Monday February 16th 2026
David Sharp facing off against Andrew Gilding
Written by Midlothian View Reporter, Liam Eunson
David Sharp returns to Professional Darts Corporation ProTour action on Monday as he competes in Players Championship 3 & 4 at Robin Park Centre, Wigan, across 16th and 17th February.
With a quick turnaround from Germany last week David heads into the week full of belief after securing the first ranking prize money of his PDC career during the previous events and showing flashes of the level he knows he will have to consistently produce.
On Day One, he was selected to be on PDCTV streamed stage against former UK Open champion Andrew Gilding. In a match of fine margins, strong scoring phases were undone by missed doubles – a reminder of how clinical players must be at this level.
“At this level you can’t afford to miss chances,” Sharp reflected. “It was frustrating because I felt comfortable up there good in the scoring, but that’s how tight it is..”
Sharp claimed his first professional ranking win on day 2 with an impressive 6 vs 4 victory over Adam Lipscombe, averaging over 97 a performance that underlined the standard he is capable of competing at.
“I felt really good in this match. To average 97 and get the win so early in my PDC career was massive. It gives me real belief going into the next events that this is where I belong“
In the following round, Sharp faced experienced tour professional Luke Woodhouse. After slipping 4 – 0 behind, he showed resilience to fight back into contention before narrowly losing 6 vs 4 in a competitive match.
“Too many 60’s scored during the game. Even at 4-0 down I am always a believer the game is not done until the last double has been hit. When I got it back to 4 – 3 I thought I had a good chance but just didn’t happen”
Each Players Championship event features 128 competitors in a straight knockout format, with live draws conducted on the morning of play. Sharp could face elite names from the outset, including Luke Littler, Michael van Gerwen, Luke Humphries, Gerwyn Price or Gary Anderson.
With ranking prize money now secured and competitive averages already matching established professionals, Sharp travels to Wigan determined to turn strong performances into deeper runs and continued progress up the ProTour Order of Merit.
Sharp’s week in Wigan also ties into his broader European ambitions. He is currently competing in European Tour qualifiers, targeting spots in Belgium and Germany later this spring.
He has already recorded an eye-catching win in previous euro tour qualification last week, defeating World Championship fan favourite Justin Hood 6 vs 4 with a 90 average and a big fish 170 checkout to win the game, this is further evidence that he is settling quickly into the professional ranks.
Qualification for a European Tour event would represent a significant step forward in his debut season, bringing valuable prize money and televised stage exposure.
Sharp was also quick to acknowledge all the support he has received in these early stages of his professional darts journey.
“Thank you very much to everyone who takes the time to send me a message or leave a comment on social media. I really appreciate all the support. It doesn’t go unnoticed.”
“Also to my sponsors at the Ship Inn Dalkeith, Dunvegan Enterprises Sports Management, Unicorn Darts and Nyo for their support. What they do for me behind the scenes allows me to focus completely on my darts.”
With confidence building and European opportunities on the horizon, Monday marks another important step in David Sharp’s debut season on the professional circuit.
Fans can follow live scores and watch live through official PDC channels (PDCTV & DartConnect) across the weekend. Keep up to date with all the upcoming matches and results at ‘David Sharp Darts’ on Facebook.
Event: Players Championship 3 & 4
Location: Robin Park Tennis Centre, Wigan
Dates: 16th & 17th February
Plus: European Tour Qualifiers (Belgium – March | Germany – April)
