Earnings revealed after Luke Humphries beats Luke Littler to win Players Championship
WATCH NOW: Sports round-up as Luke Humphries beats Luke Littler to win Players Championship
Luke Humphries has earned £120,000 after beating Luke Littler to win the Players Championship in Minehead on Sunday night.
Humphries went into the competition as the defending champion, having beaten Michael van Gerwen 12 months ago.
And the 29-year-old was too strong for Littler on Sunday evening, with Humphries securing an 11-7 triumph to secure glory.
The world No 1 has now earned £120,000 of the £600,000 prize money available, with Littler walking away with £60,000 to his name.
Darts news: Luke Humphries has earned £120,000 after beating Luke Littler to win the Players Championship in Minehead on Sunday night
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The prize money was the same as 12 months ago, when Humphries beat Van Gerwen despite the Dutchman managing a terrific nine-darter during the final.
Speaking after his win, Humphries showed class by saying he actually feels Littler is the best player on the planet - rather than himself.
"It is satisfying," he said. "I'd love to be up here hitting 105 averages like Luke is all the time but he's a different calibre.
"He's probably the best player in the world right now. If you go by stats, he's easily the best player in the world. But there's something about me that never gives up.
"As much as he is the best, I know I can beat him, he knows he can beat me.
"So this is a great way to go the Worlds now. A lot of people probably thought Luke was going to win this one and the Worlds.
"We like unpredictability in darts and that's what we've got in the last few months. Now, we've got that in the Worlds, who's going to win - me or Luke? Or is it going to be someone else? We'll have to find out!
"I said to Luke, there's a lot of pressure on our shoulders. Everyone expected a 110-average game there.
"But it's hard to do it after a long day. When you're playing the best in the world, and he's playing one of the best in the world, it's hard to perform and be at that 110 average.
"I thought it was a decent game after the first five or six games.
"We're two players now that have to go on. He's made me a bit hungrier to try a bit harder to practice more and work out.
"If no one sticks with him, he's going to win everything. Maybe I'm that guy that can stick with him and have a good run over the next 5-10 years.
"I do believe we're the two best players in the world and I'm going to have to keep working hard to keep up with him."
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HUMPHRIES GOES BACK-TO-BACK! 🏆
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) November 24, 2024
Luke Humphries retains his Players Championship Finals title!
Cool Hand puts on an absolute clinic to defeat Luke Littler 11-7 in an epic final!
📺 https://t.co/AmuG0PMn18 #PCF2024 | Final pic.twitter.com/nZDWPUVjWE
As for Littler, the teenager was gracious in defeat.
The 17-year-old said: "It was tough, I missed a few doubles.
"Luke could've been 5-0 up, I could've been. If you don't take your chances early on, it's a lot to come back. I hit the 170 and the 164 but I just didn't have enough in the end.
"It's just like Luke said, he needs to take advantage before I start winning them.
Darts news: Luke Littler and Luke Humphries lavished praise on each other after the Players Championship final
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"I don't blame him! Sound. It's been a good past two weeks.
"I can't wait to go home, chill out and obviously practice at home for the Worlds. That's it now, leading up to the big one.
"We always produce our best against each other. But like I said that first session, I didn't have enough to get it back and Luke took full advantage.
"So fair enough to him."
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