Two-time world champion Luke Littler could still qualify for the finals of The Players Championship at Minehead – but what else could he win?
His unprecedented 12-month clean sweep could end in one destroying Jonny Clayton 10-4 in the quarterfinals of the World Series of Darts Finals in Amsterdam and a shock first round exit at the World Grand Prixbut he could still qualify for next month’s Players Championship finals.
The world No 1 had won the first six 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 hoped 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 scuppered by Clayton, who reeled off seven of the last eight games to beat the teenager before beating Luke Woodhouse in Leicester, where he suffered a 2-1 defeat in the doubleheader.
Over the weekend, 19-year-old Littler went missing in the semifinals of the World Junior Championship over 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 junior titles.
The final will take place on Sunday, November 29, at Minehead as part of The Players Championship Finals, a tournament which Littler won last year but is yet to qualify for this time.
With just two floor events remaining before the Players Championship final, Littler can still earn enough 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 cap expected to exceed £30,000 after all 34 events. Littler currently sits in 126th place on £10,500, while Mike De Decker takes the final qualifying spot in 64th place on £29,250.
That leaves ‘The Nuke’ with a slim path to Minehead, but he will likely need to reach the final of at least one – and potentially both – of the last two ProTour events to make the field.
Littler won the 2025 title, defeating Nathan Aspinall 11-8 in the final.
Speaking in Love Arrows podcast, Matt Edgar believes Littler is unlikely to compete in the final two ProTour events of the season
“Here’s an opportunity to be the undisputed world champion – to own both PDC world championships. Playing in the World Junior Championship was an interesting decision. I didn’t think he would do it, but I’m kind of glad he did,” Edgar said.
“I also think there’s a huge misunderstanding about what that tournament was because there were people suggesting that maybe he shouldn’t have been there. That’s not the finals of the development tournament. That was a world championship and I never want to exist in a world of sport where someone is kicked out of a world championship for being too good.
“I’m glad he went to the Junior World Championship, but I think if he’d have made the final then we’d probably have seen him in the ProTours. There’s no point going all the way to Minehead if you’re not also going to play in the final of the Players Championship.
“I think he would have (played the last two ProTour events) if he got into the World Junior Final, but I think now it doesn’t matter.”
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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: £1250
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Third round: £2000
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Fourth round: £3000
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Quarterfinals: £4000
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Semifinals: £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 won his second consecutive World Darts Championship title
You’d be willing to bet against Luke Littler winning the Grand Slam of Darts because the Warrington phenom has a perfect career record at the Wolverhampton tournament, backing up his 2024 triumph with victory last year.
And then to Alexandra Palace where the teenager will compete to become a triple world champion.
He is aiming to become the first player to win three consecutive world titles since Phil Taylor in 2006, although ‘The Power’ won 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 the World Darts Championship (December 11-January 3) all live. Stream streaming arrows and more through NOW without a contract.
