HUMPHRIES CLINCHES PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP FOUR

LUKE HUMPHRIES admitted struggling for motivation on the floor despite winning Players Championship Four. 

‘Cool Hand’ returned to winning ways in Wigan, sealing a fifth ProTour crown and his first since October 3, 2024.

World No.2 Humphries claimed the £15,000 top prize after beating Wessel Nijman 8-6 in the final. 

Humphries acknowledged that adjusting back to the floor circuit has not always been straightforward. 

He said: “Yeah, I’ve not really had the best of days in the Players’ Championships for a long time. 

“You know, I’ve just been playing on TV a lot and it’s a great feeling when it’s all going well up there. Then you come here and it’s a bit underwhelming.

“You kind of struggle to get up for it in a weird way. 

“But you know what? I actually did enjoy coming here yesterday because it’s been a long time since I came back, and I was actually looking forward to today. 

“Well, you know, for me, I feel like if you’re looking forward to being here, that’s when I’m at my best. 

“Except for that first game, I thought I was really, really good today. 

“And then, you know, Stephen Bunting and Gerwyn Price — you’re playing Premier League players for a Players’ Championship title. You want to be playing them for major titles. 

“So, yeah, it’s a really, really nice feeling for me to know that the new equipment’s still going good.” 

Humphries has revealed he is now planning to skip more events as he plans to spend more time with his family. 

He added: “I know that’s not a lot to some people, but to me that means I can possibly miss 10 or 15 more days of this and spend more time with my family, which is, for me, the most important thing. 

“I’m not playing here to win the money. I’m playing here to try and get myself right as a player. You know, I’m not there yet. I’ve still got work to do, of course, but this allows me to go and spend a bit more time with my family and enjoy it.

“And yeah, that’s really what I was playing for today. I’m happy about it. 

“Yeah, like I said, I know it’s a Players’ Championship, but for me it still feels like a major win, even though it’s not.” 

Humphries averaged a superb 108.53 to dispatch Niels Zonneveld 6-2 in the quarter-finals, before landing seven of his 13 doubles to overcome Gerwyn Price 7-4 in the semi-finals. 

The Cheshire ace saw off Premier League rival Stephen Bunting 6-3 in the last 16, having fired in a 104.43 average to dispatch Luke Woodhouse by the same score in round three. 

Elsewhere, Peter Wright and Raymond van Barneveld remain winless in 2026 after both suffered first-round exits. 

Nathan Aspinall and Gian van Veen also bowed out in the last 64, losing to Darius Labanauskas and Alan Soutar respectively.

Image by Taylor Lanning.