Sub edited by Oscar Sullivan
Embed from Getty ImagesAn action-packed weekend of darts has come to an end, with Luke Humphries the ultimate victor in a hard-fought final of the Players Championship Finals against Michael Van Gerwen.
‘Mighty Mike’ seemingly had the game all but won, leading 9-5 in the third session, and even having graced the game with an emphatic nine-dart finish in the fifth leg. Over the course of the weekend, the Dutchman also set the record for the highest average ever in the competition with a monstrous 118.52 against former European Championship winner Ross Smith.
Humphries had other ideas though, as he dug deep and won six legs in a row to secure his third major title in only seven weeks with an 11-9 victory. It marks the 23rd time in history that both players have averaged over 100 in a major final.
The Players Championships Finals title means that he has now won three major titles in only seven weeks.
The Newbury ace has recently cemented his name amongst the best in the world, being only the third player ever to win the Grand Slam and Grand Prix back-to-back. He joined the legendary Phil Taylor and Michael Van Gerwen in this feat.
After winning the Grand Slam in October, the 28-year-old vowed to become world number one and to win the PDC World Championships which begins later this year. He has since been made favourite for the competition and seems to be in near-unstoppable form, having only lost 10 of his last 53 matches.
Going into the final, ‘Cool Hand’ Luke boasted a 30-day average of 101.41, which is enough to strike fear into any opponent. He also holds the record for the highest average in a ranking event this year with 119.5, which proves that he has an A-game that could topple any opponent.
Pundits debate whether we are seeing a new era emerge in the world of darts, as it becomes increasingly likely that Humphries will eventually take the spot as world number one. Defeating the legendary MVG in a final was symbolic of this. Michael even said prior to the game that Luke would have to beat him before he would consider admitting he is the best player in the world right now, and now, he has.
In a post-match interview, Humphries described how much it meant to defeat ‘the great of our generation’ in a final.
