16-year-old Luke Littler makes darts world championship final after beating European champ

A 16-year-old is making waves at the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) World Darts Championship at the Alexandra Palace in London.

Luke Littler took down two-time European Championship winner Rob Cross in order to secure a spot in the World Championship Finals.

When did Littler start playing darts?

Casually? Probably as soon as he developed motor function.

But competitively, Littler won the England Youth Grand Prix and Isle of Man Masters youth competition in 2019. He was even able to defend his title in the latter of those events in 2020.

Littler won his first seniors title in November 2022, claiming first place at the Irish Open.

How did Littler qualify for the PDC World Championship?

Littler qualified for the event based on his production in the PDC Development Tour. He actually set two records on tour, including youngest winner and highest average score for a first-year member.

During the PDC Championship, Littler has been able to take down multiple champions including five-time world champion Raymond van Barneveld and 2023 UK Open champion Andrew Gilding.

Rob Cross, Littler's semi-final matchup, was the highest-rated player that Littler had ever faced. He beat him 6-2.

Who will Littler face in the finals?

The finals, set for January 3, 2024, will be between Littler and 2023 World Grand Prix champion Luke Humphries. Humphries is also the reigning Players Champion. Humphries took down Michael van Gerwen to claim victory in that event.

Ironically, van Gerwen is the current record holder for the youngest PDC World Championship title holder. He won his first world championship in 2014 at the age of 24. Littler, should he win, would blow that record out of the water.

Has Littler participated in any other major tournaments?

Littler participated in two World Darts Federation (WDF) events back in 2022. Littler did not win either event though. He was eliminated in the third round of both the World Championship and the World Masters.

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