The Hungarian Darts Trophy delivered a weekend of high drama in Budapest, with Ross Smith storming to his second European Tour title of 2026, adding Budapest to his earlier triumph in Riesa. Smith's 8-2 demolition of Gary Anderson in the final capped a dominant run that saw him defeat William O'Connor, Jonny Clayton, Dave Chisnall, Danny Noppert, and Anderson without encountering serious trouble. The victory was particularly impressive as Smith averaged well over 100 in the final, cementing his status as a dangerous force on the circuit.
Gary Anderson, who entered the event without a European Tour win in 2026 following two second-round exits, defied expectations by reaching the final. The Scot, who had played just twelve European Tour events in the past four years and none between 2017 and 2022, impressed with victories over Stephen Bunting, Gian van Veen, and Nathan Aspinall. However, his run sparked debate among pundits, with Pieter Verbeek of DartsNieuws.com arguing that a title would have been 'a reward for skipping almost the entire circuit.' Anderson's runner-up finish means he must now compete at the Czech Darts Open in Prague next weekend to boost his chances of qualifying for the European Championship and the Grand Slam.
Beau Greaves was the story of the tournament despite exiting in the first round. On her European Tour debut, she produced an outstanding average of 104.88 in a narrow defeat to Rob Cross, showing no signs of nerves. Editors Lucas Michael and Mats Leering both praised her performance, with Leering noting that 'there is every reason to believe that maiden win will come sooner rather than later.' Greaves now heads to Prague with her first taste of European Tour action, aiming to build on her impressive showing.
Stephen Bunting's form remains a major concern. His last European Tour quarter-final came at the start of the year in Poland, and he is not in the top 32 for the European Championship. Lucas Michael warned that Bunting's Premier League Darts status is under threat, and if he does not improve soon, he may have a much freer schedule in 2027. Nathan Aspinall also had a weekend to forget, missing five match darts in his semi-final against Anderson and leaving the stage abruptly after his defeat, reportedly due to issues with the Hungarian crowd.
The tournament was played at the MVM Dome in Budapest, which drew a European Tour record crowd of over 6,000 for the final session, creating an atmosphere comparable to a Premier League night. Danny Noppert reached the semi-finals but fell to Ross Smith, while Dirk van Duijvenbode impressed with wins over Luke Humphries and Rob Cross before losing to Noppert in the quarter-finals. With big names like Luke Littler expected to return in Prague, the European Tour continues to prove that the established stars cannot take anything for granted.