It’s a hat-trick appearance at the PDC’s US Darts Masters, in New York, for the recently crowned Premier League champion Luke Humphries, and he’d love nothing more than to get his Cool Hands on this trophy too.
As ever, Online Darts’ roving red-headed reporter Phill Barrs jetted across the Atlantic (sunscreen packed and factor 50 ready) to catch up with the sport’s elite. And where better to chat to Humphries – safely shaded – than inside the famous Madison Square Garden itself?
“It’s an amazing venue – it honestly never get boring. This is my third year here and it still feels just as iconic. That first year, I wasn’t anywhere near being seen as a superstar. Now, things are different. I’m on the poster – and it’s brilliant to see myself up there.
“Every tournament is special, but the US Masters is one of the biggest on the calendar. Out of all the World Series events, this is the one I really want to win. It’s got the best players, the best venue, and the best crowd – so I want my name on it.”
Darts might be soaring globally, but it still hasn’t quite launched in the USA the way Humphries has in the rankings.
“Just look at how big the country is – the potential is massive. I’m not seeing a huge surge just yet, even after Littler’s rise and the World Championship final between us. It hasn’t quite exploded the way people thought it might. That’s the PDC’s next big step – really cracking the American market.”
Catch the full interview with Luke Humphries here:
Fresh from a well-earned family break in Benidorm – no darts, just downtime – Humphries also reflected on England’s World Cup exit and addressed some of the criticism aimed at both him and Littler.
“When we lost, we knew it would be big news. But we never once said it was going to be easy – we’re not daft. What hurt most was seeing so many English actually wanting us to get beat. You wouldn’t get that from German fans.”
There were even murmurs from fellow pros that England were the only team not arriving or sitting together. Luke was quick to clear that up:
“Straight from the horse’s mouth – I told Luke [Littler] to stick to his routine. No point changing something that works. He arrives two hours before games – I need a bit more practice, so I get there earlier. That’s just how we operate as individuals.
“In the practice room, I sat with my manager, a company staff member, and my partner Kayley. What was I supposed to do when Luke turned up – kick one of them off the table? When they arrived, he and his people were on a table right next to us.”
As for the performance? Not vintage England, but far from a disaster.
“We didn’t play horrifically – a 93 average is okay. Not our best, of course, but Germany were clinical. It was a tough atmosphere. You could see it in Luke’s face – he didn’t enjoy it. But we got on with things – just didn’t win.”
And as the social media storm swirled about his team-mate, Humphries offered a reminder:
“People need to cut him [Littler] a bit of slack. He’s a great young pioneer for the sport, and we should be celebrating that more. Would’ve been nice if Northern Ireland got half the attention for winning that we got for losing!”
Fair point – and congratulations to Northern Ireland on their World Cup win. But right now, there’s only one trophy on Luke Humphries’ radar – and it’s shining brightly under the lights of Madison Square Garden.
—–ENDS—–
Images: PDC/ Ed Mullholland
