Stephen
Bunting
Stephen
Bunting
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- Nickname: The Bullet
- Walk-on: Titanium by David Guetta
- Major PDC singles titles: 1
- Premier League best: 8th (2015, 2025)
- Last season: 8th
Stephen Bunting returns to the BetMGM Premier League for a second consecutive year having earned his spot not on past reputation but as one of the most formidable players in the sport right now.
The Bullet has enjoyed a stunning career resurgence over the past two years, culminating in his emotional maiden PDC major title at the 2024 Masters.
He backed it up with a successful 2025 season, reaching the World Championship semi-finals, two other major tournament quarter-finals and winning four titles across the World Series and European Tour.
He may have finished eighth last season but the fan favourite enters this campaign as a genuine dark horse, capable of beating anyone on any given night.
Below, you can delve further into the career of the Bullet and look at his career highlights ahead of the blockbuster 17-night 2026 BetMGM Premier League Darts season, which kicks off on 5th February in Newcastle.
Stephen Bunting History
Bunting made his name in the BDO, gradually working his way through the ranks before lifting the Lakeside title in 2014.
A switch to the PDC followed and, in his first year on tour, the Bullet made the semi-finals of the World Grand Prix, the last eight of the European Championship, the Grand Slam of Darts and, impressively, the PDC World Championship.
The following year Bunting reached another major semi-final, this time in the UK Open, and made his Premier League Darts debut.
For years, however, that initial promise led to frustration. The Bullet remained a dangerous opponent but struggled to get over the line in PDC premier events, with major semi-final appearances in 2021 being the closest he came.
That changed in style in early 2024. Amid a switch to heavier darts, Bunting's form surged and he claimed his first PDC major at the Masters in Milton Keynes.
An impressive display to beat Michael van Gerwen 11-7 in the final followed wins over then-world champion Luke Humphries, former world champion Peter Wright and then-reigning World Matchplay titlist Nathan Aspinall.
Bunting never trailed a game in the final four rounds and averaged an impressive 102.50 in the final in what was a statement tournament for the now 40-year-old.
Following his Masters success Bunting made the last eight of the UK Open as well as the semi-final of the 2025 World Championship — where he lost to eventual winner Luke Littler — before winning the Bahrain Darts Masters in January.
The Bullet followed that up with the Nordic Darts Masters title and by making the final of a further two World Series events, meaning he entered September’s World Series Finals as the top seed ahead of the likes of Littler and Humphries.
With two European Tour titles and two Players Championship wins also on his 2025 resume, Bunting could be well set to improve on last season’s BetMGM Premier League showing.
Stephen Bunting Stats
Since joining the PDC in 2014 Bunting has been a fan favourite for his on-stage and online persona – but he has also enjoyed many successful moments at the oche over the years too, including:
- The 2024 Masters saw Bunting bring home his first-ever televised PDC major. His 11-7 win over Van Gerwen came after he had already beaten reigning world champion Humphries, two-time world champion Wright and two-time major winner Aspinall
- That Masters win in Milton Keynes was the highlight of an impressive year for the Bullet, as he made the last four of the World Championship as well as the final in six Players Championship events
- Averaging 97.92 for the calendar year 2025, Bunting had the sixth-best average on tour and goes into the 2026 BetMGM Premier League Darts campaign ranked seventh on the PDC Order of Merit
- The calendar year 2025 was the Bullet’s most successful on tour to date in terms of trophies, with two victories on the European Tour, two in the World Series and two in floor events. He also appeared in four other finals across those competitions
- Prior to the PDC, Bunting enjoyed success in a range of BDO events, twice winning the World Masters before becoming BDO world champion in 2014, his final year before joining the PDC
Stephen Bunting Titles
Bunting has achieved success across other events in his career, including:
- The Masters – 2024
- Bahrain Darts Masters – 2025
- Nordic Darts Masters – 2025
- International Darts Open – 2025
- Swiss Darts Trophy – 2025
- BDO World Championship – 2014
- BDO World Masters (2) – 2012, 2013
- BDO Zuiderduin Masters – 2012
Related Players
Bunting will compete in the 2026 BetMGM Premier League alongside seven of the world’s best players.
The likes of back-to-back world champion Littler, seven-time Premier League titlist Van Gerwen and seven-time PDC singles major winner Humphries will battle it out over 17 nights to become BetMGM Premier League champion.
Also standing in Bunting’s path to glory are Jonny Clayton, Josh Rock, Gian van Veen and Gerwyn Price as the Bullet looks to add a second PDC major to his trophy cabinet.
Read more about the other 2026 BetMGM Premier League Darts participants below. It’s showtime!