Luke Humphries clinched his third Players Championship crown of the season by defeating Brendan Dolan in the final of PC28, held in Leicester on the second day of the tournament weekend. The 2024 world champion overcame Dolan 8-6 to claim the title, marking his first Players Championship win since PC17 in May, which was also staged at the Mattioli Arena. During the day’s action, Humphries also reclaimed the world No.
2 spot on the PDC Order of Merit, overtaking Gian van Veen. The win was especially significant because it thwarted a potential clean‑sweep of major PDC titles by teenage sensation Luke Littler, who had been on a remarkable run this season.
Littler’s campaign in Leicester began promisingly with a straightforward 6-4 opening‑round victory over Stephen Rosney. However, his second‑round match turned into a nail‑biter when he survived six match darts from world No.
107 Benjamin Pratnemer, eventually prevailing in a deciding leg. He then dispatched Martin Schindler, Andy Boulton and Krzysztof Ratajski in quick succession to reach the semi‑finals.
In the semi‑final, Littler faced Brendan Dolan, who had earlier edged out Mike De Decker 7-4. Dolan proved too strong for the young Englishman, winning 7-4 and booking his place in the final against Humphries. Meanwhile, Humphries had navigated a tough semi‑final of his own, beating De Decker 7-4 after a dramatic quarter‑final where he survived six match darts from Danny Noppert to win 6-5. The final was a tightly contested affair.
Humphries took an early lead, but Dolan fought back, keeping the score close until the ninth leg when Humphries secured a crucial break and held on to finish 8-6. The victory not only added a third Players Championship title to Humphries’ season tally but also reinforced his position as a leading contender for the year‑end championships in Minehead. Littler, who had only made his second Players Championship appearance of the season, entered the event having missed the first 26 tournaments.
He is currently chasing a historic clean sweep of all major PDC titles this year—a feat no player has ever achieved. To qualify for the Players Championship Finals in November, he must break into the top 64 of the Order of Merit. After his quarter‑final exit at PC27 and a semi‑final loss in Leicester, Littler sits 125th, roughly £16,750 behind the 64th place.
With six Players Championship events still to play, he will need a series of strong performances to bridge that gap. Littler’s season to date has been extraordinary. He has already captured every major PDC trophy on offer in 2026, including the World Championship, Masters, UK Open, Premier League, World Cup of Darts and World Matchplay. The remaining majors he must win to complete the clean sweep are the World Series (scheduled for Amsterdam 17‑20 September), the World Grand Prix, the European Championship, the Grand Slam of Darts and the Players Championship Finals.
Humphries, returning to competitive play after a surprising first‑round loss to Cameron Menzies at the World Matchplay on 20 July, described his week in Leicester as a valuable practice run. "I came here mainly for a bit of practice and to get back into a normal rhythm," he said. "I didn’t expect to win a title this week because I’ve had limited practice, but the two good days I’ve had have given me confidence." He added that he plans to spend the rest of the year sharpening his game on the practice board at home, aiming to stay ahead of Littler and maintain his No. 2 ranking.
"I want to keep pushing Luke and everyone else. Whether I stay at No 2 or not, I’ll fight for it," Humphries explained. Looking ahead, Humphries will travel to Budapest for the Hungarian Darts Trophy this weekend. He sees his Leicester triumph as a confidence boost, even though he felt he hadn’t played his absolute best.
"It’s good to win even when you’re not at 100 percent. It shows you can still compete and win titles," he noted. Reflecting on his position in the rankings, Humphries acknowledged the challenge of overtaking Littler.
"Being world No 2 right now feels great, but I’m still a long way off the top spot. To close that gap you’d need back‑to‑back World Championships, which is extremely tough," he said. "Luke has been the best player over the last 18 months and deserves his No 1 spot." The tournament’s later stages featured several notable results: in the last‑16, Humphries beat Danny Noppert 6‑5, while Dolan dispatched Karel Sedlacek 6‑2.
The quarter‑finals saw Humphries overcome Owen Bates 6‑4 and Dolan edge past Luke Woodhouse 6‑4. In the semi‑finals, Humphries again defeated De Decker 7‑4 before beating Dolan 7‑4 in the final.
Fans can continue to follow darts action on Sky Sports, which will broadcast 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). Additional coverage, highlights and podcasts are available via the NOW streaming platform and the Love the Darts podcast. In summary, Humphries’ PC28 win not only adds another trophy to his season haul but also stalls Luke Littler’s bid for an unprecedented clean sweep of PDC majors. With several major events still to come, the race for dominance in 2026 remains wide open, promising more thrilling darts drama in the weeks ahead.