Luke Littler's campaign to secure a spot in the Players Championship Finals – and to keep alive his extraordinary ambition of completing a clean sweep of all PDC major titles in the 2026 season – suffered a significant setback when he was eliminated in the quarter‑finals of Players Championship 27. The 19‑year‑old English prodigy fell 6‑5 to Dutch competitor Jermaine Wattimena in a nail‑biting final‑leg decider, a match that ultimately propelled Wattimena to the tournament crown in Leicester, where he later overcame fellow Dutchman Kevin Doets 8‑6 in the final.
Littler's journey through the event had been impressive up to that point. He dispatched Archie Self 6‑2, then Arno Merk 6‑3, and followed with a 6‑3 victory over William O'Connor, which set up a last‑16 clash with Chris Dobey. In that encounter Littler produced a dominant 6‑0 whitewash, showcasing the clinical precision that has become his trademark this year. However, his momentum was halted by Wattimena, who proved just a shade sharper on the day.
To date, the world No.1 has already added every major PDC trophy on the 2026 calendar to his cabinet – the World Championship, the Masters, the UK Open, the Premier League, the World Cup of Darts and the World Matchplay. The remaining targets are the World Series, the World Grand Prix, the European Championship, the Grand Slam of Darts and the Players Championship Finals. Securing all eight titles in a single season would be an unprecedented feat, something no player in the sport’s history has ever managed.
One of the biggest hurdles on Littler’s path is the qualification system for the Players Championship Finals. Only the top 64 players on the Players Championship Order of Merit earn a place in the Minehead showdown in November, and the cutoff is projected to sit above £30,000 in earnings. While each Players Championship event awards £15,000 to the winner, Littler’s quarter‑final run in his debut appearance netted him just £4,000 – far short of the amount needed to guarantee a spot.
Littler’s strategy this season has been unusual. He deliberately skipped the first 26 Players Championship events, opting instead to enter PC27 and PC28, both staged at the Mattioli Arena in Leicester. This decision means he now has only seven remaining floor events to amass enough prize money to break into the top‑64.
PC28, scheduled for the following Wednesday, offers him another chance to claim a title and boost his earnings tally, keeping his finals hopes alive. Wattimena’s triumph was a story in its own right.
After edging Littler with a decisive 115 checkout on the bull in the final leg, he continued his high‑octane form in the semi‑final against Luke Woodhouse. Falling behind 1‑4, Wattimena rallied by taking six consecutive legs, highlighted by an astonishing sequence of five ton‑plus finishes – 136, 135, 115, 127 and 128 – that turned the match on its head. He then maintained his dominance in the final, dispatching Doets 8‑6 after a dramatic surge that included an 11‑dart finish. "I played really well today but some games I made difficult for myself," Wattimena admitted after the win, noting that his resurgence also secured him a place back in the world’s top 16 at the expense of Ross Smith.
"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." Other notable performances at PC27 included a perfect nine‑dart leg from Nathan Aspinall in his opening round against Thibault Tricole, a moment of brilliance that underscored the high standard of play throughout the tournament.
Aspinall, however, was eventually knocked out in the third round by Mickey Mansell. The event’s full results illustrate the depth of competition: in the last‑16, Wessel Nijman, Kim Huybrechts, Kevin Doets, Cameron Menzies, Krzysztof Ratajski, Luke Woodhouse, Dirk van Duijvenbode, Mickey Mansell, Ryan Searle, and Jermaine Wattimena all advanced. The quarter‑finals saw Nijman, Doets, Menzies, Woodhouse, Mansell and Wattimena emerge victorious, with Wattimena’s 6‑5 win over Littler being the most closely contested. The semi‑finals produced a Doets‑Nijman clash and a Wattimena‑Woodhouse showdown, leading to the final showdown where Wattimena triumphed 8‑6.
Looking ahead, the 2026 darts calendar remains packed with marquee events. Sky Sports will continue to be the primary broadcaster, covering 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). Fans can also stream live darts and other top‑tier sport via NOW, ensuring that the excitement of the season stays within reach for audiences worldwide. For Littler, the road to a historic clean sweep is still open, but the margin for error is razor‑thin.
With only a handful of high‑stakes tournaments left, every leg, every checkout, and every prize‑money haul will be crucial. Whether he can convert his prodigious talent into a record‑breaking season remains to be seen, but the drama of his quest continues to captivate the darts community.