Sublime Luke Humphries blows everyone away to claim Players Championship 17 “When it clicks for me, it clicks for me!”

Luke Humphries continued his superb run of form on the ProTour by defeating Jermaine Wattimena 8-4 to capture Players Championship 17 in Leicester on Monday evening.

The world number two produced another stunning day of darts at the Mattioli Arena, averaging an incredible 104.74 across the tournament to secure his second Players Championship title of the season and reinforce his position among the game’s leading stars.

Humphries collected the £15,000 winner’s cheque after producing yet another clinical display in the final, averaging just under 105 against Wattimena in what proved to be his sixth ton-plus average of a remarkable campaign.

The former World Champion was briefly under pressure in the early stages of the final as Wattimena burst out of the blocks to establish a two-leg advantage.

However, Humphries quickly shifted momentum in emphatic fashion.

The Englishman reeled off three consecutive legs in just 37 darts to turn a 2-0 deficit into a 3-2 lead, showcasing the relentless scoring power and ruthless finishing that defined his day in Leicester.

Wattimena responded strongly with a clinical five-visit leg to keep himself firmly in contention, but Humphries once again elevated his game, stringing together another run of three successive legs to move clear of the Dutchman.

Although Wattimena managed to claim another leg to reduce the deficit, Humphries remained firmly in control and closed out the contest with legs of 16 and 14 darts to seal an emphatic 8-4 triumph.

“I was gutted about the Wessel Nijman game, I thought it was going to be one of those days,” admitted Humphries, whose clash against the ProTour Order of Merit leader was his only match of the day below a ton average.

“I said to my family members throughout the day that it was just going to be one of those days.

“When it clicks for me, it clicks for me! When it does, I think people see I’m one of the best players in the world.

“It sets a standard for myself, I can do this a lot more, it’s just up to me to try and provide it a lot more than I do!”

Humphries also reflected on the confidence he has rediscovered in recent weeks following his qualification for next week’s Premier League Play-Offs at The O2 Arena in London.

“As soon as I walked into that game against Rhys [Griffin], I think I almost had four 11-dart legs on the spin, I knew the game was there today.

“I remember thinking throughout parts of the day that I felt like I just couldn’t miss, and that’s always a dangerous person when you feel like that.”

The world number two made an immediate statement in his opening-round clash against Griffin, averaging a staggering 112.18 in a commanding 6-3 victory.

That performance set the tone for the remainder of the tournament.

Humphries followed it up with further ton-plus averages against Yorick Hofkens, Justin Hood and Christian Kist, averaging 103, 109 and 105 respectively to cruise into the last 16.

A tougher assignment awaited against in-form Dutchman Wessel Nijman, but Humphries still managed to produce a composed 6-3 success before delivering another outstanding display to sweep aside Danny Noppert 7-2 in the semi-finals.

Despite falling short in the final, Wattimena enjoyed one of his strongest runs of the year to continue an encouraging spell on the ProTour circuit.

The Dutchman began the day with consecutive victories over compatriots Alexander Merkx and Jeffrey Sparidaans before comfortably defeating Stephen Burton 6-2 to advance to round four.

Wattimena then dispatched Belgian star Dimitri Van den Bergh by the same scoreline to set up a quarter-final clash with Stephen Bunting.

The Dutchman produced one of the standout comebacks of the day against the former Masters champion.

Bunting raced into a 3-1 lead despite Wattimena landing a brilliant 13-dart leg in the second, but “The Machine Gun” responded with a devastating spell of darts, winning five consecutive legs — all in five visits or fewer — to storm into the semi-finals with a 6-3 victory.

Wattimena maintained that momentum in an all-Dutch semi-final against Kevin Doets.

After the pair traded the opening four legs to leave the contest level at 2-2, Wattimena completely took control, reeling off five straight legs in just 66 darts to complete a dominant 7-2 victory with an average exceeding 111.

The performance secured the 38-year-old a place in his second Players Championship final of the season and further highlighted his return to form.

Elsewhere in Leicester, Danny Noppert and Kevin Doets also impressed by reaching the quarter-finals, while Stephen Bunting battled through three consecutive deciding-leg matches to continue his consistent ProTour form.

The former Masters champion edged past Cristo Reyes, Mensur Suljović and Damon Heta in a trio of dramatic encounters before eventually bowing out to Wattimena.

Nijman also continued his excellent season despite his defeat to Humphries, while Welshman Robert Owen enjoyed one of the surprise runs of the tournament.

Owen defeated Maik Kuivenhoven, Ryan Meikle and Gabriel Clemens on his way to the quarter-finals before his campaign came to an end.

Dirk van Duijvenbode, who reached the final of Players Championship 15 earlier in the week, also performed strongly in Leicester but fell short against fellow Dutchman Doets despite averaging close to 100.

The ProTour action concludes on Tuesday with Players Championship 18, as another 128-player field competes for the £15,000 top prize at the Mattioli Arena.

Sublime Luke Humphries blows everyone away to claim Players Championship 17

2026 Players Championship Seventeen

Monday May 18

Mattioli Arena, Leicester

Last 16

Wessel Nijman 6-5 Andrew Gilding

Luke Humphries 6-2 Christian Kist

Rob Owen 6-2 Maik Kuivenhoven

Danny Noppert 6-3 Ryan Searle

Dirk van Duijvenbode 6-2 Ross Smith

Kevin Doets 6-2 Ross Smith

Stephen Bunting 6-5 Damon Heta

Jermaine Wattimena 6-2 Dimitri Van den Bergh

Quarter-Finals

Luke Humphries 6-3 Wessel Nijman

Danny Noppert 6-5 Rob Owen

Kevin Doets 6-4 Dirk van Duijvenbode

Jermaine Wattimena 6-3 Stephen Bunting

Semi-Finals

Luke Humphries 7-3 Danny Noppert

Jermaine Wattimena 7-2 Kevin Doets

Final

Luke Humphries 8-4 Jermaine Wattimena