"They say he’s not the second best, but I’ve shown it all the time that I’ve been the most consistent player" – Luke Humphries dismisses criticism of early major losses

Luke Humphries treated the crowd to a match that will resonate for a long time. In a duel that had everything – a historic nine-darter, sky-high averages, a strong comeback from his opponent, and a nerve-jangling final leg – the defending champion at the Winmau World Masters ultimately edged it.

In a particularly high-quality contest in the second round of the Winmau World Masters 2026, Humphries was eventually too strong for Luke Woodhouse, winning 4–3. From the very first dart it was clear Humphries was in an exceptional groove. The Englishman started ferociously and seemed to overwhelm his opponent in the opening sets. The absolute highlight came early: a perfect leg in nine darts. Not only a rare feat in itself, but extra special as the first nine-darter ever on the new board.

“That nine-darter was obviously fantastic,” Humphries said post match. “I was in that flow state the first two sets and I was quite happy there was a break after it because your adrenaline is so high, you just need five minutes to calm yourself down a little bit.”

At the same time, he acknowledged how difficult it can be to reset after such a moment. “I don’t think I was calm, to be honest,” he admitted. “I was trying my best to relax myself but you feel a little bit uptight. You’ve kind of just done something great and it’s not easy to do.”

Losing the third set helped bring him back down. “Probably me losing that third set relaxed me a little bit,” Humphries explained. “Then I won the fourth, and it’s a good situation to be in.”

What followed was a match full of momentum swings. Where Humphries initially looked set for a comfortable victory, Woodhouse refused to go away. Humphries was quick to stress that this was not down to his own level dropping. “I don’t think the next two sets I lost was because I dwindled too much,” he said. “It was more that he showed a lot of bottle to come back and play really good. To me it was just a great game of darts.”

Despite the drama, the standard remained remarkably high throughout. Humphries’ average hovered around the 105–106 mark for much of the contest, with only one brief dip. “Honestly, I think the third set was probably the only one that I kind of maybe had a little bit of a lull in it,” he said. “But you kind of expect it sometimes. It can’t be perfect all the time.”

What mattered most was how he responded in the decisive moments. That was underlined in the final leg, when Humphries faced a tricky 54 checkout. “That 54 was always really tough to hit,” he said. “It doesn’t matter what tournament it is, if it’s a Players Championship or a world final, to take out that 54 on a last-leg decider.”

Pulling it off under pressure meant a lot. “I’ve done it under the most real pressurised circumstances,” Humphries added. “I can’t look back at them darts now and go they can’t work.”

That comment tied directly into another major talking point: his recent equipment changes. Known for being superstitious, Humphries does not alter his setup lightly. “It takes a lot for me to change things,” he explained. “I don’t want to change shirt because I’ve achieved so much in the last one. I didn’t want to change darts because last year was good.”

However, he felt the time was right to step outside his comfort zone. “For someone with anxiety it’s always about keeping the same things,” he said. “But I thought, you know what, let’s change, let’s do something different. The darts seemed to be going really well, so I’m quite happy and I’m glad I changed.”

The performance confirmed his belief in the new setup. “I can’t just have one bad game and go, ‘Let’s change back because they ain’t working,’” Humphries said. “I’ve showed two games now that I can score well, finish well and show bottle at the end of the game.”

Humphries made clear that he is always looking for marginal gains. “I’m always searching,” he said. “I’m still working on a new barrel to take me to the next level. There might be another extra mil on that and another point that can make me even better, so I’ll keep trying.”

That drive comes from a desire to win more, not simply to be content. “It’s always great feeling content and enjoying being the second-best player and earning a good living,” he admitted. “But you want to win more and more, and of course I do.”

He also addressed perceptions that he is sometimes written off too quickly. “Sometimes you lose a couple of games early and everyone sort of degrades you a little bit,” he said. “They say, ‘He’s not the second best.’ But I’ve shown it all the time that I’ve been the most consistent player.”

Big stages bring out his best, he feels. “In the big majors when it really matters, I’m always at a high level,” Humphries added. “I feel like I’ve been the first or second best performer in this tournament as well.”

Humphries was also full of praise for his opponent. Luke Woodhouse – often dubbed ‘the third Luke’ – earned genuine respect. “I said to him after, you’re going to be disappointed, but you showed you’ve got the bottle now,” Humphries said. “The one thing you could take away from tonight was he’s shown that next level now.”

He believes Woodhouse has everything needed to move further up the rankings. “He’s got the bottle, he’s got that determination, he’s got the scoring power and the finishing to match anybody,” Humphries said. “He’s definitely got the game to challenge himself and maybe get top 16, higher in the rankings.”

According to Humphries, the contest encapsulated what makes modern darts so compelling. “It ebbed and flowed,” he said. “For the fans it’s always great to watch them sort of things.” Winning, of course, made it even sweeter. “I enjoyed it because I won,” he smiled. “You lose it, it’s a bit disappointing, but to have a nine-darter, a really close game and win the decider — it’s a perfect night.”

In terms of where it ranks personally, Humphries places it high, though not at the very top. “The game with Joe Cullen at the World Championship will always stay with me,” he said. “Without that game I wouldn’t have been world champion.”

Still, this one will linger in the memory. “That one will definitely be up there as one of them games where you remember it for a bit of time,” Humphries said. “If you go on and win the trophy then you definitely remember it even more.”

Finally, he reflected on the ever-rising standard in the PDC. “There have been a few instances this year where 100 isn’t enough,” he said. “It’s nothing to do with that — it’s more to do with the standards just getting better. Where 100 averages used to be exceptional, it’s just a normal thing nowadays. It’s 110 averages that mean more now.”