Tommy Morris has become only the sixth non-Tour Card holder to win a ProTour title, and the second of the season after Henry Coates, by defeating Luke Humphries 8-5 in the final of Players Championship 34. The victory was sealed in spectacular fashion with a blockbuster 161 checkout, denying Humphries back-to-back titles and securing Morris a spot at the Grand Slam of Darts.
On a day when Minehead was in the forefront with the Players Championship Order of Merit, it was yesterday's champion and one of the leading standouts outside of the tour this year who contested the final. Humphries ran out of steam in the end, as Morris won through 8-5. Morris now also gets a spot at the Grand Slam of Darts and joins the field, and given he will also play at Ally Pally, he will be a familiar face on screens for the next few months despite not being in the 128 currently.
Humphries, in his run to the final, took down Jack Aldridge in the semi-finals, who was one of the Q-School standouts for his massive averages, and although he didn't get a Tour Card, he has continued in that vein, topping up from the Challenge Tour. Michael van Gerwen continued his renaissance again, posting massive averages, and has been one of the true stars with a near 110 as he thrashed Dirk van Duijvenbode 6-0 in a run to the quarter-finals, where he lost to Humphries. Prior to that, Humphries beat Ricardo Pietreczko, Justin Hood, Bradley Brooks and Mike de Decker.
While Morris has been superb all year, standing out not only on the Challenge Tour, which has seen him qualify for the PDC World Darts Championship, but also on the MODUS Super Series, and he has for a long time been one of the best without a tour card. Morris saw off Rob Cross, denied Ricky Evans a spot in Minehead or Ally Pally, Rob Owen, Wessel Nijman, who ends this year as the top Pro Tour player, Jermaine Wattimena and also Cristo Reyes.
The final itself was a doubling disaster at times. A 170 to leave double 20, and with Morris unable to hit 141, Humphries returned. But he missed all three on the wire, and Morris returned to miss two at double 20 himself. Humphries missed yet more, as did Morris, and finally Humphries hit double five for the lead. Double 18 for Morris to break for 2-1. He was set to throw for 2-2. Morris hit 70 for 2-2. A doubling disaster for Humphries, missing three at double six. Morris couldn't hit 114, though, and Humphries split it. He went for a double one to make it 3-2. Double 16 for Morris to make it 3-3. A hold for 'Tommy Gun'. Double 18 went astray for Humphries, but Morris couldn't pin 140. Three more missed doubles followed as Morris looked at double 18 for 96. Morris hit double 18 for it, and he was 4-3 up, throwing for 5-3. A 171 to leave 36 for Morris, who put a 5-3 lead up. Two more missed darts for Humphries. Morris went for 115 but drifted into the one and handed Humphries a level game. Morris missed 124 on the bull; Humphries looked at 68. He drifted into the five, hit treble 13 but missed double 12 in a checkout that summed it up. Morris hit double 19 for 6-5 and had broken. Morris missed a chance at double 18, and Humphries missed double 16 for 152. Morris hit double nine to go one leg away at 7-5. Morris gets a dart at 161 for the win on the bull, and he hits it. What a way to complete it. A great story to end the ProTour season.
