Sporting Life
Luke Littler won the world championship aged just 17
Luke Littler won the world championship aged just 17

Luke Littler's astonishing career timeline in the PDC as the teenage sensation turns 18

By Chris Hammer
Darts
Fri January 24, 2025 · 11M ago

Luke Littler is celebrating his 18th birthday having already achieved more than what the vast majority of professional dart players will manage in their entire careers.

Lifting the Sid Waddell Trophy is a dream that only a handful of legends will ever realise - and that's usually only after spending years climbing the rankings, building experience and finding the highest level of consistency needed to shine on the biggest stage of all.

Michael van Gerwen's first of his three world titles came six years after his debut in 2008 was ended, fittingly, by Phil Taylor in the first round while he'd also gained confidence of winning three other big majors before finally becoming the youngest ever PDC champion at the age of 24.

This broke the record of Adrian Lewis, who reached the sport's pinnacle aged 25 back in 2011 but even he had been reaching the latter stages of big tournaments - including two major finals - for the previous six years.

Gerwyn Price became world champion at the seventh attempt in 2021, Michael Smith eventually fulfilled his promise in 2023 some 11 years after his Alexandra Palace debut - and just two months after landing his maiden major title at the Grand Slam of Darts - while Peter Wright took 25 years to reach the Promised Land if you think he first appeared on the global stage at the Lakeside in 1995!

Luke Humphries' rise to stardom may have felt meteoric when you consider he won his first of his six majors in October 2023, but his world title run in 2024 was his seventh Ally Pally campaign.

Before Littler tore up the record books, Rob Cross was the only exception to the usual kind of darting career path having become world champion on debut at the age of 27 in 2018 at the end of his fairytale first season with the PDC, but the extent of the Nuke's explosiveness is without comparison.

Before we take a look at Littler's spectacular - albeit short - PDC career timeline since bursting onto the scene just over 13 months ago, I'll first delve a little closer into his overall statistics, which show clear gulf in class opening up and it may only get wider in the foreseeable future.

Luke Littler's statistics in the PDC since December 2023

  • Matches: 202
  • Won: 157 (Highest win rate on Pro Tour)
  • Average: 99.5 (Highest on Pro Tour)
  • 100+ averages: 99 (Highest on Pro Tour)
  • 100+ average per match: 49% (Second highest behind Gary Anderson's 50%)
  • High TV average: 114 (v MVG in Premier League)
  • 180s: 919 (Highest on Pro Tour)
  • 180s Per Leg: 0.40 (Highest on Pro Tour)
  • Checkout Percentage: 41.54% (10th highest)
  • Total prize money: £1,500,000

To put some of these statistics into perspective, Littler's win-rate of 77% is considerably higher than the chasing pack led by Gary Anderson (74%) and Luke Humphries (72%), while Stephen Bunting (69%), Michael van Gerwen (68%) and Chris Dobey (67%) are the others who make up the top six.

To have such a high percentage is made even more impressive by the fact 38 of his 202 took place in the Premier League when the calibre of opposition couldn't really be much higher.

Littler's tally of 100+ averages was 19 more than his nearest rival Luke Humphries while third on the list is Michael van Gerwen way back on 54.

The Nuke is managing three figures in almost half of his games and although Anderson reached 100+ in 50% of his 103 matches, Littler is playing a lot more frequently in the pressure of TV tournaments.

A fairer comparison is Humphries managing 100+ in 43% of his 186 games during this time period, while the likes of MVG, Damon Heta and Bunting are around 30%.

Littler also fired in a record-breaking 847 180s during the 2024 season (taking his overall PDC maximum tally to 919), which smashed Michael Smith's previous table-topping mark of 714 during the 2022 campaign.

Although Bully Boy played fewer games (181) back then which was partly due to the old Premier League format of one match per night, his maximum per leg rate of 0.36 was still markedly lower than the 0.40 that Littler achieved last season.

Anderson actually managed the same as Littler throughout 2024, with Dirk van Duijvenbode coming in a close third on 0.38, but again, few would dispute that maintaining that prolific rate over more games and in TV tournaments is far tougher.

Luke Littler's titles

  • World Championship 2025
  • Premier League 2024
  • Grand Slam of Darts 2024
  • World Series of Darts Finals 2024
  • 2x World Series titles (Bahrain Masters, Poland Masters)
  • 2x European Tour titles (Belgian Open, Austrian Open)
  • 3x Players Championship titles

Luke Littler's records

  • Youngest player to reach a World Championship final (16 years and 347 days on January 3, 2024)
  • Highest ever average for a debutant (106.12 v Christian Kist, December 2023)
  • Youngest ever world champion by seven years (17 years and 347 days on January 3, 2025)
  • Youngest ever PDC major winner (17 at the 2024 Premier League of Darts)
  • Youngest ever PDC ranked major winner (17 at the 2024 Grand Slam of Darts)
  • Youngest player to hit a televised nine darter at the 2024 Bahrain Darts Masters (16 years & 363 days)
  • Equals record of four nine-darters in a calendar year (Bahrain, Players Championship 1, Belgian Open & Premier League final)
  • Second player after Phil Taylor to hit a nine-darter in a Premier League final
  • All four of his nine-darters came in events he went on to win, including two finals (Belgian Open & Premier League)
  • One of just four players to win 10 or more PDC titles in a calendar year, following in the footsteps of Phil Taylor, Michael van Gerwen and Peter Wright
  • Record breaking set average of 140.91 against Ryan Meikle at the 2024 World Championship, beating the previous record of 136.64 (Gerwyn Price v Gary Anderson in the 2021 final)
  • Most 180s in a single season with 847, beating Michael Smith's 714 in 2022
  • Has achieved a 100+ average in 10 of his 13 matches on the World Championship stage. Only Phil Taylor (56 across 25 campaigns), Michael van Gerwen (42 across 18 campaigns), Gary Anderson (23 across 16 campaigns), Peter Wright (16 across 16 campaigns), Adrian Lewis (15 across 18 campaigns), Michael Smith (15 across 14 campaigns) and Raymond van Barneveld (14 across 18 campaigns) have done it more.

Luke Littler's PDC career timeline: Month-by-month

DECEMBER-JANUARY

  • Jan Titles: Bahrain Darts Masters
  • Matches won-played (including worlds): 13-15
  • Jan average: 100.9
  • 100+ averages: 7
  • 180s: 97
  • Prize money: £230k

Luke Littler made a flying start to 2024 by being runner-up at the Ally Pally and then winning a World Series event.

Prior to the 2024 World Championship, Luke Littler was ranked 164 with just £2,500 prize money which he'd pocketed from his appearance as an amateur qualifier at the 2023 UK Open.

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By January 3, the 16-year-old had scooped £200,000 as runner-up to Luke Humphries following his awe-inspiring heroics at the Ally Pally that took the whole sporting world by storm and saw him become a celebrity overnight.

This remarkably lifted him to just inside the world's top 32 and, crucially, earned him an invitation to the Premier League and the World Series Tour of events.

The latter began almost immediately in Bahrain, with Littler hitting a nine-darter against Nathan Aspinall in en route to beating Michael van Gerwen in the final.

The title earned him £20,000 and he'd pick up a further £10,000 a week later for finishing runner-up to MVG in the second World Series event in the Netherlands.

FEBRUARY

  • Titles: Players Championship 1
  • Feb Average: 96.6
  • Total matches won-played: 38-50
  • Total 100+ averages: 20
  • Total 180s: 219
  • Total prize money: £249,500

It was a huge month for Littler as he made his eagerly anticipated debut in the Premier League, while he also made an explosive start to life on the PDC Pro Tour by firing a nine-dart finish en route to winning the opening Players Championship event of the season.

The Nuke's perfect leg against Michele Turetta saw him become the youngest ever player to achieve the feat on the Pro Tour at the age of 17 - breaking the record set by 18-year-old Leighton Bennett just an hour earlier!

If that wasn't enough, he averaged 109.64 to defeat Ryan Searle 8-7 in a pulsating final and collect a cheque for £15,000, with the latter managing a staggering 111.71 only to be outdone by the sport's new golden boy.

During first month of the Premier League campaign, Littler didn't pocket any of the £10,000 cheques on offer to players who win a night but he did collect £4,500 across the other three Players Championship events he entered.

MARCH

  • Titles: Belgian Open
  • March Average: 101.6
  • Total matches won-played: 52-68
  • Total 100+ averages: 31
  • Total 180s: 287
  • Total prize money: £304,500

Littler looked well on course to pick up his maiden PDC major title at the UK Open when averaging over 101 in all of his first three matches against James Wade, Martin Schindler and Dave Chisnall but an effort of 104.77 was enough to see off an inspired Damon Heta in the quarter-finals.

That run banked him £15,000 but a week later he won double that amount as he made a dream debut on the European Tour.

Littler averaged over 100 in four of his first five matches en route to the Belgian Darts Open final, where he produced yet another magical nine-darter in the 11th leg of a thrilling clash against Rob Cross that he won 8-7 despite a slightly lower average of 104 compared to Voltage's 108.

Littler ended the month by winning night nine of the Premier League campaign that bolstered his total prize money for the season by a further £10,000.

APRIL

  • Titles: Austrian Open
  • April Average: 98.1
  • Total matches won-played: 72-93
  • Total 100+ averages: 41
  • Total 180s: 355
  • Total prize money: £361,000

Littler made it four titles in as many months but had to wait until the last weekend of April to get his hands on the Green Jacket - and another cheque for £30,000 - for winning the Austrian Darts Open, defeating Joe Cullen in the final

Before that, Littler soared to the top of the Premier League table by winning two of the four nights - giving him a further £20,000 of bonus cash - and achieved 100+ averages in both of those finals against Gerwyn Price and Rob Cross.

Elsewhere, his runs in four other events (3x Pro Tour and 1x European Tour) earned him an additional £6,500.

MAY

  • Titles: Premier League
  • May Average: 98.4
  • Total matches won-played: 80-104
  • Total 100+ averages: 46
  • Total 180s: 402
  • Total prize money: £647,250

Littler's biggest payday of his entire year arrived in typically blockbusting fashion at the O2 in London where a FOURTH nine-darter of the season - and second on TV - helped him defeat world champion Luke Humphries in the Premier League final.

The Warrington superstar avenged that Ally Pally defeat to Humphries with a thrilling 11-7 triumph in which he raised the roof at 5-5 when becoming just the second player to achieve a perfect leg in a Premier League final after Phil Taylor managed two of them against James Wade in the 2010 showpiece. Yet more fitting proof that he could enjoy a career just as spectacular as the legendary Power.

Remarkably his four nine darters during the season had all come in different tournament debuts that he'd gone on to win.

In terms of prize money, this magical night saw him take home £275,000 while earlier in the month he'd won another nightly Premier League bonus of £10,000 which helped him finish the regular season on top of the table on 40 points.

Elsewhere in May he picked up an underwhelming £1,250 for an early exit on the European Tour to another future star in Wessel Nijman.

JUNE

  • Titles: Poland Masters
  • June Average: 100.9
  • Total matches won-played: 85-110
  • Total 100+ averages: 50
  • Total 180s: 432
  • Total prize money: £672,250

Although Littler was unable to main event Madison Square Garden after a semi-final exit at the US Darts Masters at the very start of June, he swiftly bounced back a fortnight later to pick up his second World Series event of the season in Poland.

Littler battled past Peter Wright and Michael Smith before brushing aside Rob Cross 8-3 in front of 9,000 fans at the PreZero Arena Gliwice to keep up his incredible run of winning a title in every month of the campaign.

JULY

  • Titles: Players Championship 15
  • July Average: 96.8
  • Total matches won-played: 92-120
  • Total 100+ averages: 55
  • Total 180s: 474
  • Total prize money: £698,250

Littler made a sluggish start to the month with two early exits at Players Championship events but that didn't dampen the hype ahead of his World Matchplay debut against Michael van Gerwen in Blackpool.

However, despite an average in excess of 100, the teenage sensation bowed out at the first hurdle and had to wait until the very last day of the month to pick up a seventh title of the season at Players Championship 15 with a fine victory over Wessel Nijman.

AUGUST

  • August Average: 97.7
  • Total matches won-played: 100-131
  • Total 100+ averages: 60
  • Total 180s: 508
  • Total prize money: £714,750

Littler's astonishing run of winning a title every month eventually came to an end in August but he still managed to reach a World Series final in Australia, which he lost to Gerwyn Price, while he bowed out to eventual champion Luke Humphries in the New Zealand semi-finals a week later.

He picked up a total of £15,000 from those efforts Down Under while there'd also been a very small cheque for £1,500 after a third-round loss in a Players Championship event at the start of the month.

SEPTEMBER

  • Titles: World Series of Darts Finals & Players Championship 20
  • September Average: 99.9
  • Total matches won-played: 120-155
  • Total 100+ averages: 71
  • Total 180s: 633
  • Prize money: £832,250

A lightning start to the first day of September looked destined to end in a third European Tour title of the season when he cruised into the German Darts Championship final against a hapless Peter Wright.

However, despite leading 5-2 with an average of 112 compared to his opponent's 93, Snakebite somehow clawed his way back into the match with a sublime 146 checkout before reeling off another five legs in succession to pinch the title.

Littler, who ended up with an average 10 points higher than Wright with 107 had to settle for the runners-up cheque of 12,000 but a fortnight night he was celebrating a much bigger top prize of £80,000 at the lucrative World Series of Darts Finals in Amsterdam.

Apart from the fortune of surviving two match darts against Ross Smith in the opening round, the wonderkid was in frightening form across the two days, averaging over 102 in all five of his matches including one-sided victories over Michael van Gerwen and Michael Smith in final while he also fired in 34 180s in just 68 legs.

In his next tournament two days later in the quieter surroundings of the Robin Park Tennis Centre in Wigan, he won his third Players Championship title of the campaign thanks to a nail-biting 8-7 triumph over Stephen Bunting.

Littler had also defeated the likes of Luke Humphries and Dave Chisnall en route to the £15,000 cheque and although his other three tournaments this month (2x European Tour & 1 Players Championship) brought him 'just' £10,500 after early exits in all of them, that took nothing away from a glorious September.

OCTOBER

  • October Average: 97.8
  • Total matches won-played: 137-180
  • Total 100+ averages: 80
  • Total 180s: 737
  • Total prize money: £868,750

For the first time in his young career, Littler had to wake up to ridiculously harsh headlines about his performances on the dart board following his first-round exit against 'former butcher' Andrew Gilding at his debut European Championship.

It was the third time in a row that he'd crashed out at the first hurdle in a major ranked TV event having suffered the same fate against MVG at the World Matchplay back in July and also to Rob Cross in the World Grand Prix at the start of the October - but the Daily Mail were seemingly unaware of the breathtaking standard he'd been producing everywhere else since Blackpool.

October wasn't his best month of the year but on the European Tour he averaged 110, 117, 111 and 107 in his four games at the Czech Darts Open where Luke Humphries eventually ended his hopes in the semi-finals.

He also entered five Pro Tour events in October but 'only' managed to scoop a total of £13,000, with his best performance being a semi-final run at Players Championship 24.

NOVEMBER

  • Titles: Grand Slam of Darts
  • November Average: 104.7
  • Total matches won-played: 149-193
  • Total 100+ averages: 93
  • Total 180s: 829
  • Total prize money: £1,078,750

Littler broke more records - and the million pound barrier - in a momentous November when becoming the youngest winner of a PDC ranked major at the Grand Slam of Darts.

And he did so in mind-boggling fashion, winning all seven of his matches with averages in excess of 102 - including a best of 112.16 in the group stages - while the manner of his victories underlined just what a darting monster the rest of the world are dealing with.

Not only was he able to destroy quarter-finalist Jermaine Wattimena 16-2 and runner-up Martin Lukeman 16-3 in around 30 minutes of unplayable darts, he also showed his immense character and battling spirit to come back from the brink against both Mike de Decker and Gary Anderson before edging last-leg deciders.

Lifting the Eric Bristow Trophy also joined MVG, Taylor and Peter Wright as the only players in history to win 10 or more PDC titles in a single season. Whether he can challenge MVG's all-time record of 25 in years to come, only time will tell.

Littler also broke the record for most 180s in a Grand Slam campaign with 60, which eclipsed the previous mark of 52 set by Adrian Lewis in 2013, and that's a remarkable stat considering he two of his best-of-31 leg contests were complete in less than 20 legs!

More importantly, his cheque for £150,000 took his PDC earnings to £1,018,750 and he added another £60,000 to that pot after finishing runner-up to Humphries at the Players Championship Finals.

In that tournament he averaged over 100 in all six matches which takes his overall streak to 13 games.

DECEMBER-JANUARY

  • Titles: World Championship
  • Dec-Jan Average: 101.9
  • Total matches won-played: 157-202
  • Total 100+ averages: 99
  • Total 180s: 919
  • Total prize money: £1,583,750

Luke Littler completed one of the greatest ever debut seasons in sport by defeating Michael van Gerwen 7-3 to become youngest winner of the PDC's Paddy Power World Darts Championship.

At the age of just 17 and 347 days, the teenage prodigy smashes the record set by van Gerwen, who was 24 years and nine months old when beating Peter Wright to clinch the first of his three world titles back in 2014.

Twelve months on from a headline-spinning run to the final on his Alexandra Palace debut which transcended darts like never before and saw him become the biggest star the sport has ever produced despite ultimately finishing runner-up to Luke Humphries, Littler went one better on this occasion to get his hands on the Sid Waddell Trophy and a cheque for £500,000.

To beat such a player as van Gerwen was arguably the perfect way to end this particular chapter to his remarkable story, which has seen him already collect 11 titles, including the Premier League and Grand Slam of Darts, as well as over £1.5million in total prize money - a sum that most professional darts players won't earn in their entire careers.

And to add the icing on the cake, Littler also picked up the Ballon d'Art trophy for the most 180s thanks to a total of 76 that wasn't far off Michael Smith's tournament record of 83.

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