Luke Humphries, Luke Littler Qualify for Players Championship Finals Amid Ranking Drama

Luke Humphries, the world number one and reigning champion, has secured his place in the 2025 Players Championship Finals, set for November 21-23 at Butlin's Minehead Resort, by finishing 58th in the rankings, just above the cut-off. Humphries will begin his title defense against Gian van Veen, who has defeated him in all three of their meetings this year. Meanwhile, 18-year-old Luke Littler, last year's finals runner-up and winner of Players Championship 32, criticized tournament officials for strict registration enforcement after he missed the deadline due to being stuck in traffic caused by a fatal incident on the M6, despite claims that others were allowed late entry. Littler lost in the last 32 to Matt Campbell in a close match and expressed frustration over perceived inconsistent rules enforcement in a now-deleted social media post. Other notable players qualifying include Gerwyn Price as the top seed, Wessel Nijman in second place, and Peter Wright, who narrowly qualified in 51st place. Michael van Gerwen, despite being world number three, failed to qualify for the finals after missing the last two events and finishing outside the top 64.