"Everybody sees that I am definitely one of the best players in the world": Luke Humphries proves doubters wrong with incredible Players Championship 17 run

Luke Humphries delivered an emphatic reminder of why he still belongs among the absolute elite of world darts. Averaging over 106 in the final, he capped off an exceptional day on the Players Championship circuit. After weeks of inconsistency and criticism surrounding his form, Humphries provided exactly the response he had been searching for both on stage and to his rivals.

The reigning Premier League Darts champion was in sensational form throughout the day and defeated, among others, top seed Wessel Nijman on his way to the title. In the final, he beat Jermaine Wattimena 8–4. It was especially the manner in which Humphries dominated that stood out. He admitted afterward that he had sensed early on that it could be one of those days where everything clicks.

“I was on about the Wessel Nijman game — I almost felt like I was destined to have one of those days. I said to a few of my family members through the day, ‘I think it’s just one of them days.’ When it clicks for me, I think everybody sees that I am definitely one of the best players in the world," he said post final.

“I think that’s obvious, but it sets a standard for myself as well. People know I can do that a lot more often, it’s just up to me to try and produce it more consistently. That’s the problem.”

Interestingly, Humphries did not initially feel he was heading toward a special day. During practice there was little indication of the dominant run that would follow.

“No, not really. I was with my best mates, Cameron Crabtree and Owen Bates, and we were having a game of cricket and a bit of fun. I wasn’t really doing anything incredible in practice where you’d think, ‘You’re on for a good day," he continued.

“But as soon as I walked into that first game against Rhys, the first leg set a good standard, the second leg was good, and even though I missed a couple of doubles, I almost had four 11-darters on the trot. I just knew the game was there today right from the start. I remember thinking at parts of the day that I felt like I couldn’t miss, and that’s always dangerous when you feel like that.”

A crucial moment on the road to the title was the victory over Wessel Nijman. Despite averaging “only” 94, Humphries still managed to come through comfortably against the Dutchman, who has already won multiple Players Championship titles this year. According to Humphries, that says a lot about his mental strength.

"Wessel in this environment, in this room, is probably the best player in the world at Players Championship events. Me and Luke Littler maybe aren’t, because Wessel is the king of these events — he knows what to do and how to cope with these days.

“So to beat him was obviously great. I felt like my standard dipped a little bit in that game, but then it went back up again. Against Danny Noppert it got a bit tight and tough for me, but I really pushed through that one.

“When you look back at the day, apart from maybe that Wessel game, it’s probably a level I’ve never seen from myself before, especially in terms of consistency.”

The strong performance comes at a key stage of the season. Humphries recently secured his place in the Premier League play-offs after spending a long period under pressure. Many saw it as proof of his class, especially given the criticism he has faced in recent months.

“It’s not really been my year in certain aspects. There have been a lot of Premier League nights where things just haven’t gone my way and it’s felt like hard work.

“The way I’ve been playing over the last three Premier League nights has been good. I’ve only won one of them, but there have been a couple of close finals with Luke and a good performance last week, then a really good day today.

“It puts me in good stead, not just for Thursday, but for Finals Night at The O2. To just creep into the Play-Offs and then potentially go on and win it and become back-to-back Premier League champion — that would really whet the appetite.

One major change was his decision to return to his old darts and flights. According to Humphries, that ultimately proved crucial.

“Everyone knows I changed back to my old points and flights, and look how it’s going again. Maybe the problem this year was trying to change something that wasn’t broken. I was trying to better myself, but maybe I can do that with the equipment I was already using.

Albeit Humphries won't now try and go back-to-back as he made his return to the ProTour and will promptly withdraw from Tuesday's action. “I’ll have a day off tomorrow, then prepare for Thursday because I still want to win and keep the momentum going. Hopefully when I go to The O2, I can put on a good show and defend my title.”

Interestingly, Humphries credited part of his renewed calmness to a new hobby outside darts: golf. He admitted he had previously been cautious about the sport for fear of injuries or negative effects on his game.

Now, however, Humphries sees it as an important way to stay mentally refreshed.

“I think that’s helped me a little bit. I used to be very sceptical about playing golf because I didn’t want injuries or anything to hinder my performances, but you can’t avoid things like that your whole life and I love playing golf.

“If I’ve got a couple of days off, I’ll tend to have a round. I usually won’t do it the day before I play, but it’s not doing me any harm, so I’ll keep doing it.”

Thanks to his tournament victory, Humphries has already secured qualification for the Players Championship Finals in Minehead. That gives him more freedom in planning the rest of his season. Still, he is not ruling out the possibility of playing even more floor tournaments.

His appetite has now been wet to come back and try and win more he admits despite knowing in his own mind that he is unlikely to play that many.

“These events can be really good for you because they keep you fresh and sharpened up, but they can also be bad if you come in playing well and then suddenly don’t perform because it can affect your momentum.

“I hadn’t qualified for the Players Championship Finals until today, so I knew I had to come here and my goal was to win. I’m pretty sure I can’t be caught now.

“This won’t be the last Players Championship event you see me at this year. I’ll probably play the Wigan ones and maybe a couple more weekends on the tour. I’ll also probably play a good few of the remaining European Tour events.

“But there are priorities. I’ve got kids and family at home that I need to balance things with. I do enjoy these events though, it’s just unfortunate that I have to take a bit of a back seat sometimes.

“I’ve done well this year though, so maybe I should play a little bit more. To be fair, maybe I’ll end up playing a few more than I’ve just announced.”