about the quality of his performance.
Sedlacek finally gets his moment
For all the attention on Williams, it would be unfair to overlook what Sedlacek achieved.
The 47-year-old had waited more than 30 years to reach this moment, and his path to the final was impressive. He defeated Damon Heta, Nathan Aspinall and Chris Dobey before beating Niels Zonneveld 7-2 in the semi-final.
The final itself was a test of nerve.
Sedlacek missed five match darts before finally getting the job done, but he kept creating opportunities until Williams made his decisive mistake.
His 164 checkout in the ninth leg was also the highest finish of the final, while his overall checkout percentage was 34.8 compared with Williams’ 36.8.
For Sedlacek, this was much bigger than simply collecting another trophy.
It was his first PDC ProTour title and the first such title won by a Czech player. He described the achievement as a dream and said it meant everything after more than three decades in the sport.
Why Williams can take positives
The obvious reaction to the footage will be to focus on Williams throwing his darts onto the floor.
That moment certainly looked bad, and professional players are expected to control their emotions. But there is another side to the story.
Williams had just lost a deciding-leg final by one leg after recovering from 7-5 down. Anyone who has played competitive sport knows how brutal that can feel, particularly when the winning dart was seemingly within reach.
The bigger takeaway should be what came before the outburst.
Williams produced one of his strongest performances of the year when he needed it most. He averaged nearly 100 across seven matches, smashed 33 maximums and defeated several experienced opponents on his way to the final.
That £10,000 could also prove enormously important.
It has moved him closer to the World Championship places at a crucial point of the season, while the confidence gained from beating players such as Mensur Suljovic, Danny Noppert, Michael van Gerwen and Jermaine Wattimena should not be underestimated.
The final hurt, but Williams has plenty to build on.
The bottom line
Scott Williams will probably look back at that final leg and wonder how the title slipped away.
He had the comeback. He had the momentum. He had the chance at 112. But Sedlacek had the final word, completing a historic victory after an extraordinary battle.
Williams’ darts hitting the floor may be the image everyone remembers, but the £10,000 runner-up prize and the quality of his run could be far more important to his season.
After everything he has dealt with in 2026, this was a reminder that “Shaggy” still has plenty of fight left.
The question now is whether this run becomes the turning point Williams needs — or whether the missed opportunity in the final will keep bothering him when he returns to the oche.
Either way, one thing is certain: darts is never short of drama when Scott Williams is involved.