Luke Humphries clinched his third Players Championship crown of the season by defeating Brendan Dolan 8-6 in the final of PC28, held at the Mattioli Arena in Leicester. The win not only added another trophy to Humphries' cabinet but also saw him reclaim the world No.
2 spot in the PDC Order of Merit, overtaking Gian van Veen during the day's action. This triumph marked Humphries' first PC title since his victory at PC17 in May, also staged at the same venue. The final was a tightly contested affair.
Dolan, who had earlier upset world No. 1 Luke Littler 7-4 in the semi‑finals, fought hard to keep the match close, but Humphries' steady scoring and clinical finishing proved decisive. The Englishman had already demonstrated his resilience earlier in the tournament, surviving six match darts against Danny Noppert in a 6-5 quarter‑final win before dispatching Mike De Decker 7-4 in the other semi‑final. Littler's campaign in Leicester was his second Players Championship appearance of the year.
After a quarter‑final loss to eventual PC27 champion Jermaine Wattimena the previous day, the 2024 world champion entered the event with a clear objective: to secure enough Order of Merit points to break into the top 64 and qualify for the Minehead finals in November. Having missed the first 26 Players Championship events, Littler currently sits 125th on the Order of Merit, some £16,750 shy of the 64th place.
With six tournaments remaining, he will need to compete in each and deliver strong performances to close the gap. Littler's season has been nothing short of remarkable.
He has already captured every major PDC title on offer in 2026 – the World Championship, Masters, UK Open, Premier League, World Cup of Darts and World Matchplay – and is now eyeing a historic clean sweep that would include the World Series, World Grand Prix, European Championship, Grand Slam of Darts and the Players Championship Finals. The next opportunity to keep that dream alive comes at the World Series event in Amsterdam from 17‑20 September, just two days before the next double‑header Players Championship in Den Bosch. By then, Littler will know whether his clean‑sweep bid remains viable. In Leicester, Littler opened his run with a 6-4 win over Stephen Rosney, but his second‑round match turned into a nail‑biter as he survived six match darts from world number 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 last four, where he finally met Dolan. The Irishman proved too strong, ending Littler's hopes for a showdown with Humphries. Humphries, meanwhile, returned to competitive play for the first time since his surprise first‑round exit to Cameron Menzies at the World Matchplay on 20 July. After a 6-3 loss to Cam Crabtree in his opening match in Leicester, Humphries hit a purple patch, winning all seven of his subsequent matches.
This was only his ninth floor event of the year, yet he has already claimed three titles – PC4, PC17 and now PC28 – underscoring his efficiency in limited appearances. He currently sits 13th on the Order of Merit with £52,000 in prize money, effectively guaranteeing his spot at the Minehead finals.
Speaking after his victory, Humphries admitted he had entered the tournament mainly for practice, saying, "I know it sounds crazy for someone ranked among the best to come here just for a bit of practice, but I needed to get back into a rhythm after a long break." He added that his confidence was growing despite not playing his absolute best, and he plans to spend the rest of the year sharpening his game on the practice board at home. "I want to stay at No. 2 and keep pushing Luke – and everyone else – because I love the fight," he explained.
Looking ahead, Humphries will travel to Budapest for the Hungarian Darts Trophy this weekend. He described his Leicester win as a confidence boost, noting that both he and his rival Luke Littler had not been at peak form over the past two days. "I don't want him to achieve the clean sweep. As much as fans would love to see it, I'd love to win a major this year and head into the World Championship with confidence," Humphries said.
When asked about his return to the No. 2 ranking after briefly losing it to van Veen in August, the 2024 world champion reflected, "Being No. 2 right now feels great. I'm probably about two million points away from Luke.
The only way to close that gap would be to win back‑to‑back World Championships, which is a massive challenge. He's been the best player over the last 18 months and fully deserves the top spot." The tournament results in brief: - Last 16: Humphries 6-5 Danny Noppert; Dolan 6-2 Karel Sedlacek; Littler 6-3 Andy Boulton; etc.
- Quarter‑finals: Humphries 6-4 Owen Bates; Dolan 6-4 Luke Woodhouse; Littler 6-4 Krzysztof Ratajski. - Semi‑finals: Humphries 7-4 Mike De De cker; Dolan 7-4 Luke Littler. - Final: Humphries 8-6 Brendan Dolan.
Sky Sports will continue 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, catch the latest highlights online, and tune into the "Love the Darts" podcast for further analysis.