Switzerland’s Stefan Bellmont secured top spot on the Winmau Challenge Tour rankings as the 2025 season reached its conclusion in Wigan on Sunday, when he shared victories with Sam Spivey.
Sunday’s double-header at the Robin Park Leisure Centre saw over 140 players going head-to-head, with the race for World Darts Championship and Grand Slam of Darts qualification dominating the narrative.
Darius Labanauskas occupied top spot ahead of Sunday’s play, although he was overhauled by Swiss star Bellmont, who averaged almost 99 to defeat Daniel Ayres 5-3 and clinch the Event 23 title.
Bellmont overcame Charlie Symons, Carl Wilson, Martin Grearson, Colin Osborne and Adam Smith-Neale in advancing to the semi-finals, where he won through a deciding-leg tussle against Event 22 champion Jurjen van der Velde.
Bellmont’s third Challenge Tour victory of the campaign - coupled with an early exit for Labanauskas in Event 24 - guaranteed him top spot on the 2025 Challenge Tour rankings, which also secured his place at next month’s Grand Slam of Darts.
Spivey ended Bellmont’s bid for back-to-back titles in the last 16 of Event 24, and the 29-year-old maintained his impressive form to round off the season with his maiden Challenge Tour crown.
Spivey also whitewashed former World Championship runner-up Andy Hamilton on his way to glory, before averaging 102 in his 5-1 demolition of Bellmont, who also averaged over 100 in a high-quality contest.
The Englishman then saw off Matt Gallett and Van der Velde to set up a showdown against Alexander Merkx for the Event 24 spoils, and he ran out a 5-3 winner against the Dutchman to pocket the £2,500 top prize.
The top three players from the Challenge Tour rankings were assured of places at the 2025/26 Paddy Power World Darts Championship, with 2020 quarter-finalist Labanauskas and former World Youth Champion Ted Evetts confirming top-three finishes.
However, with Labanauskas set to qualify for the World Championship via the PDC ProTour rankings - with 40 players being confirmed after this week's final two Players Championships - Mervyn King is poised to make his Alexandra Palace return after edging out Unterbuchner to finish in fourth position.
Labanauskas will return to the PDC ProTour circuit in 2026/27 after finishing second on the Challenge Tour rankings, while Bellmont has made history as the first Swiss representative to obtain a Tour Card following his hat-trick of titles throughout the year.
Click here to see full results.
Click here for match stats from Events 23-24.
2025 Winmau Challenge Tour
Sunday October 26
Robin Park Leisure Centre, Wigan
Event 23
Quarter-Finals
Daniel Ayres 5-4 Kurt Parry
Keegan Brown 5-4 Joe Croft
Jurjen van der Velde 5-3 Sam Spivey
Stefan Bellmont 5-2 Adam Smith-Neale
Semi-Finals
Daniel Ayres 5-1 Keegan Brown
Stefan Bellmont 5-4 Jurjen van der Velde
Final
Stefan Bellmont 5-3 Daniel Ayres
Event 24
Quarter-Finals
Sam Spivey 5-2 Matt Gallett
Jurjen van der Velde 5-4 Michael Unterbuchner
Alexander Merkx 5-4 Daniel Ayres
Mervyn King 5-4 Lee Cocks
Semi-Finals
Sam Spivey 5-3 Jurjen van der Velde
Alexander Merkx 5-4 Mervyn King
Final
Sam Spivey 5-3 Alexander Merkx