Littler targets total domination of the darts calendar
Luke Littler is targeting total domination of the darts calendar in 2026(Image: Ben Roberts Photo/Getty Images)
If you fancy your chances of beating Luke Littler in a game of darts, you can sign up to try and have a crack at a special Netflix show.
You could win £501,000. Then again, you could not. After all, Gerwyn Price averaged 105 per visit during his World Matchplay contest with Littler and was thrashed 18-9.
Littler’s domination of darts is becoming one of the sporting stories of the year. Littler, don’t forget, is still a teenager. And that is what makes his supremacy all the more remarkable.
Whatever your views on the sporting merits of darts, one thing is certain. Doing what Littler is doing takes mental fortitude of the highest order.
He has a sporting mentality that only the truly elite possess. He has been booed while on stage, his every move is scrutinised and documented, he is the player everyone wants to beat, and the player many people want to see beaten. Yet he remains focused, he remains unbeatable.
After the win at the World Matchplay in Blackpool, Littler has his sights set on an unprecedented clean sweep of the eight PDC (Professional Darts Corporation) ranking titles in the calendar year. He has the World Championship, the World Masters, the UK Open and the World Matchplay under his belt.
The remaining four titles are the World Grand Prix, the European Championship, the Grand Slam of Darts and the Players Championship finals. The problem with the last of those is that Littler will have to qualify, which means playing in low-key Pro Tour events to accumulate prize money to finish in the top 64 in the rankings.
Luke Littler is now more than £2million ahead of Luke Humphries on the PDC order of merit(Image: Andrew Redington/Getty Images)
The 64th-placed player currently has £22,750 to his name. The irony, of course, is that Littler has now won more than £3million in two years, winning over £225,000 in Blackpool.
But that does not count towards Players Championship rankings and Littler will now have to go and compete in some minor events in Leicester to try and qualify. That he is willing to do that is an insight into his sporting character.
Even at such an early stage of his career, Littler is driven by the record books and the history books. He was clearly very proud of beating two Phil Taylor records at the World Matchplay.
Luke Littler broke two of Phil Taylor's scoring records in his World Matchplay triumph(Image: Ben Roberts Photo/Getty Images)
Littler’s tournament average was 111.04, comfortably beating Taylor’s mark of 106.31 in 2010. And his average of 111.53 in the final against Price pipped Taylor’s 111.23 against Adrian Lewis in 2013.
On the PDC’s two-year order of merit system, Littler now has £3,143,500 to his name. That is £2.13million more than second-placed Luke Humphries.
Aside from that prize money, Littler has several lucrative commercial tie-ups, one of which will see him front a new Netflix show that will give 20 everyday darts players the chance to play against the world champion.
Heats will take place in Manchester and London before 20 players go through to the show, beat Luke Littler, and have a chance to win £501,000 if they do just that. They will need all the luck they can get.
beat Luke Littler, and have a chance to win £501,000
