Two-time world champion Luke Littler can still qualify for the Players Championship Finals in Minehead – but what else can he win?
His unprecedented 12-month clean sweep may be over following a crushing 10-4 defeat by Jonny Clayton in the quarter-finals of the World Series of Darts Finals in Amsterdam and a shock first-round exit at the World Grand Prix, but he can still qualify for next month’s Players Championship Finals.
The world No 1 had won the first six premier events of the season following his World Championship triumph at Alexandra Palace in January with the World Masters, UK Open, Premier League, World Cup of Darts and World Matchplay.
He had been hoping to add the World Series of Darts Finals, World Grand Prix, European Championship, Grand Slam of Darts and Players Championship Finals trophies to complete a historic clean sweep of the year. But his bid was derailed by Clayton, who reeled off seven of the final eight legs to defeat the teenager before overcoming Luke Woodhouse in Leicester, where he suffered a 2-1 defeat in the double-in, double-out tournament.
At the weekend 19-year-old Littler lost in the semi-finals of the World Youth Championship to Cam Crabtree.
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Speaking on Love The Darts, Paul Nicholson has backed Littler’s reduced schedule for the rest of the season
Had he gone on to win the title, Littler would have become the first player to hold both the World Championship and World Youth titles.
The final will take place on Sunday, November 29, in Minehead as part of the Players Championship Finals, a tournament Littler won last year but has yet to qualify for this time around.
With just two floor events remaining before the Players Championship Finals, Littler can still earn enough prize money to qualify for the tournament – but will he make the trip to Leicester on November 4 and 5?
The top 64 players on the ProTour Order of Merit qualify for the Minehead showpiece, with the projected cut-off expected to exceed £30,000 after all 34 events. Littler currently sits in 126th place with £10,500, while Mike De Decker occupies the final qualifying spot in 64th with £29,250.
That leaves ‘The Nuke’ with a slim route into Minehead, but he would likely need to reach the final of at least one – and potentially both – of the final two ProTour events to force his way into the field.
Littler won the 2025 title, defeating Nathan Aspinall 11-8 in the final.
Speaking on the Love The Darts podcast, Matt Edgar believes Littler is unlikely to compete in the final two ProTour events of the season
“There is an opportunity here to be undisputed champion of the world – to own both of those world championships in the PDC. Playing in the World Youth Championship was an interesting decision. I didn’t think he would make it, but I’m kind of glad he did,” said Edgar.
“I also think there’s a big misunderstanding about what that tournament was because there were people suggesting that maybe he shouldn’t have been there. This isn’t the Development Tour Finals. This was a world championship, and I don’t ever want to exist in a world of sport where someone is excluded from a world championship for being too good.
“I’m glad he went to the World Youth Championship, but I think if he had got to the final, then maybe we would have seen him at the ProTours. There’s no point going all the way down to Minehead if you’re not going to play the Players Championship Finals as well.
“I think he would [have played the final two ProTour events] had he got into the World Youth final, but I think now it’s off the cards.”
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Highlights of the World Matchplay final between Littler and Gerwyn Price
Players Championship prize money
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Second round: £1,250
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Third round: £2,000
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Fourth round: £3,000
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Quarter-finals: £4,000
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Semi-finals: £6,500
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Runner-up: £10,000
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Final: £15,000
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A look back at how Littler claimed his second consecutive World Darts Championship title
You would be brave to bet against Luke Littler winning the Grand Slam of Darts because the Warrington phenom has a perfect career record at the tournament in Wolverhampton, backing up his 2024 triumph with victory last year.
And then to Alexandra Palace where the teenager will bid to become a triple world champion.
He is aiming to become the first player to win three world titles in a row since Phil Taylor did it in 2006, although ‘The Power’ did win eight in a row from 1995 to 2002.
Sky Sports remains the home of darts with the Grand Slam of Darts (November 14-22) and World Darts Championship (December 11-January 3) all live. Stream darts and more through NOW with no contract.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: skynews.com
