In Wigan, the fourth Players Championship of the season was completed yesterday. The title went to England’s Luke Humphries, who proved too strong for Dutchman Wessel Nijman in the final with an 8-6 win. For Humphries, it is the fifth Players Championship title of his career.
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Long drought finally ended
It had been since the 26th tournament in 2024 that Humphries last won a Players Championship, but in Wigan he set things straight. To further underline the 30-year-old Englishman’s dominance at Players Championship 4, he also produced the highest average of the day. “Cool Hand Luke” beat Niels Zonneveld 6-2 in the quarterfinals and posted an average of 108.53 in that match.
The second-highest average went to Callan Rydz. The Englishman was too strong for compatriot Andrew Gilding 6-4 in the last 16 and recorded a 107.80 average in that match. Rydz eventually fell in the semifinals after a 7-3 defeat to Nijman.
The top three averages were completed by Nijman. The 25-year-old Dutchman beat compatriot Marvin van Velzen 6-0 in the last 16 and produced a 107.36 average in that match.
The Players Championship continues again next week, with tournaments five and six of the season scheduled in Leicester on Tuesday and Wednesday respectively.
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There is also Pro Tour action this weekend. On Friday, the Poland Darts Open gets underway in Krakow, the first tournament of the 2026 European Tour. It is the first time a European Tour event takes place in Poland. The country has previously hosted the World Series of Darts.
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of DartsNews.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy across professional darts coverage. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces, playing a central role in the development and daily operation of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has extensive experience in darts media and has been closely involved in coverage of the professional darts circuit for several years. Within the UK darts community, he is a recognised figure known for his consistent editorial output and ongoing reporting on major tournaments and developments across the PDC calendar.
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