Clayton Wins Darts Night Six Despite Gout Flare-Up

Jonny Clayton overcame a severe gout flare-up in his left ankle to claim victory on Night Six of the 2026 Premier League Darts at Nottingham's Motorpoint Arena on March 12. The Welsh player, who limped visibly throughout the evening, defeated Michael van Gerwen 6-3 in the quarterfinals, Stephen Bunting 6-3 in the semifinals, and reigning champion Luke Humphries 6-1 in the final, securing his second nightly win of the season and extending his lead atop the standings.

Clayton's triumph came amid evident physical discomfort. He takes daily medication to manage the inflammatory arthritis condition, which causes sudden joint pain and can strike unpredictably. The flare-up began during the previous weekend's UK Open in Minehead and worsened by Thursday, leaving him struggling to walk. After removing his shoe in his hotel room that evening, the pain intensified, yet he refused to withdraw. "I do get flare-ups with gout. I take medication every day," Clayton said afterward. "But it started in the UK Open on Saturday. I could feel it. I was starting to limp. I was taking medication and had hoped I had caught it before it got this far. I wasn't expecting much because I was having trouble...