Luke Humphries Defends Players Championship Title

Luke Humphries successfully defended his Players Championship title with an 11-7 victory over teenager Luke Littler in Minehead. Humphries, who claimed his first world title earlier this year by beating Littler, averaged 103.69 in the final and celebrated the win with his signature punch in the air. He became only the second player after Michael van Gerwen to defend the prestigious title.

Littler, 17 was aiming for his 11th title in an impressive debut professional season and his second major TV ranking win of the month after claiming the Grand Slam just a week earlier. Despite a tough start, he rallied in the final reducing Humphries’ 5-1 lead with stunning finishes including a 170 and 164 checkout but ultimately fell short.

Humphries, reflecting on the win, praised Littler for pushing him to perform better. He admitted that he hadn’t been playing at his best earlier in the tournament but found his rhythm in the final. “There’s something Luke does to you,” said Humphries. “He drives me and makes me want to be a better player.”

In the semi-finals, Humphries staged a remarkable comeback recovering from a 6-2 deficit to beat Dirk van Duijvenbode 11-8 after a solid 10-5 win over Ryan Joyce. Littler had earlier defeated Mike de Decker and Ross Smith, advancing to his second major final of the month. Humphries earned £120,000 for his victory while Littler took home £60,000, bringing his total prize money to £618,500 for the Order of Merit.

Despite the loss, Littler remains the bookmakers’ favorite for the upcoming World Championship which starts on December 15. Meanwhile, Gian van Veen won the PDC World Youth title defeating Jurjen van der Velde 6-5 in a dramatic final.