It has been quite a year for professional darts player Luke Humphries on the PDC Tour in his sport. He has won three major tournaments and at one point held the number-one position in the world rankings.
Humphries is hoping to cap off what has been a fantastic season for him with success at the 2024 PDC World Darts Championship, the final event on the 2023/24 calendar. He goes into that tournament as the in-form player, and the one to beat at the Alexandra Palace in London.
Cool Hand Luke Won’t Be Fazed by Big Occasion
The man from Newbury, England, is making his seventh appearance at the PDC World Darts Championship this year, so he will know what to expect when he steps up to the oche. “Cool Hand Luke”, as he is nicknamed, is the +300 favorite in the betting on darts to lift the trophy.
Humphries sits just ahead of Michael Van Gerwen in the PDC World Darts Championship winner odds. “Mighty Mike” is second best at +350 and is rated as the biggest challenger to the Englishman this year.
The furthest Humphries has reached at the PDC World Darts Championship so far is the quarter-finals. He made it through to the last eight in the draw in 2019, 2020, and 2022. Unfortunately for the 28-year-old, he only went as far as the fourth round 12 months ago.
First Major Came at the World Grand Prix
Up until the World Grand Prix in Dublin last October, Humphries had never won a major tournament with the PDC. That event will be seen as a turning point moment in the 28-year-old’s career. He defeated former world champion Gerwyn Price 5-2 in the final.
Humphries carried that confidence into the next major tournament on the PDC calendar. Just 42 days after his World Grand Prix triumph, he lifted the trophy in the Grand Slam of Darts in Wolverhampton, as documented in the BBC report. With an impressive average of 104.69, he got the better of Rob Cross 16-8 in the final.
A third consecutive major television win went Humphries’ way in the Players Championship Finals. In what was a high-class final, he beat Van Gerwen 11-9, with the Dutchman hitting a nine-darter in that contest.
Victory In Alexandra Palace Would Add His Name Alongside Darting Greats
Should he make it four straight tournament wins in the PDC World Darts Championship, Humphries would likely reclaim the top spot back in the world rankings. He would also enhance his case to be named the 2023/24 PDC Player of the Season.
Humphries will be fully aware of the history of the PDC World Darts Championship. There have only been 11 different winners of the tournament since they inaugurated it in 1994. Phil Taylor has been the most dominant winner, having lifted the trophy a record 14 times, while Van Gerwen, Gary Anderson, Adrian Lewis, John Part, and Peter Wright are all multiple winners.
This year’s PDC World Darts Championship is the 31st in history and the winner will not only lift the trophy on January 3, but they will walk away with a cheque for $636,000.