Players Championship: Luke Littler bounces back from recent defeats to win Event 32 title and advance to final | Darts News

Luke Littler bounced back from recent defeats to win a vital Players Championship 32 title at Wigan.

Following his World Junior Championship semi-final defeat to Beau Greaves and an opening 31 Players Championship defeat to Ritchie Edhouse, Littler responded with an outright victory to qualify for next month’s final in Minehead.

After beating Stephen Bunting 7-4 in the semifinals on Wednesday, Littler defeated little-known Dutch player Dennie Olde Kalter 8-2 in the final.

The boost comes at just the right time for the new World Grand Prix champion, who had been pushing to reach November’s Players Championship final after Tuesday’s first-round exit in Wigan at Event 31 left him outside the 64 qualifying places with three events to go.

Littler’s 6-4 defeat to reigning European champion Edhouse in Event 31 – which was ultimately won by Jermaine Wattimena – left him 73rd in the Players Championship standings, £2,500 behind 64th-placed Niko Springer.

But The Nuke’s win at Event 32 lifted him to 34th in the rankings and propelled him ahead of the regular Players Championship campaign which concludes with back-to-back tournaments on October 29-30, also in Wigan, with the finals in Minehead from November 21-23.

“It’s always on my mind [qualification for Players Championship Finals] and I’m on social media with some people who say I won’t make it. Lo and behold, I won it today,” Littler said after the victory.

“Maybe I’ll play the last two events, see how I feel.

“You just have to believe in it. I know I have the ability to come from behind, and it happened again today. I’m learning as the days go by.

“I didn’t win [at the World Youth Championship]obviously a lot of people were happy, but I just thought I was going to come and get used to playing first to five, first to six. That’s what I did today and yesterday.”

A busy few days for Littler on and off set

Small rhythm beat Humphries in the World Grand Prix final on Sundaybefore losing to Greaves in the World Junior Championship semi-final a day later.

Before Littler’s defeat to Edhouse on Tuesday, it was announced that the 18-year-old would now be managed by Target Darts, his darts supplier during his rise to the top.

Littler parted ways with ZXF Sports ahead of the Leicester World Grand Prix after working at the management company since 2020.

Writing on

Littler’s World Grand Prix triumph earned him a fourth PDC major title in 2025 and the seventh of his career, with the teenager now set to defend his Grand Slam of Darts crown when that competition is held in Wolverhampton from November 8-16, live on Sky Sports.

How to earn money at Players Championship events?

Each Players Championship event features a top prize of £15,000 and offers £10,000 to the runner-up, with semi-finalists winning £5,000, quarter-finalists £3,500 and £2,500 available for those who lost in the last 16.

Those eliminated in the last 32 games collect £1,500 and a second round exit earns £1,000, while those eliminated in the first round – or choosing not to feature – earn no money.

Gerwyn Price tops the Order of Merit after winning four Players Championship titles this year, with Damon Heta, Ross Smith, Gian van Veen and Event 31 champion Wattimena completing the top five.

Players Championship 32 results – final rounds

Final
Luke Littler 8-2 Dennie Olde Kalter

Semi-finals
Luke Littler 7-4 Stephen Bunting
Dennie Olde Kalter 7-3 Jermaine Wattimena

Quarter-finals
Stephen Bunting 6-2 Wessel Nijman
Luke Littler 6-3 Rhys Griffin
Jermaine Wattimena 6-5 Chris Dobey
Dennie Olde Kalter 6-4 Nathan Aspinall

last 16
Stephen Bunting 6-2 Niko Springer
Wessel Nijman 6-2 Cor Dekker
Luke Littler 6-4 Adam Hunt
Rhys Griffin 6-4 Mickey Mansell
Chris Dobey 6-2 Ritchie Edhouse
Jermaine Wattimena 6-4 Rob Cross
Dennie Olde Kalter 6-1 Scott Waites
Ashpaal 6-5

Watch the Grand Slam of Darts live on Sky Sports from November 8-16, before the World Darts Championship takes place from December 11-January 3. Stream darts and more without a contract with NOW.