Luke Littler’s ambition to qualify for the Players Championship Finals and preserve his chance of pulling off an unprecedented clean sweep of all PDC major titles in the 2026 season suffered a serious setback after a quarter‑final loss at PC27. The 19‑year‑old English prodigy was edged out 6‑5 by Dutch competitor Jermaine Wattimena in a nail‑biting final‑leg decider, and Wattimena went on to capture the tournament crown in Leicester, defeating fellow Dutchman Kevin Doets 8‑6 in the final.
Littler’s run 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, which set up a last‑16 clash with Chris Dobey.
In that encounter Littler delivered a dominant performance, white‑washing Dobey 6‑0, before meeting Wattimena, who ultimately proved the stronger on the day. To date, the world No.1 has already secured every major PDC title on the 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 trophies he must claim to achieve a feat never before accomplished in darts are the World Series, the World Grand Prix, the European Championship, the Grand Slam of Darts and the Players Championship Finals. Qualifying for the Players Championship Finals is not automatic; only the top 64 players on the Players Championship Order of Merit earn a spot in the Minehead showdown in November.
Early projections suggest the cut‑off will sit around £30,000 in earnings. Each Players Championship event awards £15,000 to the winner, yet Littler managed just £4,000 from his quarter‑final finish in his debut appearance of the season.
Littler’s schedule this year has been unusual. He deliberately skipped the first 26 Players Championship events, opting to enter only PC27 and PC28, both hosted at the Mattioli Arena in Leicester. This decision leaves him with only seven remaining floor events to amass enough prize money to break the projected £30,000 threshold.
PC28, taking place the following Wednesday at the same venue, offers him a fresh opportunity to claim a title and bolster his ranking points. Wattimena’s path to the PC27 title was dramatic.
After dispatching Littler with a decisive 115 checkout on the bull in the final leg, he faced Luke Woodhouse in the semi‑final. From a 4‑1 deficit, Wattimena rallied spectacularly, stringing together six consecutive legs and delivering an astonishing series of five ton‑plus finishes – 136, 135, 115, 127 and 128 – to overturn the match.
He then continued his momentum against Doets, winning six straight legs to surge to a 6‑2 lead. Although Doets clawed back four of the next five legs, Wattimena sealed the victory with a brilliant 11‑dart finish, ultimately prevailing 8‑6 in the final. 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, 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 triumph also propelled him back into the world’s top 16, displacing Ross Smith. Other notable storylines from the event included a nine‑dart perfect leg from Nathan Aspinall in his opening round match against Thibault Tricole. Aspinall, a former world champion and fan favourite, later fell to Mickey Mansell in the third round, underscoring the depth of talent on display.
The tournament’s results were as follows: Last‑16: Wessel Nijman 6‑1 Bradley Brooks, Kim Huybrechts 6‑2 Martijn Dragt, Kevin Doets 6‑3 Rob Cross, Cameron Menzies 6‑1 Krzysztof Ratajski, Luke Woodhouse 6‑5 Dirk van Duijvenbode, Mickey Mansell 6‑5 Ryan Searle, Luke Littler 6‑0 Chris Dobey, Jermaine Wattimena 6‑4 Carl Sneyd. Quarter‑finals: Wessel Nijman 6‑3 Kim Huybrechts, Kevin Doets 6‑2 Cameron Menzies, Luke Woodhouse 6‑2 Mickey Mansell, Jermaine Wattimena 6‑5 Luke Littler. Semi‑finals: Kevin Doets 7‑5 Wessel Nijman, Jermaine Wattimena 7‑4 Luke Woodhouse.
Final: Jermaine Wattimena 8‑6 Kevin Doets. Looking ahead, the remaining major events on the 2026 calendar remain broadcast on Sky Sports, which continues to be the primary home for darts.
The World Grand Prix will run from September 28 to October 4, followed by the Grand Slam of Darts from November 14 to 22, and the World Darts Championship from December 10 through January 3. All of these tournaments will be streamed live, offering fans ample opportunity to watch Littler’s pursuit of a historic clean sweep continue. For Littler, the challenge is clear: he must deliver strong performances in the final seven Players Championship events, amass enough prize money to break the Order of Merit cut‑off, and then navigate the remaining major tournaments with the same composure and skill that have defined his season so far. Whether he can achieve a feat no player has ever managed in the sport remains to be seen, but his early dominance and the excitement surrounding his quest have already captured the imagination of darts enthusiasts worldwide.