More Agony for Gerwyn Price . . . But now he Looks Ahead to Premier League

He threw the kitchen sink, cutlery, a pot full of utensils and more at reigning world champion and world number one Luke Littler, but Gerwyn Price ultimately fell agonisingly short in his blockbuster semi-final contest with The Nuke at the Masters on Sunday night.

The Welshman impressed throughout the weekend in Milton Keynes, beating James Hurrell, averaging 108.51 in doing so, compatriot Jonny Clayton and Chris Dobey before bowing out in the last four following a barnstormer of a match against back-to-back world champion Littler, where he lost in a tense last leg decider.

But the former rugby player will now swiftly switch his focus to what will be his eighth Premier League campaign.

READ MORE: Welsh Pair Gerwyn Price and Jonny Clayton Backed as Right Picks for Premier League

He heads into the non-ranked showpiece event in fine form having also reached the semi-finals of the Bahrain Darts Masters, beating Littler in doing so, and the Saudi Arabia Darts Masters, where he overcame 2024 world champion Luke Humphries, in January.

His reward for his impressive efforts since the turn of the year so far...? A meeting with defending Premier League champion Humphries on night one of the 2026 tournament in Newcastle on Thursday night. 

Some luck, eh.

Currently ranked 12th in the world, Price is the lowest-ranked of the eight participants in this season's event, but few can question the 40-year-old's credentials.

The £30,000 in prize money Price scooped as a result of his efforts at the weekend edged him ever closer to the likes of James Wade, Danny Noppert, Josh Rock and Ryan Searle above him in the rankings.

He also made the semi-finals last time around amid questions surrounding his selection in the competition.

Add to that, Price is responsible for five of the 21 nine darters hit in the Premier League since the event was formed in 2006. 

So, expect the Markham product to once again showcase his talents on the biggest stages.

He will, of course, be joined in the Premier League by fellow Welshman Clayton who returns having missed out in the previous two editions.

Now ranked fifth in the world and holding the proud title of being Welsh number one, Clayton was fully worth his spot in the eight-man line-up, and his record in the competition is frankly incredible.

Having been a challenger in the Cardiff leg of the 2020 competition, Clayton went on to feature as a participant in 2021, 2022 and 2023.

He spectacularly delivered the goods on finals night to win the title on debut, hitting a nine darter along the way, and reached finals night in each of his other two outings, so he will have nothing to fear this year.

The inclusion of the duo who have regularly fought together in red, green and white when it comes to the World Cup of Darts means a quarter of this year's line-up are Welsh.

But with the likes of Littler, Rock and world finalist and European champion Gian van Veen among those looking to take over the darting world for the long-term, Price and Clayton will have to be at their best on a consistent basis in the Premier League to prove they have no intention of handing over the baton to the raft of young guns just yet.