Littler chases clean sweep as Gurney stuns Van Gerwen in Amsterdam opener

Luke Littler heads to Amsterdam this week with an unprecedented opportunity within reach. The world champion is pursuing a clean sweep of all major PDC titles in a single calendar year, and the 2026 World Series of Darts Finals represents another crucial step in that historic quest.

Littler, who won the title in 2024 before losing 11-7 to Michael van Gerwen in last year's final, takes on Danny Noppert in the first round on Friday evening. His path through the tournament will determine whether he can maintain momentum towards an achievement that has never been accomplished in professional darts.

The defending champion Van Gerwen suffered an early exit on Thursday when he fell 6-5 to Northern Ireland's Daryl Gurney in a shock first-round result. Gurney's victory came after he stepped in as a late replacement following visa complications that forced Philippine players Lourence Ilagan and Alexis Toylo to withdraw from the event.

According to TalkSport, both Gurney and the Netherlands' Maik Kuivenhoven were called upon as the highest-ranked players available on the reserve list to fill the gaps left by the withdrawals. The pair stepped in under PDC regulations to complete the 32-player field.

Luke Humphries advanced past Jermaine Wattimena 6-4 on the opening day, while Gian van Veen defeated Chris Dobey 6-2. The tournament is being staged at AFAS Live in Amsterdam from 17 to 20 September, with the field comprising the top 24 players from the World Series rankings plus additional qualifiers and invitees.

The prize money reflects the event's significance in the darts calendar. According to Sky Sports, the tournament carries a total prize pool of £450,000, with the champion claiming £100,000.

Thursday's Results

The opening round produced eight matches on Thursday 17 September. Viktor Tingstrom fell 6-4 to Dirk van Duijvenbode, while Rob Cross suffered a heavy 6-2 defeat to Ryan Searle. Karel Sedlacek edged Ben Robb 6-4, and Kevin Doets lost 6-3 to Ross Smith.

Stephen Bunting came up just short against Josh Rock, losing 6-5, while Humphries' 6-4 victory over Wattimena set up a second-round clash with Van Duijvenbode. Van Veen's 6-2 win over Dobey positioned him to face Sedlacek in round two.

Friday's Fixtures

The remaining eight first-round matches take place on Friday 18 September at 1800. Adam Leek faces Jim Long, Motomu Sakai plays Callan Rydz, and Wessel Nijman meets Simon Whitlock.

Nathan Aspinall takes on Raymond Smith, James Wade plays Damon Heta, and Gerwyn Price meets Brody Klinge. Littler's encounter with Noppert and Jonny Clayton's match against Kuivenhoven complete the day's action.

Saturday's Second Round

The afternoon session on Saturday 19 September at 1200 features four second-round singles matches. Gurney plays Ross Smith, Rock faces Searle, Humphries meets Van Duijvenbode, and Van Veen takes on Sedlacek.

The evening session at 1800 sees four doubles matches. The Price and Klinge pairing plays Leek and Long, Wade and Heta face Nijman and Whitlock, Littler and Noppert meet Aspinall and Raymond Smith, and Clayton and Kuivenhoven play Sakai and Rydz.

Sunday's Finals

Sunday 20 September brings the business end of the tournament. The quarter-finals are scheduled for the afternoon session at 1200, followed by the semi-finals and final in the evening session at 1800.

Littler's pursuit of the clean sweep has become one of darts' defining stories of 2026. Sky Sports will broadcast all action from Amsterdam, with coverage continuing later in the year as the World Grand Prix, Grand Slam of Darts and World Darts Championship follow.

The world champion's bid to win every major PDC title in one calendar year would represent an unprecedented achievement in the sport's history, making this week's performances in Amsterdam crucial to his ambitions.