Luke Humphries captured his third Players Championship crown of the season by edging out 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' collection 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.
The final was a tightly contested affair. Humphries, who had previously taken the No.
2 ranking from van Veen, managed to stay composed under pressure and out‑scored Dolan in the decisive legs. It marked Humphries' first Players Championship title since PC17 in May, also staged at the same venue, and underscored his resurgence after a relatively quiet spell earlier in the year. In the semi‑finals, Humphries dispatched Mike De Decker 7-4, having survived a harrowing six match darts against Danny Noppert in the previous round, where he eked out a 6-5 victory. Meanwhile, Dolan earned his place in the final by overcoming Luke Littler 7-4, thwarting a potential blockbuster showdown with the world No.
1. Littler, who was only making his second Players Championship appearance of the season, entered the tournament after a quarter‑final loss to eventual PC27 champion Jermaine Wattimena on Tuesday. Having missed the first 26 Players Championship events of the year, Littler is now racing to break into the top 64 of the Order of Merit in order to qualify for the Minehead finals in November. At present, his quarter‑final and semi‑final runs in Leicester have left him sitting 125th, a full £16,750 behind the 64th‑place cutoff.
With six events remaining, he will need to compete – and perform exceptionally – to keep his dream of a historic clean sweep alive. Littler's ambition this season is unprecedented: he aims to win every remaining major PDC title – the World Series, World Grand Prix, European Championship, Grand Slam of Darts and Players Championship Finals – a feat no player has ever accomplished. The World Series event is scheduled for Amsterdam from 17‑20 September, just two days before the next Players Championship double‑header in Den Bosch. By then, Littler will know whether his clean‑sweep campaign remains viable.
So far in 2026, Littler has already secured every major PDC trophy on offer: the World Championship, Masters, UK Open, Premier League, World Cup of Darts and World Matchplay. In Leicester, he opened his campaign with a 6-4 win over Stephen Rosney, then survived six match darts against world No. 107 Benjamin Pratnemer, ultimately prevailing in a deciding leg.
Quick victories over Martin Schindler, Andy Boulton and Krzysztof Ratajski propelled him into the last four, where he eventually fell to Dolan. Humphries, returning to competitive play for the first time since his shocking first‑round exit to Cameron Menzies at the World Matchplay on 20 July, had a mixed start in Leicester. He lost 6-3 to Cam Crabtree on Tuesday but then went on a winning streak, taking all seven of his matches on Wednesday. The Leicester event marked only his ninth floor tournament of the year, yet he already boasts three titles this season (PC4, PC17 and now PC28).
His consistent performances have placed him 13th on the Order of Merit with £52,000 in earnings, effectively guaranteeing his participation in the Minehead finals. Speaking after his victory, Humphries admitted his preparation had been limited: "Honestly, it sounds crazy, but I'm one of the best players in the world and I came here just for a bit of practice – to get back to normal. I hadn't played a Matchplay for two months, so I needed to get back into rhythm.
I didn't want to jump straight into the Euro Tour without any practice." He added, "I didn't expect to win a title this week because of the lack of practice, but I've had two good days and a lot of practice now. Over the next weeks and months I want to keep building on that.
I'm going to get back on the practice board at home as much as possible and dedicate the rest of the year to being my best, to stay at No. 2. Whether I keep it or not, I'll fight for it." Humphries will head to Budapest for the Hungarian Darts Trophy this weekend, viewing his Leicester triumph as a confidence boost despite not feeling at his peak.
"It's good confidence because I didn't play my best but still managed to win. A lot of players haven't been at their best these past two days, including Luke.
It's been funny. I'm just trying to get some practice and now it's about dedication for the rest of the year because I want to win a major," he said. He also expressed a desire to prevent Littler from completing the clean sweep: "I don't want him to have the clean sweep.
As much as everyone would love to see it, I'd love to win one this year and go into the Worlds with confidence. This win helps and I'm going to enjoy the moment." After regaining the No. 2 ranking – which he lost to van Veen in early August – the 2024 world champion reflected on his position: "I think that's as good as it gets at the moment, honestly. I'm about two million behind Luke.
The only way anyone can close that gap is by winning back‑to‑back World Championships, which will be tough. He's been the best player over the last 18 months and deserves his No. 1 spot." The tournament results were as follows: 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 broadcast darts throughout 2026, with the World Grand Prix (28 September‑4 October), Grand Slam of Darts (14‑22 November) and the World Darts Championship (10 December‑3 January) all live on the channel.
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