The Sports Guru
Ross Smith beat Gerwyn Price 11-5 to win the World Series of Darts Finals in Amsterdam, but the final also settled two other questions hanging over the 2026 season. Read on to find out how Luke Littler's attempt to win every PDC major this year ended, why Price says the defeat barely bothers him, and what Smith's growing trophy count says about who is actually having the better year.
Gerwyn Price says he would not mind if he never won another major again. That is an odd thing to hear from a man with seven of them, minutes after Ross Smith beat him 11-5 in the World Series of Darts Finals. Three separate stories collided in Amsterdam on Sunday night: Smith collected his fifth trophy of the season, Price shrugged off a heavy defeat with millionaire's indifference, and Luke Littler's attempt to sweep every major PDC title in 2026 died in the quarter-finals against Jonny Clayton.
A Final Decided by Discipline
By the closing stages, Price had no answer: Smith closed out six consecutive legs, landed 11 maximums, strung together back-to-back ton-plus checkouts, and settled the contest with a 46% average on the outer ring. Getting there meant seeing off Josh Rock 10-7 in the last eight, then edging past the home crowd's favourite, Gian van Veen, 11-8 in a tighter semi-final.
Smith was matter-of-fact about the level required. "They are all finals and I give it my all. That is working for me at the moment," he said afterwards, describing an approach built on treating every match, not just the showpiece ones, the same way.
Price's Collapse, and What It Cost Him
Price cruised to the final, dispatching James Wade 10-7 in the quarter-finals and getting past Jonny Clayton 11-7 in the semis. It was only against Smith that his game deserted him: a string of missed doubles late on dragged his checkout percentage down to 26%.
Across his career, Price has lifted seven majors on the PDC circuit - three Grand Slam titles among them, plus the 2021 World Championship - though he hasn't added to that collection since winning this exact event back in 2022.
Price did not dress up the performance. "I was absolute rubbish in that final but don't take anything away from Ross. He was brilliant and took his opportunities," he said, before adding that he would be "gutted for half an hour" but expected to be in Tenerife by Tuesday.
It is a curious position for a player who has spent years chasing majors to now describe results with a shrug, and it raises a fair question about where his motivation sits heading into the World Grand Prix. Price insists his finances and family leave him unbothered either way, which may say more about where his priorities have shifted than about his darts.
Littler's Perfect Year Ends in the Last Eight
Heading into Amsterdam, Littler had already claimed the year's first five majors and paired with Luke Humphries to win the World Cup of Darts, leaving all 11 major titles for 2026 within touching distance. Jonny Clayton ended that pursuit in the quarter-finals, beating him 10-4.
It leaves Littler with a strong 2026 by any normal measure but not the flawless one he was reportedly aiming for. Clayton, who went on to push Price to 11-7 in the semi-final, deserves credit for delivering the shock rather than simply benefiting from an off night.
What Smith's Fifth Trophy Actually Says
Sunday's win in Amsterdam made it five titles for the year, following European Tour wins at the Hungarian Darts Open and International Darts Open, as well as two Players Championship titles. It is also only his second PDC major, after the 2022 European Championship in Dortmund. Next to Littler's five majors and Price's seven career wins, that tally looks modest on paper. But nobody else in the sport has strung together five titles in a single year without the headlines that usually come attached to that kind of consistency.
That gap between output and attention is worth sitting with. Littler's near-miss and Price's indifference will dominate the reaction from Sunday's final, yet it was Smith who did the only thing that mattered on the night: he turned up, and he won.
Sunday's Results
Final: Ross Smith 11-5 Gerwyn Price. Semi-finals: Ross Smith 11-8 Gian van Veen; Gerwyn Price 11-7 Jonny Clayton. Quarter-finals: Ross Smith 10-7 Josh Rock; Gian van Veen 10-8 Dirk van Duijvenbode; Gerwyn Price 10-7 James Wade; Jonny Clayton 10-4 Luke Littler.
Littler will have more majors to chase before the year is out, at the World Grand Prix (28 September to 4 October), the Grand Slam of Darts (14-22 November) and the World Darts Championship (10 December to 3 January). Smith, with two majors of his own now banked, no longer looks like a supporting act in that story.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ross Smith beat Gerwyn Price 11-5 in Amsterdam on Sunday 20 September 2026.
Littler had won the first five majors of 2026 and the World Cup of Darts alongside Luke Humphries, but he lost 10-4 to Jonny Clayton in the quarter-finals.
Price has won seven majors overall - three Grand Slams and the 2021 World Championship - but hasn't added to that total since winning this event in 2022.
Amsterdam was his fifth trophy of the season, following the Hungarian Darts Open, the International Darts Open and a couple of Players Championship events.
The World Grand Prix runs from 28 September to 4 October, followed by the Grand Slam of Darts in November and the World Darts Championship over the festive period.
Research: This article uses the archived evidence supplied for this story. Story inspiration: Sky Sports' original report.
