Luke Humphries retained the bet365 US Darts Masters at Madison Square Garden on Friday night, beating Luke Littler 8-7 in a last-leg final in New York.
The result gives Humphries back-to-back titles in the PDC World Series event and extends a sharp June spell that already had him and Littler sharing centre stage after England’s World Cup of Darts success.
Littler had looked ready to land his first New York crown after beating Jim Long 6-1 in the quarter-finals and James Wade 7-4 in the semi-finals, but Humphries matched him under the lights and edged the final 8-7 with a 104.05 average, according to the published US Darts Masters results.
Humphries Finds Another New York Gear
Humphries’ route sharpened as the night went on. He beat Stephen Bunting 6-3 with a 105.70 average, then survived Gian van Veen 7-6 in the semi-finals after the Dutchman had averaged more than 106 in his quarter-final win over Jonny Clayton.
That made the final a clean heavyweight meeting rather than a showcase procession. Littler averaged 99.50 and forced the title match to the limit, but Humphries’ higher scoring power gave him the final break in a format where one missed visit can decide everything.
For the PDC, the headline is simple: its two biggest English names delivered the final New York wanted, and Humphries left with the trophy again.
