HUMPHRIES HOPES TO MATCH CAREER SPAN OF GOLF GREAT ROSE

LUKE HUMPHRIES is drawing inspiration from golf great Justin Rose as he chases longevity and darts immortality. 

World No.2 Humphries believes health and fitness will be the key to extending his career and cementing his legacy at the top of the sport.

‘Cool Hand’ is a huge admirer of Rose, who at 45 claimed his 13th PGA Tour title at last weekend’s Farmers Insurance Open.

Rose also smashed the 72-hole tournament record previously held by Tiger Woods for 27 years. 

Humphries, 30, hopes to match that career span on the oche while aiming to add to his eight major titles. 

He said: “He’s going to go down as one of the greatest golfers ever because of the fact of the longevity and how he’s still doing it after so many years. 

“He’s one of my favourite golfers, to be fair. He’s a bit like me, real nice guy. He doesn’t get involved in the antics of that. 

“You watch him in the Ryder Cup and it seems like it’s a struggle for him to get angry. He does, but it kind of feels like it’s out of his nature, so I kind of would look up to someone like him, maybe to follow in his footsteps. 

“I want to look after my health and stuff and keep myself in the best shape possible to be able to cope with these long years because they really do take it out of them. 

“Longevity is definitely something that goes down with legacy. If you’ve had 20 years like James Wade has done. 

“He will go down now as one of the greatest players that’s ever thrown a dart for the fact of the longevity he’s shown for 20 years, he’s always been in that top 16 bracket. 

“To me that shows a really good player and that is what I want to achieve, I don’t think me leaving the sport with what I’ve got now would be enough, I have to win more and I think I will win a lot more. 

“I feel like I’ve got to achieve a lot more in the next 15 years and stay at the top and have that longevity to really class yourself as one of the best players.” 

Despite being tipped by many as a Top 10 player of all time already, Humphries refuses to talk himself up.  

Humphries accepts comparisons across eras are difficult, especially with Luke Littler now setting the pace. 

He added: “That’s down to everyone else to do that. I’m not here to sort of give myself credit. I’m not going to be glazing myself saying how great I am. 

“I wasn’t sort of saying I’m anything like James, I’m just saying the longevity that he’s shown, I’d like to show it. 

“He will always look back on his career probably thinking he should have won more himself.

“But again, he’s in that era like I’m in a little bit where you’ve got this player who’s dominant, who’s always desperate to win more titles all the time and I’ve got to find a way to oust him a bit more and push Luke [Littler] even further. 

“It’s hard because I’ve got the names in front of me, different generations. There’s a lot of players that have won many, like Eric Bristow and John Lowe. 

“We’re in different eras, it’s hard to compare, like it’s hard to compare Luke and Phil [Taylor], isn’t it? 

“Who would have won out of those two in the peaks? You just never know. That’s why it’s always going to be hard to choose who’s the greatest out of them both in the end.

“I don’t want to feel like I’m being arrogant or like trying to push this narrative of people putting me in the Top 10. 

“If you were saying I am and this other person said I am, then I’ll probably say, okay, but my career isn’t finished yet, so I want to see if I get to the top five.”

Image by Taylor Lanning.