Luke Humphries became the first player to win back-to-back US Darts Masters titles after beating Luke Littler 8-7 at Madison Square Garden on Friday night, giving the world number two another direct hit on his biggest rival before Blackpool.
The PDC confirmed Humphries retained the bet365 US Darts Masters with a deciding-leg victory over Littler on a record-breaking night in New York, after also coming through Stephen Bunting and Gian van Veen on Finals Night.
Humphries lands a timely Littler blow
This was more than another World Series trophy. Humphries has now made New York his own, and doing it against Littler in a last-leg final sharpens the tone around the next major swing of the season.
Littler remains the defending World Matchplay champion, but this was the kind of result that follows both players back across the Atlantic. Humphries did not just collect the title; he denied Littler a first US Darts Masters crown and added another pressure point to a rivalry that is increasingly setting the PDC agenda.
The official PDC match report framed the final as a history-making defence for Humphries, and the timing matters. Blackpool begins on July 18, with Littler carrying the champion label and Humphries arriving with fresh proof that he can win the tightest exchanges between them.
