"I've not been at my absolute best in 2025": Luke Humphries admits but stays resolute ahead of Winmau World Masters tilt
PDC
Starting Thursday, the revamped Winmau World Masters gets underway in Milton Keynes. One of the most iconic tournaments ever falls under the banner of the PDC as of this year, taking the place of the Masters. Luke Humphries will be one of the favourites.
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Albeit not without 'Cool Hand Luke' having faced adversity in recent months. He has not been on form for some time and after multiple early exits in World Series tournaments and the World Championship will look to strike it lucky.
He faces Joe Cullen and is bullish about his 2025 prospects despite admitting himself that he is not in any form at all. He recalls the same scenario last year after becoming World Champion but now Luke Littler has that pressure and not him. That can either help or fold a player but with Humphries being one of the finest darting talents in the past era, he will look to recall that as he starts off.
Not having to go through the preliminary rounds will either help or hinder Cool Hand with some big names likely to go into tonight and tomorrow cold and others will strike it hot early. Humphries will look to go against his moniker and do the latter.
“I’ve not been at my absolute best in 2025 so far, but it was the same sort of scenario last year,” recalled the 29-year-old.
“I still managed to reel off some great tournament wins and I was in a lot of finals, so I’m feeling positive going into the Masters.
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“Going into the big majors is when I’m usually at my best, so I’m really looking forward to this weekend.“This is a newly-ranked event, so it would be a special feeling to become the first player to win it as a ranked tournament!"
Winmau World Masters starts today for me, and I'm looking forward to set- play again!
— Luke Humphries (@lukeh180) January 30, 2025
It'll be fast and furious against Joe, but I'm feeling good and hoping to go all the way this weekend.
See you later 💙@reddragondarts @cygroup2 @TaylorMaxwellCo Radamec @VibePay Redvanly pic.twitter.com/gSydfZOuEn
Samuel GillChief Content Officer
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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