New Zealand Darts Masters

The 2026 New Zealand Darts Masters was held on August 14 and 15 at the Spark Arena in Auckland. The PDC sent eight players to New Zealand to compete against eight representatives from the Oceania region. At the end of the weekend, it was Jonny Clayton who lifted the trophy, defeating fellow Welshman Gerwyn Price 8–4 in the final.

Clayton began the tournament against New Zealander Haupai Puha, and was pushed all the way in his opening match. Puha actually recorded the higher average, but Clayton survived to claim a 6–5 victory. In the quarterfinals, "The Ferret" faced Gian van Veen and won 6–3 to reach the final four. Clayton then averages 98.93 in a convincing 7–2 victory over James Wade to qualify for the final.

In the final he faced his World Cup partner Gerwyn Price. "The Iceman" started his tournament with a comfortable 6–1 victory over Mark Cleaver. In the quarterfinals, Price averaged 98.24 as he defeated Australian Damon Heta 6–2. His semi-final opponent was surprise package Raymond Smith, who had already eliminated Stephen Bunting and Adam Leek. Price ended the Australian's run with a 7–2 victory to set up an all-Welsh final against Clayton.

The final saw Price record the slightly higher average, 95.49 compared to Clayton's 94.96, but it was Clayton who proved more effective in the important moments. "The Ferret" took control of the contest and gradually opened up a lead over his compatriot. Price was unable to produce the comeback he needed, and Clayton eventually completed an 8–4 victory to claim the New Zealand Darts Masters title.

The tournament also produced two major surprises in the opening round. Raymond Smith averaged 99.81 as he defeated Stephen Bunting 6–2, despite Bunting himself averaging 99.30. Australian Adam Leek also caused an upset by edging out Ross Smith 6–5. Raymond Smith continued his run by beating Leek 6–3 in the quarterfinals before eventually losing to Price in the semi-finals.

With the victory, Jonny Clayton claimed his first New Zealand Darts Masters title and added another World Series trophy to his career. For Price, it was another appearance in the Auckland final, four years after he won the tournament in 2022.