Luke Humphries clinched his third Players Championship crown of the season by edging out Brendan Dolan 8-6 in the final of PC28, held on the second day of competition in Leicester. The win not only added another trophy to Humphries' résumé but also saw him reclaim the world No.
2 spot in the PDC rankings from Gian van Veen during the day's action. The final was a tightly contested affair. Humphries, who had not lifted a Players Championship title since his triumph at PC17 in May – also staged at the Mattioli Arena – fought back from an early deficit to outscore Dolan in the closing legs.
The Irishman had previously denied world No. 1 Luke Littler a marquee showdown by dispatching him 7-4 in the semi‑finals, a result that kept Littler’s quest for a historic clean sweep of all major PDC titles this season alive. Humphries’ path to the championship was equally dramatic. In his semi‑final he overcame Mike De Decker 7-4, having survived a nerve‑wracking encounter two rounds earlier where he fended off six match darts from Danny Noppert to win 6-5.
That close call demonstrated Humphries’ resilience and underscored the fine margins that often decide darts matches at this level. Littler, meanwhile, was only making his second Players Championship appearance of the year.
After a quarter‑final loss to eventual PC27 winner Jermaine Wattimena earlier in the week, he entered PC28 with the aim of accumulating enough Order of Merit points to break into the top 64 and secure a place at the Minehead finals in November. Having missed the first 26 Players Championship events of the season, Littler currently sits 125th on the Order of Merit, trailing the 64th spot by £16,750. With six tournaments remaining, he will need a string of deep runs – ideally titles – to close that gap. Littler’s broader ambition this season is unprecedented: he seeks to win the World Series, World Grand Prix, European Championship, Grand Slam of Darts and the Players Championship Finals, in addition to the titles he has already secured (World Championship, Masters, UK Open, Premier League, World Cup of Darts and World Matchplay).
Achieving a clean sweep of all major PDC events in a single year would be a feat no player has ever accomplished. The upcoming World Series event in Amsterdam (September 17‑20) will be a crucial indicator of Littler’s form. It falls just two days before the next double‑header of Players Championships in Den Bosch, giving him a narrow window to assess whether his clean‑sweep campaign remains viable. In Leicester, Littler began his campaign with a comfortable 6-4 win over Stephen Rosney, but his second‑round match proved far more testing.
He survived six match darts from world No. 107 Benjamin Pratnemer, eventually prevailing in a deciding leg. Subsequent victories over Martin Schindler, Andy Boulton and Krzysztof Ratajski propelled him into the semi‑finals, where he was finally stopped by Dolan. Humphries, returning to competitive play after a surprising first‑round exit to Cameron Menzies at the World Matchplay on July 20, entered the Leicester event with limited recent match practice.
He fell 6-3 to Cam Crabtree in his opening match on Tuesday but rebounded spectacularly on Wednesday, winning all seven of his matches to claim the title. This marked only his ninth floor event of the year, yet he has now secured three victories (PC4, PC17 and PC28), underscoring his efficiency in limited appearances.
Currently 13th on the Order of Merit with £52,000 in earnings, Humphries has effectively guaranteed his participation in the Minehead finals. Reflecting on his performance, he admitted, "I know it sounds crazy, but I came here just for a bit of practice and to feel normal again. I didn’t expect to win a title this week because I’ve had so little practice, but two good days and a lot of work on the board have paid off." He added that he plans to spend the rest of the year sharpening his game: "I’m going to get back on the practice board at home as much as I can and dedicate the remainder of the season to being my best. I want to stay at No.
2 and push Luke – and everyone else – because I’m determined to fight for that spot." Looking ahead, Humphries will travel to Budapest for the Hungarian Darts Trophy this weekend. He described his Leicester triumph as a confidence boost, noting, "Even though I didn’t play my best, I still managed to win. A lot of players haven’t been at their peak these past two days, myself included, but it’s about building momentum and getting the practice in." Humphries also expressed a personal motivation to thwart Littler’s clean‑sweep bid: "I don’t want him to achieve the clean sweep.
As much as everyone would love to see it, I’d love to win a major this year and head into the Worlds with confidence." Re‑ascending to world No. 2 after being briefly overtaken by van Veen in early August, the 2024 World Champion reflected on his ranking: "That’s as good as it gets for now. I’m still a long way off Luke – maybe two million in prize money – and the only way to close that gap would be to win back‑to‑back World Championships, which is incredibly tough.
He’s been the best player over the last 18 months and deserves the No. 1 spot." The tournament results in summary: - 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: Luke Humphries 6‑4 Owen Bates; Mike De Decker 6‑5 Kim Huybrechts; Brendan Dolan 6‑4 Luke Woodhouse; Luke Littler 6‑4 Krzysztof Ratajski. - Semi‑Finals: Luke Humphries 7‑4 Mike De Decker; Brendan Dolan 7‑4 Luke Littler. - Final: Luke Humphries 8‑6 Brendan Dolan. Sky Sports will continue to be the primary broadcaster for darts in 2026, with live coverage of the World Grand Prix (September 28‑October 4), Grand Slam of Darts (November 14‑22) and the World Darts Championship (December 10‑January 3).
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