Ross Smith is priced at 33/1 to win the 2027 World Darts Championship following his sublime World Series of Darts Finals triumph over Gerwyn Price in Amsterdam.
Following the shock quarter-final elimination of Luke Littler to Jonny Clayton which abruptly ended the Nuke's dream of claiming a clean sweep of major PDC titles in 2026, Smudger stepped up to secure his second major title in emphatic fashion.
It means, somewhat remarkably, Smith is the first player other than Littler to win a PDC Premier event since Gian van Veen's triumph in the European Championship last October.
"Honestly, I am made up with the win. I am just so happy," said Smith, who suffered World Series first-round exits at the New Zealand Darts Masters and Australian Darts Masters prior to his appearance in the Finals.
"You are playing Gerwyn Price - one of the best players in the world. You have got to up your game."
Walking out to Fleetwood Mac’s 'Go Your Own Way' instead of his customary 'Red Light Spells Danger' by Billy Ocean, Smith produced ton-plus averages against Kevin Doets and Daryl Gurney in the opening rounds before holding off the challenge of Josh Rock to reach the last four at the AFAS Live.
With all of the semi-finalists buoyed by Littler's absence, Smith fought hard in a battle of attrition against home favourite Van Veen where neither played produced their best darts.
But the 2022 European champion was clinical at vital moments and he produced a sublime 109 checkout at 6-4 to swing the pendulum back in his favour at a time when Van Veen appeared to be edging back into the contest.
Smith ultimately held his nerve and held his throw to setup a final clash with Price, and with the showpiece finely poised at 5-5, the Englishman turned it up a notch to reel off six consecutive legs in a comprehensive victory over the former world champion.
Tallying 11 maximums, recording back-to-back ton-plus finishes and going 46% on his doubles, Smith proved once again he's capable of overwhelming some of the very best when he's firing on all cylinders.
It's been a tremendous year for the 37-year-old, who has secured two European Tour titles and taken victory at two Players Championship events. Smith ranks fourth in this year's Order of Merit after collecting a handsome £266,000, which is testament to his overall consistency across the last nine months.
Smith will be hoping World Series glory will be the catalyst for more major success before the year is out.
Ross Smith's World Darts Championship odds
(Odds will display when market is available).
