Michael van Gerwen claims Glasgow glory for back-to-back Premier League Darts weekly titles
Michael van Gerwen made it back-to-back Premier League Darts weekly titles by edging out Luke Humphries 6-5 to claim glory in Glasgow.
Reigning and seven-time Premier League champion Van Gerwen continued his dominant start to the tournament by following up last week’s Berlin success with another accomplished display at the OVO Hydro.
The Dutchman overcame a trio of World Champions in Peter Wright, Rob Cross and Humphries to scoop the £10,000 bonus and extend his lead at the top of the table to three points.
Van Gerwen punished a staggering 17 missed darts at doubles from Peter Wright in their quarter-final contest – including in four straight legs – as he opened up a 5-1 lead and closed out an eventual 6-2 victory.
He then landed a ten-darter on his way to a 6-4 semi-final success over Cross, averaging 99 in the process.
The final between the world’s top two ranked players proved a thrilling affair, with Van Gerwen landing a double-double 98 finish en route to a 2-1 lead.
Humphries hit back with three consecutive legs, which included a ten-darter, as he hit the front at 4-2.
However, missed doubles in the next two legs allowed Van Gerwen to level, before the Dutchman finished 65 on tops to move 5-4 up.
Humphries fired in a 121 finish for a 12-darter to take the game to a decider, but Van Gerwen landed a key maximum to be first to a finish, and tops completed a 14-darter as he completed a memorable Glasgow victory.
Humphries’ run to a first weekly final in his debut season moves the World Champion up to fourth in the league table.
“It’s good to get another win,” said Van Gerwen. “Even without my best performance I think I did a great job and sometimes that’s really important.
“At the beginning of the [final] I had chances. Double six let me down tonight but outside that I think my finishing and the way I played the game was a really good standard.
“I think I did everything at the right moment. You play against the best players in the world and you want to perform – you don’t want to let yourself down.
“Of course, I didn’t play the best game that I could but still you need to find a way how to win and that’s what I did today.”
Van Gerwen won three league nights during the 2023 season before securing the overall title in the Play-Offs, but is refusing to look too far ahead at this stage of the year.
“Last year I said to myself that I want to win so many weeks, I want do this, do that, win so many majors but this year I’ll do it different,” he said.
“I’m going to look week by week, game by game and see what happens, because then I think I’m at my best.
“I’ve put so much pressure on my shoulders over the last years and I do well in some tournaments, but for me more importantly I need to look ahead myself and I need to make sure I do the right things at the right moment.”
Humphries had produced a 105.5 average to win his quarter-final against Nathan Aspinall – who missed double 12 for a nine-darter in leg two but led 3-1 before the World Champion reeled off five straight legs.
The 29-year-old also averaged over 100 in his semi-final win over Gerwyn Price, edging out the Welshman 6-3 to reach his first weekly final.
Price had earlier denied Luke Littler in the deciding leg of a high-quality quarter-final which saw him miss double 12 for a nine-darer and the teenager land a ten-darter and a 138 checkout.
Cross was the night’s other quarter-final winner as he denied Michael Smith, following up an earlier 11-darter and a 116 finish with a superb match-winning 144 checkout.
The BetMGM Premier League continues on Thursday February 22 at the Utilita Arena in Newcastle.
BetMGM Premier League Darts 2024 – Night Three Results
Thursday February 15
Quarter-Finals
Rob Cross 6-4 Michael Smith
Michael van Gerwen 6-2 Peter Wright
Nathan Aspinall 3-6 Luke Humphries
Gerwyn Price 6-5 Luke Littler
Semi-Finals
Rob Cross 4-6 Michael van Gerwen
Luke Humphries 6-3 Gerwyn Price
Final
Michael van Gerwen 6-5 Luke Humphries
