Luke ‘Cool Hand’ Humphries has clinched his third Players Championship title of 2026 at Players Championship 28 in Leicester, navigating a series of nail-biting encounters and overcoming a resilient Brendan Dolan in the final. This victory not only secured him £15,000 but also saw him reclaim his spot as world number two. Humphries fought through match darts against him in earlier rounds and then faced Dolan, who had just sensationally defeated world number one Luke Littler. ‘Cool Hand’ expressed his determination to stop Littler’s dominant run in the future.
Humphries’ Resilient Path to Glory
Just a day after suffering a first-round defeat, former world champion Luke Humphries showcased incredible resilience to secure his third PDC Players Championship triumph of 2026. His journey began with a hard-fought 6-4 victory over Mario Vandenbogaerde, avoiding another early exit.
He then delivered a **blistering 6-1 demolition of Tommy Lishman**, achieving an impressive 108.66 average, including an 11-dart finish to win the match. However, his next two matches were far from easy, as Humphries **survived multiple match darts against both Bradley Brooks and Danny Noppert**. The Last 16 clash against Noppert was particularly tense, with the Dutchman incredibly **missing six match darts** before Humphries finally prevailed.
Humphries then found his rhythm, securing a 6-4 win over Owen Bates in the quarter-finals, followed by a convincing 7-4 semi-final victory against Mike De Decker, where he averaged 99.97.
The Thrilling Final: Humphries vs. Dolan
This set the stage for a captivating final against Brendan Dolan. Just moments before, the Irish veteran had caused a significant upset, stunning world number one Luke Littler with a 7-4 victory in the other semi-final. Dolan’s bid for a remarkable double victory over two of the sport’s top stars started strongly, as he established an early 3-2 lead in the final.
However, Humphries responded with a **relentless three-leg burst**. This included successive 12-dart finishes and a crucial two-dart 83 checkout to break Dolan’s throw, creating a two-leg buffer at 5-3. Dolan fought back valiantly, but despite his efforts, he couldn’t secure a crucial break of throw. Humphries did just enough to maintain his advantage, sealing the **8-6 win with another 12-darter** and claiming the **£15,000 prize money**.
Humphries’ Ambition: Stopping the ‘Nuke’
Speaking after his victory, which saw him leapfrog Gian van Veen to reclaim his place in the world’s top two, Humphries reflected on his challenging day and his future ambitions:
- “Three wins in a calendar year is really tough… I’m really pleased that I’ve come back after a long hiatus and I’m back playing well.”
- He candidly admitted, “I can’t lie and say today was easy. It was really tough and maybe I got away with a few results against Bradley [Brooks] and Danny Noppert. Sometimes I just think you’ve got to ride your luck and hopefully pick up the title, and today is a special day for me.”
- Looking ahead, Humphries expressed his fierce determination to challenge Luke Littler’s dominance: “This might give me some confidence going into the big majors, because **Luke [Littler] is going to want to win everything, but I’m going to be the one trying to stop him!**”
- He concluded by emphasizing his commitment: “I’m going to get back on the practice board at home now and dedicate the rest of the year towards trying to be my best.”
The Journeys of Other Stars
Brendan Dolan’s Impressive Run
Prior to his semi-final exploits against Littler and his strong showing in the final, Dolan had a tough road to navigate. He battled through a series of encounters, including a 6-4 win over Yorick Hofkens, and then edged past Scott Williams and Sebastian Bialecki in a pair of tense **last-leg deciders**. He also secured a 6-2 win over Karel Sedlacek and a 6-4 quarter-final victory against Luke Woodhouse.
Luke Littler’s Rollercoaster Campaign
Luke Littler’s run to the semi-finals, though ending in defeat to Dolan, still added another £6,500 to his ranking. This is crucial for his late bid to qualify for November’s Players Championship Finals. ‘The Nuke’ showed flashes of brilliance, averaging 107 and 100 in impressive wins over Martin Schindler and Krzysztof Ratajski. However, his journey almost ended much earlier. He recovered from 4-2 down in the opening round to overcome Stephen Rosney and then **survived an astonishing six match darts** to edge past Slovenia’s Benjamin Pratnemer.
Currently, Littler finds himself 125th in the race for the Players Championship Finals, approximately **£17,000 behind 64th place**. With only six events remaining in 2026, and only two of them in England, Littler may need to travel to the Netherlands for a floor event before the year’s end to secure his spot.
Other Notable Performances
- **Mike De Decker (Belgium):** Completed the semi-final line-up, notably securing his **first career victory over Dutch superstar Michael van Gerwen** along the way. He also defeated Dirk van Duijvenbode and emerged victorious from a last-leg tie-breaker against compatriot Kim Huybrechts.
- **Owen Bates:** His impressive run was ended by Humphries in the quarter-finals. Earlier, he had **dumped out top seed Wessel Nijman** and achieved a clinical 6-1 win over Justin Hood with a 103+ average.
- **Jermaine Wattimena:** The defending champion’s hopes of back-to-back titles were halted in the opening round, making him one of ten seeded players to exit early.
What’s Next in the Darts World?
The 2026 PDC Players Championship circuit will continue next month in Den Bosch, Netherlands, with Players Championship 29 and 30 scheduled for September 22-23.
Before that, the PDC Pro Tour continues its rapid pace with the PDC European Tour resuming a triple-header over the next three weekends:
- **Hungarian Darts Trophy (ET11):** Budapest, August 28-30
- **Czech Darts Open (ET12):** Prague, September 4-6
- **Flanders Darts Trophy (ET13):** Antwerp, September 11-13
Source: Based on an article from Darts Planet TV.
