Players Championship 33 Results: Humphries Wins
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The players championship 33 results make for remarkable reading. Luke Humphries stormed to his fourth Players Championship title of 2026 on Wednesday 4 November, beating Niels Zonneveld 8-4 in the final at the Mattioli Arena in Leicester — and he did it just weeks after food poisoning cost him over a stone in weight, forced him out of the European Championship and left him short of practice. The world number three averaged 103.77 in the final, produced two 12-dart breaks to seize control and sealed the £15,000 winner’s prize with an 11-dart hold. It was a comeback story, a masterclass and a warning to the rest of the field all in one afternoon.
Humphries has now won three of his four Players Championship appearances in Leicester this season, and four titles in just ten appearances across the whole 2026 series. No player has won more ProTour events in a single venue this year. With the Grand Slam of Darts starting next week and the Players Championship Finals in Minehead at the end of the month, the timing could hardly be better for the man they call Cool Hand.
Players Championship 33 Results: The Full Bracket
Here are the complete players championship 33 results from the last 16 onwards, played on Wednesday 4 November at the Mattioli Arena in Leicester. Matches up to the quarter-finals were best of 11 legs, the semi-finals best of 13 and the final best of 15.
| Round | Result |
|---|---|
| Last 16 | Gary Anderson 6-4 Wessel Nijman |
| Last 16 | Raymond van Barneveld 6-4 Tyler Thorpe |
| Last 16 | Gerwyn Price 6-2 Luke Woodhouse |
| Last 16 | Luke Humphries 6-2 Steve Lennon |
| Last 16 | Dirk van Duijvenbode 6-5 Ross Smith |
| Last 16 | Niels Zonneveld 6-1 Jeffrey de Zwaan |
| Last 16 | Michael van Gerwen 6-3 Tommy Morris |
| Last 16 | Danny Noppert 6-3 Brendan Dolan |
| Quarter-final | Gary Anderson 6-3 Raymond van Barneveld |
| Quarter-final | Luke Humphries 6-2 Gerwyn Price |
| Quarter-final | Niels Zonneveld 6-4 Dirk van Duijvenbode |
| Quarter-final | Michael van Gerwen 6-0 Danny Noppert |
| Semi-final | Luke Humphries 7-4 Gary Anderson |
| Semi-final | Niels Zonneveld 7-5 Michael van Gerwen |
| Final | Luke Humphries 8-4 Niels Zonneveld |
The headline numbers from the day tell their own story. Humphries averaged 103.77 in the final and 104.76 in his semi-final win over Anderson, who himself averaged 106.75 in defeat — one of the highest losing averages of the season. Van Gerwen produced the performance of the day in the quarter-finals, averaging 114.15 in a 6-0 whitewash of Danny Noppert, while Zonneveld averaged 107.14 in an early 6-4 win over Jack Aldridge.
The Final: Humphries’ Masterclass
The final itself was a showcase of Humphries at his ruthless best. He started superbly, hitting a 180 after Zonneveld had struck one earlier in the leg, then taking out 41 for double 12 to go 1-0 up. From there he never really let go. Two 12-dart breaks seized the initiative at the key moments, and when Zonneveld missed three darts — including one at double three — Humphries punished him, hitting double 10 to make it 7-4 with the throw for the title. An 85 checkout confirmed an 11-dart hold, a 103.77 average and the £15,000 first prize.
For Zonneveld, it was a second ranking final of 2026 and another reminder of how close he is to the very top. The newly crowned Dutch Darts Champion had beaten three fellow Dutchmen on his way to the final — Jeffrey de Zwaan, Dirk van Duijvenbode and Michael van Gerwen — and his 7-5 semi-final win over Van Gerwen, sealed with a 63 finish, was one of the results of the day. But against Humphries in this form, even a compelling run like that was not enough. The final average told the story: 103.77 to 92.5.
What makes the victory even more striking is the context. Humphries revealed afterwards that he had lost over a stone due to food poisoning, that the illness had forced him to pull out of the European Championship last month, and that he had arrived in Leicester short of practice and short of weight. None of it showed. If anything, the enforced break seemed to sharpen him: four titles in ten appearances is a strike rate no other player on the tour can match this season.
The win also extends a remarkable Leicester record. Humphries has now won three of his four Players Championship appearances at the Mattioli Arena this season, and his fourth title overall in 2026 follows his World Grand Prix triumph just last month. With the Grand Slam of Darts in Wolverhampton starting on 14 November, he arrives at the next major as the form player in world darts.
Humphries’ Road to the Title
Humphries’ route through the 128-player field was as brutal as it was brilliant. He opened with a 6-2 win over emerging star Archie Self, then produced back-to-back whitewash victories — 6-0 over Darius Labanauskas with a 106 average, and 6-0 over Tom Bissell with a 110 average. Two whitewashes, two ton-plus averages, and barely a dart wasted.
The business end brought sterner tests, and Humphries passed them all. He beat Steve Lennon 6-2 in the last 16, then saw off Gerwyn Price 6-2 in the quarter-finals. The semi-final against Gary Anderson was the match of the day: Anderson averaged 106.75 — a figure that wins almost any match on the ProTour — and still lost 7-4, as Humphries averaged 104.76 himself and held his nerve in the deciding legs. It was the kind of win that defines a season.
Then came the final, and another gear entirely. The 12-dart breaks, the 11-dart title-winning hold, the 103.77 average — it was the complete performance from a player who, by his own admission, had barely practised. Four titles in ten appearances is not a hot streak; it is dominance. And with the biggest weeks of the season still to come, Humphries looks like the man to beat.
Van Barneveld’s Worlds Boost
While Humphries took the headlines, the day’s other big story belonged to Raymond van Barneveld. The Dutch legend’s run to the quarter-finals — beating Tyler Thorpe 6-4 in the last 16 before losing 6-3 to Anderson — took a huge step towards World Championship qualification. For a player who has fought his way back from the wilderness more than once, every win at this stage of the season carries double weight: prize money, ranking points and a place at Alexandra Palace.
Van Barneveld is not the only veteran whose week mattered. Anderson’s run to the semi-finals — beating Rob Cross, Wessel Nijman and Van Barneveld along the way — gave his own hopes of reaching Minehead a massive boost, and moved him up the Players Championship Order of Merit. The two-time world champion had arrived in Leicester outside the top 64; he left it right back in the fight. Keep track of the race in our Players Championship 33 34 race preview.
Elsewhere, perfection was landed once again on the ProTour. Tommy Lishman hit a nine-darter in his first-round 6-4 win over David Sharp — a leg of darts that also had ranking consequences, with the youngster subsequently moving into the provisional World Championship places at Sharp’s expense. Lishman then beat Greg Ritchie 6-5 before losing 6-2 to Tyler Thorpe in the last 32, but the nine-darter was the moment of his day.
What It Means for Minehead: PC34 Tonight
The players championship 33 results have redrawn the race for Minehead — but not finished it. Players Championship 34 takes place today, Thursday 5 November, at the same venue, and it is the final event of the season. When it ends tonight, the 64-player field for the Players Championship Finals will be confirmed.
The updated Order of Merit after event 33 shows Humphries climbing from 23rd to 9th on £67,000, with finalist Zonneveld up to 21st and Van Gerwen moving towards the top 20 in 22nd. At the other end, the bubble is brutal: Josh Rock sits 84th and is now unlikely to qualify, while Henry Coates and Mike de Decker sit on the edge of the top 64 — one good run tonight, or one bad one from a rival, will decide their seasons. Follow the season-ending event on our Players Championship Finals 2026 page, and keep track of every major on the darts schedule hub.
The Finals themselves take place at Butlin’s Minehead from 27 to 29 November, with a £750,000 prize fund and £130,000 for the winner. It is the last PDC event before the World Darts Championship, and after Wednesday’s drama — a 106.75 average in defeat, a 114 average in a whitewash, a nine-darter and a champion returning from illness to win at a canter — the 64 players who make it there will arrive knowing exactly how high the standard is. Tonight decides who they are.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won Players Championship 33?
Luke Humphries won Players Championship 33 on Wednesday 4 November 2026, beating Niels Zonneveld 8-4 in the final at the Mattioli Arena in Leicester, averaging 103.77 and banking the £15,000 winner’s prize.
How many Players Championship titles has Humphries won in 2026?
Four. The Leicester triumph was Humphries’ fourth Players Championship title of 2026, achieved in just ten appearances — and his third win in four appearances at the Mattioli Arena this season.
What was the Players Championship 33 final score?
Luke Humphries beat Niels Zonneveld 8-4 in a best-of-15-leg final. Humphries produced two 12-dart breaks and sealed the title with an 11-dart hold, finishing with a 103.77 average to Zonneveld’s 92.5.
Did anyone hit a nine-darter at Players Championship 33?
Yes. Tommy Lishman hit a nine-darter in his first-round 6-4 win over David Sharp. The perfect leg also had ranking consequences, with Lishman moving into the provisional World Championship places at Sharp’s expense.
What happened to Gary Anderson at Players Championship 33?
Anderson reached the semi-finals, beating Rob Cross, Wessel Nijman and Raymond van Barneveld, before losing 7-4 to Humphries despite averaging 106.75 — one of the highest losing averages of the season. The run gave his Minehead hopes a massive boost.
When is Players Championship 34 and what is at stake?
Players Championship 34 takes place today, Thursday 5 November 2026, at the Mattioli Arena in Leicester. It is the final event of the season: when it ends, the 64-player field for the Players Championship Finals (Minehead, 27–29 November, £750,000 fund, £130,000 winner) will be confirmed.
Conclusion
The players championship 33 results delivered everything the ProTour promises: a champion returning from illness to win at a canter, a 106.75 average in defeat, a 114 average in a whitewash, a nine-darter with ranking consequences, and a veteran taking a huge step towards the World Championship. Luke Humphries’ 8-4 win over Niels Zonneveld was his fourth title of 2026 in just ten appearances — a record of dominance that makes him the form player heading into the Grand Slam and Minehead.
But Wednesday was only the penultimate chapter. Tonight, Players Championship 34 decides the final 64 for Minehead, and for players on the bubble — Coates, de Decker and the rest — there is no tomorrow. Leicester has already given us a classic. Tonight, it gives us the final reckoning.
