Luke Littler's attempt to secure a place in the Players Championship Finals – and keep alive the possibility of completing an unprecedented clean sweep of all Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) major titles in the 2026 season – was dealt a serious setback when he fell at the quarter‑final stage of Players Championship 27 (PC27). In a nail‑biting match that went to a final‑leg decider, the 19‑year‑old English prodigy was edged out 6‑5 by the Dutch veteran Jermaine Wattimena, who later lifted the trophy in Leicester after defeating his compatriot Kevin Doets 8‑6 in the championship match.
Littler’s route to the last eight had been impressive. He opened his campaign with a 6‑2 victory over Archie Self, followed by a 6‑3 win against Arno Merk and another 6‑3 triumph over William O'Connor. Those three wins set up a last‑16 clash with Chris Dobey, which Littler dominated in spectacular fashion, delivering a whitewash 6‑0. The momentum, however, could not be sustained against Wattimena, whose experience and composure in the deciding leg proved decisive.
To date, the world No.1 has already collected every major title on the PDC calendar for 2026 – the World Championship, the Masters, the UK Open, the Premier League, the World Cup of Darts and the World Matchplay. The remaining targets for a historic Grand Slam are the World Series, the World Grand Prix, the European Championship, the Grand Slam of Darts and the Players Championship Finals.
No player in the history of the sport has ever managed to win all of these events in a single season, making Littler's ambition a truly unique storyline. One of the biggest hurdles standing between him and a clean sweep is the qualification system for the Players Championship Finals in Minehead, scheduled for November.
Only the top 64 players on the Players Championship Order of Merit earn a spot, and the projected cut‑off figure for 2026 is expected to be in excess of £30,000 in prize money. While each individual Players Championship event awards £15,000 to the winner, Littler’s quarter‑final exit at his debut Players Championship event netted him just £4,000, leaving a sizable gap to bridge. Littler’s strategic decision to sit out the first 26 events of the series meant that his window for accumulating Order of Merit points is now extremely narrow.
He entered PC27 and the subsequent PC28, both held at the Mattioli Arena in Leicester, with the knowledge that he must perform exceptionally well in the remaining seven floor events if he hopes to stay inside the top‑64 threshold. PC28, taking place on Wednesday, offers another chance for the teenager to claim a tournament victory, add a sizeable payday to his tally, and keep his finals hopes alive. Wattimena’s path to the PC27 title was equally dramatic.
After edging Littler with a clutch 115 checkout on the bull in the final leg, he faced Luke Woodhouse in the semi‑finals. From a 1‑4 deficit, Wattimena produced a remarkable comeback, winning six consecutive legs and stringing together five finishes of 100 points or more – 136, 135, 115, 127 and 128 – to overturn the match.
He then maintained his momentum in the final, taking an early 6‑2 lead over Doets, weathering a brief resurgence from the Dutchman, and sealing the win with an elegant 11‑dart finish. Reflecting on his performance, Wattimena said, "I played really well today but some games I made difficult for myself.
I always play really well against Luke to be honest. Even when I lose I play well, and that 115 finish against Luke gave me big confidence.
I didn't realise I hit five ton‑plus finishes in the semi‑final because you're busy with the game, but I'm very happy with this win." His victory also propelled him back into the world top‑16, displacing Ross Smith. Other notable moments from the Leicester event included a perfect nine‑dart leg from Nathan Aspinall in his opening round against Thibault Tricole. Aspinall, a former World Champion, later fell to Mickey Mansell in the third round, illustrating the depth of competition across the field.
The tournament’s later stages saw a series of high‑quality matches: In the last‑16, Wessel Nijman dispatched Bradley Brooks 6‑1, Kim Huybrechts fell 6‑2 to an unnamed opponent, Martijn Dragt lost 6‑3, and Kevin Doets beat Rob Cross 6‑3. Cameron Menzies, Krzysztof Ratajski, Luke Woodhouse, Dirk van Duijvenbode, Mickey Mansell, Ryan Searle and Jermaine Wattimena all advanced through their respective ties, setting up an exciting quarter‑final lineup. Quarter‑final results were as follows: Nijman 6‑3 over Huybrechts, Doets 6‑2 over Menzies, Woodhouse 6‑2 over Mansell, and Wattimena 6‑5 over Littler. The semi‑finals produced a 7‑5 victory for Doets over Nijman and a 7‑4 win for Wattimena against Woodhouse, leading to the final showdown in which Wattimena triumphed 8‑6.
Looking ahead, the remaining major events – the World Grand Prix (28 September‑4 October), the Grand Slam of Darts (14‑22 November) and the World Darts Championship (10 December‑3 January) – will all be broadcast live on Sky Sports, which continues to be the primary home for darts in 2026. Fans can also stream the action and other top‑level sport through the NOW platform, ensuring that the drama of Littler's pursuit, Wattimena's breakthrough, and the broader PDC calendar remain accessible to a global audience. In summary, while Littler’s dream of a clean sweep has encountered a significant obstacle, his record of major victories this season remains unmatched. The coming weeks will be crucial as he seeks to amass enough prize money in the remaining Players Championship events to qualify for the Minehead finals, where a final chance at historic glory will await.