Luke Humphries clinched his third Players Championship title of the 2026 season by defeating Brendan Dolan in a tightly contested final on the second day of the Leicester tournament. The Englishman, who reclaimed the world No. 2 spot in the PDC Order of Merit from Dutchman Gian van Veen earlier in the day, edged out the Irishman 8‑6 to lift PC28 – his first victory in this series since PC17 back in May, which was also staged at the Mattioli Arena.
The road to the final for Dolan had been impressive. He overcame a determined Luke Littler 7‑4 in the semi‑final, preventing a blockbuster showdown between the world No. 1 and Humphries. Littler, a rising star who had only featured in his second Players Championship event of the year, had previously suffered a quarter‑final loss to eventual PC27 champion Jermaine Wattimena.
Humphries’ semi‑final was a test of nerves. After surviving six match darts against Danny Noppert to win 6‑5, he faced Mike De Decker and dispatched him 7‑4, securing his place in the final.
The match against Noppert highlighted Humphries’ resilience; he turned a precarious position into a victory by holding his composure under extreme pressure. Littler’s season has been a study in contrast. After missing the first 26 Players Championship events, he is now scrambling to break into the top‑64 of the Order of Merit to qualify for the Minehead finals in November. With a current ranking of 125th and a £16,750 gap to the 64th place, he has six tournaments left to make up the shortfall.
His ambition is not merely to qualify but to achieve a historic clean sweep of all PDC majors this year – a feat no one has ever accomplished. To date, Littler has already captured every major PDC title on offer in 2026: the World Championship, the Masters, the UK Open, the Premier League, the World Cup of Darts and the World Matchplay.
The next targets on his agenda are the World Series (held in Amsterdam from 17‑20 September), the World Grand Prix, the European Championship, the Grand Slam of Darts and the Players Championship Finals. Success in these events would complete an unprecedented calendar‑year sweep. Littler’s performance in Leicester was a mixed bag. He opened with a 6‑4 win over Stephen Rosney, then survived six match darts from world No.
107 Benjamin Pratnemer, ultimately prevailing in a deciding leg. Subsequent victories over Martin Schindler, Andy Boulton and Krzysztof Ratajski propelled him into the last four, where Dolan proved too strong. Humphries, meanwhile, returned to competitive play after a surprising first‑round defeat to Cameron Menzies at the World Matchplay on 20 July.
He suffered a 6‑3 loss to Cam Crabtree in his opening match in Leicester but rebounded spectacularly, winning all seven of his remaining matches over the two‑day event. This marks his ninth floor event of the year, yet he has already secured three titles – earlier wins at PC4 and PC17 underline his consistency. Currently sitting 13th on the Order of Merit with £52,000 in earnings, Humphries has effectively guaranteed his place at the Minehead finals. Speaking after his triumph, he admitted the limited preparation had made his success feel “a bit crazy”.
He explained, “I only played the Matchplay two months ago, so I needed some practice. I didn’t want to jump straight into the Euro Tour without a proper warm‑up.” Humphries reflected on his mindset: “When you get to the later stages you think, ‘right, I can win this now.’ I didn’t expect to win a title this week because I’ve had little practice, but the two good days gave me confidence. I’ll be back on the practice board at home as much as possible and I’ll devote the rest of the year to staying at No. 2 and pushing everyone, especially Luke.” He added that his next stop is the Hungarian Darts Trophy in Budapest this weekend.
“It’s good confidence – I didn’t play my best but still managed to win,” Humphries said. “A lot of players haven’t been at their peak these last two days, including Luke. I’m just trying to get some practice in and then focus on the rest of the year.
I want to win a major and I don’t want Luke to achieve the clean sweep. I’d love to win one this year and head into the Worlds with confidence.” Humphries also commented on his return to the No. 2 ranking after briefly being overtaken by van Veen in early August.
“That’s as good as it gets right now,” the 2024 World Champion noted. “I’m about two million points behind Luke.
The only way to close that gap is to win back‑to‑back World Championships, which is incredibly tough. He’s been the best player for the last 18 months and deserves the No.
1 spot.” The tournament’s later stages featured a series of notable matches: - Last‑16: Owen Bates 6‑1 Justin Hood; Luke Humphries 6‑5 Danny Noppert; Mike De Decker 6‑3 Martijn Dragt; Kim Huybrechts 6‑2 Jeffrey de Graaf; Luke Woodhouse 6‑3 Daniel Ayres; Brendan Dolan 6‑2 Karel Sedlacek; Luke Littler 6‑3 Andy Boulton; Krzysztof Ratajski 6‑2 Greg Ritchie. - Quarter‑finals: Humphries 6‑4 Owen Bates; De Decker 6‑5 Kim Huybrechts; Dolan 6‑4 Luke Woodhouse; Littler 6‑4 Ratajski. - Semi‑finals: Humphries 7‑4 De Decker; Dolan 7‑4 Littler. - Final: Humphries 8‑6 Dolan.
Sky Sports continues to be the primary broadcaster for darts in 2026, covering the World Grand Prix (28 September‑4 October), the Grand Slam of Darts (14‑22 November) and the World Darts Championship (10 December‑3 January). Fans can also stream darts and other top sports via NOW without a contract.