Luke Humphries wins darts title despite not wanting to play after fiancee message
Luke Humphries praised his fiancee for her unwavering support after winning at Players Championship 26. The current darts World No. 1 nearly missed the tournament in Wigan after considering skipping it altogether.
Overcoming a formidable run of opponents, Humphries defeated George Killington, Callum Goffin, Connor Scutt, Josh Rock, Dave Chisnall, and Luke Woodhouse en route to the final. Once there, he edged out Stephen Bunting in a nail-biting 8-7 victory, further cementing his position at the summit of the PDC Order of Merit.
With an impressive £1,681,750 prize money over the past two years, Humphries comfortably leads the pack, leaving Michael Smith's £1,069,250 in his wake. Reflecting on his time with the PDC, Luke thanked his fiancee and discussed the emotional ups and downs before the event.
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"It is, and it hasn't been the way the last couple of weeks, to be fair. As you do, you're on Twitter, and a lot of people are saying, 'No chance, he's not going to retain his title'."
"You know, this is what happens in darts, you go through spurts where you're playing fantastic, and then you go through spurts where they ain't going very good. You can't buy a win.
"Yesterday, I didn't want to be here. Fair play to my fiancee Kayley because she's like, 'Play tomorrow', and I was like 'No, I think it's time for a break. I'm knackered, I really am."
"But she was like, 'No, go and give it a go. You might give yourself some confidence,' and obviously, she was right."
He added a dedication to his father, saying, "That one was for you, Dad. A nice one for him; I'm sure he'll raise a pint for himself for that one."