Tommy Morris stuns Luke Humphries to claim maiden Players Championship title

Tommy Morris sensationally claimed the Players Championship 34 title with an 8-5 victory over Luke Humphries in the final to become the sixth player to win a PDC ranking title without holding a Tour Card.

The 34th and final Players Championship event of the year took place at the Mattioli Arena in Leicester, with huge implications in the qualification races for the Players Championship Finals and the World Darts Championship.

However, Challenge Tour top-up player Morris stole the headlines with his remarkable triumph, defeating world number three Humphries to claim a landmark first ranking title.

“I’ve come from nothing. I haven’t even got a Tour Card,” said an emotional Morris, who will feature at the Grand Slam of Darts and World Championship for the first time later this year.

“For me to come here and do that, I’m just flying my flag for where I live. I’m doing it for my family. I’m so happy.

“Luke is one of the guys that I really look up to. Last year I was watching him on the TV and I said to myself: ‘I can do that.’

“For me to beat Luke like that, I’m very, very proud of myself.

“This is my dream. I had a target at the start of the year to reach the World Championship.”

Morris saw off former World Champion Rob Cross 6-3 to kickstart his run, before whitewashing Ricky Evans in round two – putting Evans’ World Championship hopes in jeopardy.

The 34-year-old then bagged a hat-trick of 6-3 wins over Rob Owen, top seed Wessel Nijman and Jermaine Wattimena to reach the semi-finals, including an average in excess of 102 against Nijman.

The Poole-based star, who lost in the Players Championship 32 final to Chris Dobey last week in Den Bosch, reached another final by defeating Spanish number one Cristo Reyes 7-4 from 4-1 down.

Despite trailing 2-0 in the final, Morris claimed five of the next six legs to lead 5-3, capitalising on an off-colour doubling display from his opponent to seal an 8-5 victory courtesy of a magnificent 161 checkout.

“My next target is to get a Tour Card and be with these boys full-time. They’ve made me feel so welcome,” added Morris.

“It’s a breath of fresh air to be around them, and to win one of these PDC events is very overwhelming for me.

“I’ve beaten some great players over the last few weeks, and putting the cherry on top is beating Luke.

“This is definitely the door opening for me. I’m very honoured. I’m looking forward to the rest of the year.”

Humphries came close to following up Wednesday’s Players Championship 33 title with a second successive triumph, only to be denied a ninth ranking title of 2026.

The world number three recovered from 4-1 down to edge past Mike De Decker 6-5 in his opening content, before sweeping aside Bradley Brooks and Justin Hood.

The World Grand Prix champion’s best performance of the day came in his 6-3 triumph over Ricardo Pietreczko, averaging 107 to deny the German number two qualification for the Players Championship Finals.

Humphries then defeated Michael van Gerwen 6-3 – recording his sixth successive victory in ranking matches against the three-time World Champion – before battling past a valiant Jack Aldridge 7-5 with another ton-plus average to reach the final.

Aldridge was excellent in reaching a maiden ProTour semi-final, threatening to win the title as another non-Tour Card Holder himself.

The 37-year-old saw off the likes of William O’Connor and Danny Noppert in breaking new ground.

Reyes completed the Last Four line-up, reflecting his resurgent return to the ProTour with wins over Chris Dobey and Kim Huybrechts.

Dobey struck a nine-darter during his 6-1 rout of Tom Bissell in the Last 32, averaging 112 in the stand-out performance of the day.

The race for Players Championship Finals qualification concluded in dramatic fashion, with over ten players sealing their Minehead fates on the final day of action despite multiple first round losses.

Michael Smith and Ritchie Edhouse qualified on the final day of action, despite both suffering opening round defeats to Adam Leek and Connor Scutt respectively.

Henry Coates – who won Event 25 as a non-Tour Card Holder in July – squeezed in as the 64th and final player despite suffering a first round defeat to Jeffrey de Zwaan, with De Decker qualifying in 63rd in spite of an opening round loss to Humphries.

Coates is also set to make his debut at the World Championship in December barring an incredible Grand Slam run from an unqualified player, with the 20-year-old currently occupying the 40th and final ProTour qualifier spot.

Wesley Plaisier’s opening round defeat to Cameron Menzies proved costly, with the Dutchman finishing one spot outside of a Players Championship Finals place and World Championship qualification through the ProTour.

There were a number of big names that failed to qualify for the Players Championship Finals, including world number eight Josh Rock, who succumbed to a 6-3 defeat in round two to Harry Ward, while Ryan Joyce also failed to qualify for the first time since 2017, losing to Pietreczko in his opening match.

Players Championship 34 Results

Thursday November 5

First Round
Martin Schindler 6-4 Mickey Mansell
Nick Kenny 6-4 Dominik Gruellich
Wessel Nijman 6-4 Adam Paxton
Richard Veenstra 6-5 Callan Rydz
Damon Heta 6-2 Jim Long
Rob Owen 6-0 Dimitri Van den Bergh
Tommy Morris 6-3 Rob Cross
Ricky Evans 6-2 Niall Culleton
Sebastian Bialecki 6-3 Adam Warner
Cam Crabtree 6-2 Max Hopp
Jermaine Wattimena 6-0 Arno Merk
Benjamin Pratnemer 6-5 Tavis Dudeney
Stephen Bunting 6-2 Thibault Tricole
Gary Anderson 6-2 Andy Boulton
Marvin Kraft 6-4 Niels Zonneveld
Owen Bates 6-4 Rusty-Jake Rodriguez
Kim Huybrechts 6-5 Martijn Dragt
James Hurrell 6-3 Stephen Rosney
Chris Landman 6-2 Luke Woodhouse
Madars Razma 6-5 Oskar Lukasiak
Josh Rock 6-5 Tyler Thorpe
Harry Ward 6-5 Ian White
James Wade 6-4 David Sharp
Adam Leek 6-4 Michael Smith
Tom Bissell 6-5 Niko Springer
Alan Soutar 6-5 Alexander Merkx
Chris Dobey 6-1 Keane Barry
Raymond van Barneveld 6-2 Jimmy van Schie
Cristo Reyes 6-3 Steve Lennon
Lukas Wenig 6-5 Filip Bereza
Andrew Gilding 6-1 Thomas Lovely
Adam Gawlas 6-5 Martin Lukeman
Derek Coulson 6-5 Jeffrey De Graaf
Connor Scutt 6-4 Ritchie Edhouse
Scott Williams 6-4 Ross Smith
Carl Sneyd 6-4 Peter Wright
Dirk van Duijvenbode 6-0 Ryan Meikle
Sietse Lap 6-4 Tytus Kanik
Michael van Gerwen 6-0 Leon Weber
Jeffrey Sparidaans 6-3 Maik Kuivenhoven
Ricardo Pietreczko 6-4 Ryan Joyce
Brendan Dolan 6-3 Mervyn King
Adam Lipscombe 6-2 Krzysztof Ratajski
Jurjen van der Velde 6-2 Samuel Price
Cameron Menzies 6-3 Wesley Plaisier
Justin Hood 6-2 Greg Ritchie
Luke Humphries 6-5 Mike De Decker
Bradley Brooks 6-1 Rhys Griffin
Archie Self 6-4 Joe Cullen
Jeffrey De Zwaan 6-3 Henry Coates
Stefan Bellmont 6-5 Kevin Doets
Viktor Tingstrom 6-4 Darius Labanauskas
Stefaan Henderyck 6-4 Ryan Searle
Jack Aldridge 6-3 Stephen Burton
William O’Connor 6-3 Joe Hunt
Shane McGuirk 6-3 Patrik Williams
Mensur Suljovic 6-4 Dave Chisnall
Tom Sykes 6-4 Gabriel Clemens
Danny Noppert 6-3 Marvin van Velzen
Mario Vandenbogaerde 6-1 Nathan Potter
Karel Sedlacek 6-5 Tommy Lishman
Charlie Manby 6-5 Cor Dekker
Jonny Clayton 6-3 Christian Kist
Daryl Gurney 6-5 Darryl Pilgrim

Second Round
Nick Kenny 6-1 Martin Schindler
Wessel Nijman 6-4 Richard Veenstra
Rob Owen 6-5 Damon Heta
Tommy Morris 6-0 Ricky Evans
Cam Crabtree 6-1 Sebastian Bialecki
Jermaine Wattimena 6-5 Benjamin Pratnemer
Stephen Bunting 6-3 Gary Anderson
Marvin Kraft 6-3 Owen Bates
Kim Huybrechts 6-5 James Hurrell
Chris Landman 6-3 Madars Razma
Harry Ward 6-3 Josh Rock
James Wade 6-3 Adam Leek
Tom Bissell 6-5 Alan Soutar
Chris Dobey 6-3 Raymond van Barneveld
Cristo Reyes 6-2 Lukas Wenig
Adam Gawlas 6-5 Andrew Gilding
Derek Coulson 6-5 Connor Scutt
Carl Sneyd 6-3 Scott Williams
Dirk van Duijvenbode 6-3 Sietse Lap
Michael van Gerwen 6-2 Jeffrey Sparidaans
Ricardo Pietreczko 6-0 Brendan Dolan
Jurjen van der Velde 6-5 Adam Lipscombe
Justin Hood 6-2 Cameron Menzies
Luke Humphries 6-1 Bradley Brooks
Archie Self 6-5 Jeffrey De Zwaan
Viktor Tingstrom 6-2 Stefan Bellmont
Jack Aldridge 6-3 Stefaan Henderyck
William O’Connor 6-2 Shane McGuirk
Tom Sykes 6-3 Mensur Suljovic
Danny Noppert 6-3 Mario Vandenbogaerde
Charlie Manby 6-2 Karel Sedlacek
Daryl Gurney 6-4 Jonny Clayton

Last 32
Wessel Nijman 6-3 Nick Kenny
Tommy Morris 6-3 Rob Owen
Jermaine Wattimena 6-4 Cam Crabtree
Stephen Bunting 6-4 Marvin Kraft
Kim Huybrechts 6-1 Chris Landman
James Wade 6-3 Harry Ward
Chris Dobey 6-1 Tom Bissell
Cristo Reyes 6-2 Adam Gawlas
Derek Coulson 6-5 Carl Sneyd
Michael van Gerwen 6-0 Dirk van Duijvenbode
Ricardo Pietreczko 6-4 Jurjen van der Velde
Luke Humphries 6-3 Justin Hood
Archie Self 6-5 Viktor Tingstrom
Jack Aldridge 6-5 William O’Connor
Danny Noppert 6-2 Tom Sykes
Daryl Gurney 6-2 Charlie Manby

Last 16
Tommy Morris 6-3 Wessel Nijman
Jermaine Wattimena 6-5 Stephen Bunting
Kim Huybrechts 6-2 James Wade
Cristo Reyes 6-4 Chris Dobey
Michael van Gerwen 6-3 Derek Coulson
Luke Humphries 6-3 Ricardo Pietreczko
Jack Aldridge 6-5 Archie Self
Danny Noppert 6-3 Daryl Gurney

Quarter-Finals
Tommy Morris 6-3 Jermaine Wattimena
Cristo Reyes 6-5 Kim Huybrechts
Luke Humphries 6-3 Michael van Gerwen
Jack Aldridge 6-4 Danny Noppert

Semi-Finals
Tommy Morris 7-4 Cristo Reyes
Luke Humphries 7-5 Jack Aldridge

Final
Tommy Morris 8-5 Luke Humphries