Humphries full of confidence
World champion Cool Hand Luke feels only two people can stop him winning the Premier League crown – Luke Littler and Michael van Gerwen.
He told Sky Sports after his latest win: “I’m not being arrogant, but if I play my A game there is only a couple of people who can test me in that manner – Luke Littler and Michael van Gerwen are the only two, I think, when I’m at my best.
“I’m not unbeatable but I’m putting in those kind of performances where it’ll take something big to beat me. If I keep playing like this it’s just going to take a tough performance to beat me.”
Premier League standings
Three wins in a row has given Luke Humphries a clear lead at the top of the table, with early pace setter Michael van Gerwen now lagging behind.
1.) Luke Humphries – 22 points
2. Michael van Gerwen – 15 points
3. Nathan Aspinall – 13 points
4. Michael Smith – 13 points
5. Luke Littler – 13 points
6. Rob Cross – 11 points
7. Gerwyn Price – 7 points
8. Peter Wright – 2 points
Littler withdraws from event
Luke Littler will not be playing at the Nordic Darts Masters in June.
The teen ace has withdrawn due to family commitments.
Newly-crowned UK Open champion Dimitri Van den Bergh will instead take the Nuke’s place in Denmark.
Top of the pops
Players Championship Order of Merit:
Rank – Name – Prize money (in units of £1,000)
1 Ryan Searle – £39.5
2 Gary Anderson – £33.5
3 Raymond van Barneveld – £27
4 Damon Heta – £22.5
5 Luke Littler – £19.5
6 Dave Chisnall – £18.5
7 Chris Dobey – £18
8 Dirk van Duijvenbode – £17
9 Peter Wright – £17
10 Ross Smith – £14
Premier League Darts prize money
Following tonight’s action, here is a reminder of what’s up for grabs.
Winner: £275,000
Runner-up: £125,000
Losing semi-finalists: £85,000
Fifth place: £75,000
Sixth place: £70,000
Seventh place: £65,000
Eighth place: £60,000
Winner’s bonus per tournament: £10,000 (x16)
Humphries enjoying his darts
Speaking on Sky Sports after his win, Humphries said:
“I’m not bored, I’m really enjoying myself. The start of the season I felt a little bit worn out. It felt really tough for me.
“Now I’m enjoying the game and that’s when I’m at my best.
“I feel like I belong here. The last three weeks have been fantastic, my standard has been really high. I’m not unbeatable but I feel like I’m at the stage where it takes a big performance to beat me.
“At the start I was so busy and I had to take time off. I feel like you have to manage your calendar in the best way. I’ve got to keep myself in the best frame of mind and best shape.
“Next week I want to create a record and win four on the trot.
“A lot of people think I’ve got one foot in the semis. But I don’t think that. I have to keep working hard.
“I’m not arrogant at all. But I feel if I play my A game I feel like there’s only a couple of people who can test me. Luke Littler and Michael van Gerwen, they are the two that can push me. Their A level can probably beat me.”