PDC Rules Block Luke Littler’s Chance to Close Ranking Gap with Luke Humphries in Premier League
Luke Littler, the 18-year-old darts prodigy ranked world No. 2, was unable to narrow the £574,000 prize money gap with world No. 1 Luke Humphries in the PDC Order of Merit during the 2025 Premier League Darts final on May 29 at London’s O2 Arena, due to the event’s non-ranking status. Littler, who burst onto the scene with a runner-up finish at the 2024 PDC World Championship, earning £200,000, has rapidly climbed the rankings with wins like the 2025 World Championship (£500,000) and multiple ProTour titles. However, the Premier League’s £275,000 winner’s prize, which Humphries claimed with an 11-8 victory over Littler, does not count toward the PDC Order of Merit, which determines rankings based on prize money over a two-year period.
The PDC’s decision to classify the Premier League as a non-ranking event, due to its exclusive eight-player format and four wildcard selections, meant Littler’s runner-up prize of £125,000 had no impact on his pursuit of Humphries’ top spot. Littler had expressed his intent to overtake Humphries, stating in March to Express.co.uk, “At the worlds, Luke Humphries is defending a hell of a lot of money. If he doesn’t defend it, that’s when I could shoot up to number one.” Despite his record-breaking six nightly wins and 45-point league phase tally, Littler’s 100.29 average and 29.6% checkout rate couldn’t overcome Humphries’ clutch performance, including a pivotal double 10 finish.[](https://www.express.co.uk/sport/othersport/2061741/luke-littler-luke-humphries-pdc-premier-league-darts)[](https://www.bbc.com/sport/darts/articles/cz638y3y19zo)
Humphries, who completed darts’ Triple Crown (World Championship, World Matchplay, Premier League), pleaded with the PDC to maintain the current format, telling Express.co.uk, “Why change it when I reached the final one year and won it the next? The fans still come in thousands.” The duo’s rivalry, with Littler leading 13-10 in their 23 meetings since 2024, now shifts to the World Cup of Darts in Frankfurt (June 12-15, 2025), where they’ll team up for England. Humphries noted, “If we connect, I don’t think anybody’s going to stop us,” per BBC Sport. Littler’s chance to hurt Humphries’ ranking must wait for ranking events like the upcoming Nordic Darts Masters.[
