Seventeen-year-old Luke Littler secured his place in darting history with a stunning 7-3 victory over Michael van Gerwen in the PDC World Championship final. Littler clinched the title in commanding fashion, opening up a 4-0 lead before dispatching Van Gerwen to clinch victory and become the youngest ever winner of the tournament. Van Gerwen, previously the youngest ever champion when he won the title in 2014 aged 24, failed to recover and posed little threat to the dominant Littler.
The Warrington teenager, who was defeated in last year’s final by Luke Humphries, proved unstoppable with an average of just over 102 and hit 12 180s in a masterclass performance to claim a £500,000 prize and lift the Sid Waddell Trophy for the first time. Despite his youth, Littler showed no signs of nerves as he outplayed his Dutch opponent, underlining his status as the game’s newest superstar.
Littler’s performance was characterised by both relentless scoring and a commanding presence on the big stage. He was able to grind his opponents down mentally, hitting crucial big checkouts and 180s that left Van Gerwen and others unable to mount a comeback. After dazzling audiences at Alexandra Palace with his exceptional performance, Littler secured his 10th title and fourth nine-darter of 2024.
Van Gerwen, who has now lost three finals since clinching his third world title in 2019, conceded that Littler had been simply too good on the night. Despite the defeat, Van Gerwen praised his young opponent, who produced an unrivalled display. Littler will be aiming to follow in the footsteps of Phil Taylor, who won his first BDO world title 35 years ago this year, and become the most successful darts player in history.
Now everyone, including Van Gerwen, will need to raise their game to keep pace with Littler, who has cemented his status as the game’s new superstar. The Dutchman will be disappointed with his performance, but just making it to the final after the year he has endured represents a considerable victory in its own right. As Littler continues to dominate the oche, the wait goes on for Van Gerwen and others to challenge the young darting sensation
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