HUMPHRIES BIZARRE WATER SIP CAUGHT ON OCHE

By Aaron Nijjar  

LUKE HUMPHRIES raised a few eyebrows with his recent actions on the oche at the European Grand Prix.  

Former World champion Humphries returned to the Euro Tour and defeated Connor Scutt 6-1 in Germany on Saturday. 

World No. 1 Humphries averaged a stellar 98 and hit a super 120 checkout on the way to beating Scutt for a FIFTH consecutive match. 

But a bizarre moment occurred on stage in which cameras caught ‘Cool Hand’ becoming Wet Hand. 

Cheshire thrower Humphries appeared to take a drink of water on his table by bending over and sipping without the use of his hands.  

Seven-time major winner Humphries clearly hoped the cameras didn’t pick it up as he laughed the moment off and frantically explained himself. 

He said: “Did that get shown on camera? It was… my hands were so sweaty, and I didn’t want to touch the glass because it was so like… 

“There was so much moisture that I was like, if I pick it up with my hands, it might make… 

“Look, it’s very hot out here. It’s really, really tough. It’s like being abroad when you’re on holiday. 

“But you have to make the best of a bad situation, and I thought if I don’t touch the glass, I won’t add that moisture to my hands, and it worked! 

“I didn’t know you were going to catch it on camera. I was hoping I did it discreetly, but yeah, I was just trying to help myself a bit.” 

Humphries exited the tournament in the last 16 after losing 6-5 to Michael Smith who averaged a scintillating 106 to enter the quarter-final.  

He returns to action this Thursday in the Premier League at Leeds and will face Michael van Gerwen.  

The 30-year-old currently sits second in the table and is on course for the play-offs at the O2 after reaching six nightly finals this year already. 

Image by Taylor Lanning.