Stowe Buntz defies Leonard Gates as Laura Turner ends three year title drought at DPFL Live Event tournament

Laura Turner has achieved a long-awaited milestone by claiming her first World Darts Federation title in over three years at yesterday’s DPFL Live Event. While Stowe Buntz rose to the occasion in the men's event seeing off Leonard Gates.

Turner's victory is a powerful narrative of resilience. For more than three years, she remained on the fringes of the top, striving to recapture the form that once catapulted her to victory. Achieving success after such a stretch speaks volumes about her dedication and determination. It reminds us that even elite athletes navigate dry spells and that perseverance can turn setbacks into triumphs.

While the DPFL Live Event’s stature never quite matches the grandeur of global darts showcases, wins in these ranking tournaments are far from insignificant. They build confidence, contribute to rankings, and can reignite momentum. For Turner, this win could be the spark she needs to climb back into contention for bigger titles and perhaps even returning to the big stage or making deeper runs in major WDF competitions.

It's also worth noting recent developments within the World Darts Federation beyond Turner’s success. In late July 2025, the WDF updated its eligibility policy, restricting participation in Women’s and Girls’ ranking tournaments to individuals assigned female at birth, effectively excluding transgender women from those categories.

Buntz rises to the occasion in high quality men's field

Meanwhile, men’s and boys’ events have been redefined as "Open" or "Open Youth" to accommodate broader participation. This shift has sparked considerable discussion not only about inclusion in sport but also regarding fairness, athlete welfare, and the future structure of darts competitions.

Against this backdrop of policy change and debate, Turner’s triumph reminds us that darts continues to be about spellbinding moments at the oche, personal comebacks, and the timeless drama of competition. Her return to winning form could set the stage for a compelling second half to the 2025 season and beyond.

She defeated Jennifer Mounts in the final 5-3 after seeing off second seed Paula Murphy during the latter stages. While Stowe Buntz was crowned men's champion in the WDF Silver Singles.

He saw off Leonard Gates in a high quality field. It was an 83 average for 'The Neon Nightmare' who saw off 'Soulger' 7-6 with an 83 average. He had seen off Alex Spellman 5-3 with an 85 average. Spellman in the round before had averaged 101 in seeing off Dustin Holt so was in some form. Buntz also saw off Dutch Open runner-up David Fatum and UK Open finalist Gary Mawson. So very much top competition over in the States.

In the final, Gates hit five 180's and rallied from 6-3 down to force a last leg decider but after Gates missed match darts Buntz took out 95 to seal the title 7-6.