Luke Humphries closes in on Littler and Nijman: Race for most PDC titles in 2026 tightens

Luke Humphries has added further shine to his strong season. The former world champion claimed his sixth title of 2026 on Wednesday by winning Players Championship 28. That result cements Humphries among the year’s most successful players. Only Wessel Nijman and Luke Littler have lifted more titles so far.

Humphries enjoyed another excellent day in Leicester and ultimately beat Northern Irishman Brendan Dolan 8-6 in the final. With that, “Cool Hand Luke” added another Players Championship trophy to an already impressive résumé. It is also his third Players Championship title of the season, after earlier wins at Players Championship 4 and Players Championship 17. In total, it was the seventh Players Championship title of his career.

The Englishman has enjoyed a notably successful 2026 overall. Beyond his three Pro Tour titles, Humphries also delivered on the World Series of Darts stage. He defended his crown at the US Darts Masters in New York. In a thrilling final he saw off Luke Littler, edging it 8-7 to underline once more that he stands tall in the biggest matches.

Humphries also took the title at the Belgian Darts Open. In addition, he was part of the England team that won the World Cup of Darts. The former world number one has now collected six different titles in 2026. It underlines that Humphries has been successful across multiple stages throughout the season.

Humphries does not currently top the list for most titles won. That honour goes to Wessel Nijman for now. The 26-year-old Dutchman has already won eight tournaments in 2026—six Players Championships and two European Tour events—making him the year’s most successful player. Luke Littler also sits above Humphries for the moment, with seven titles to his name.

The gap is narrow, though, and with plenty of the season still to play, the order can shift completely. Humphries has also shown he can string titles together in quick succession. His triumph at Players Championship 28 is the latest proof.

For Humphries, it is also an important marker heading into the second half of the season. Long viewed as a banker at the major TV events, he is showing in 2026 that he can produce sustained, high-level form on the Pro Tour as well.

On six titles, Humphries is just two wins behind Nijman and one behind Littler. The race to be 2026’s most successful player is wide open. If Humphries maintains this level, it seems only a matter of time before he gets another shot at closing the gap further.