Darting star Luke Humphries has generously praised his fiancee for her vital support after claiming the title at Players Championship 26, a victory he almost missed due to nearly skipping the event.
Powering through an intense lineup, Humphries ousted George Killington, Callum Goffin, Connor Scutt, Josh Rock, Dave Chisnall, and Luke Woodhouse on his way to the final, where he triumphed in a tense face-off against Stephen Bunting with a thrilling 8-7 finish. This win solidifies his standing atop the PDC Order of Merit.
With a commanding £1,681,750 accumulated in prize money over the previous two years, Humphries sits comfortably at the top, overshadowing Michael Smith’s £1,069,250.
Reflecting on his journey with the PDC, Luke expressed sincere gratitude towards his fiancee and spoke about the emotional rollercoaster he faced before the tournament: “It is, and it hasn’t been the way the last couple of weeks to be fair. As you do, you’re on Twitter and a lot of people are saying ‘No chance, he’s not going to retain his title’.”
He continued detailing his experiences: “You know, this is what happens in darts, you go through spurts where you’re playing fantastic and then you go through spurts where they ain’t going very good. You can’t buy a win. Yesterday, I didn’t want to be here. Fair play to my fiancee Kayley, because she’s like ‘Play tomorrow’ and I was like ‘No, I think it’s time for a break. I’m knackered, I really am’.”
Darts ace Humphries has credited his girlfriend for a confidence boost that led to his latest triumph, as reported by the Express. He shared his victory with a touching tribute to his dad, stating: “But she was like ‘No, go and give it a go. You might give yourself some confidence’ and obviously she was right,” followed by, “That one was for you dad. A nice one for him, I’m sure he’ll raise a pint for himself for that one.”
This win is a significant turnaround from Humphries recent slump in form. Just prior to his success on Thursday, he suffered an unexpected defeat in the first round of Players Championship 25 at the hands of 87th ranked Jeffrey de Graaf.
Earlier failures also punctuated his Euro Tour 12 and World Series Finals bids, seeing Humphries eliminated by Josh Rock and darting titan Michael van Gerwen.
Reflecting on his victorious streak, Humphries recalled his last major win at the New Zealand Darts Masters back in August, securing the title against Damon Heta with an 8-2 finish. This fresh victory sends a rousing message ahead of the World Grand Prix kicking off on Monday, where Humphries aims to channel his championship spirit once more, with eyes set on conquering Bunting.
