Luke Littler in Serious Danger of Missing £600k Darts Major After Shock First-Round Exit
Luke Littler, the 18-year-old PDC World Champion and darts’ teen sensation, faces a precarious “dilemma” after a shock first-round defeat at the 2025 Players Championship 31 in Wigan on October 14, threatening his qualification for the lucrative Players Championship Finals in Minehead. The “Nuke,” who pocketed £120,000 for his World Grand Prix triumph just two days prior, suffered a 6-3 loss to Dylan Slevin in a major wake-up call, dropping him to tied 56th on the Players Championship Order of Merit (PCOM) with £21,000. The event, worth £600,000 in prize money and set for November 21-23, requires a top-64 PCOM ranking for entry—Littler now sits outside that cutoff with only three Pro Tour events remaining, risking exclusion from a tournament he’s favored to win despite his selective participation this year.
The Shock Exit: Slevin Stuns Littler in Last-16 Upset
Littler’s early exit came against Irish qualifier Dylan Slevin, ranked outside the top 100, in a match that highlighted his vulnerability after a grueling schedule. Littler averaged a modest 90.11—well below his usual 102+—while Slevin posted 92.74, starting strong with a 140 and converting two breaks to lead 4-1. Littler clawed back to 5-3 with a 95 checkout, but Slevin sealed it with a 121 on D20, his first PDC Pro Tour win. “Dylan’s a tough out—he earned it,” Littler told Sky Sports, gracious in defeat but admitting the loss “stings” amid his No. 1 chase.
This marks Littler’s second early exit in as many Pro Tour events, following a withdrawal from Players Championship 28 due to an elbow niggle. His selective approach—playing just 12 of 31 events—has left him exposed, with rivals like Humphries (tied 56th, £21,000) and Aspinall (43rd after two nine-darters in PC31) closing the gap. A first-round loss nets zero points, and Littler now needs a deep run in the remaining events (PC32-34, October 15-17) to crack the top 64.
The Stakes: £600k Minehead Major on the Line
The Players Championship Finals in Minehead is a £600,000 bonanza, with £120,000 to the winner—the same as the Grand Prix Littler just claimed. Qualification is based on the top 64 of the PCOM, which rewards Pro Tour performance over two years. Littler’s Grand Prix haul (£167,500) doesn’t count toward PCOM, so his £21,000 from 12 events leaves him vulnerable. He needs at least £10,000 from the next three events (e.g., a quarterfinal in one) to overtake the cutoff, currently held by players like Ryan Searle (£20,500).
Littler’s “lighter” 2025 strategy—skipping 19 Pro Tour events for rest and majors—has netted £1.67 million overall but risks this major. “I need to get my head down,” Littler said, eyeing the European Championship (October 23-26) and Minehead. Self-managing post-ZXF split, with family and Target Darts’ Garry Plummer, adds pressure to balance health and rankings.
| Ranking | Player | PCOM Earnings | Events Played |
|———|——–|—————|—————|
| 43rd | Nathan Aspinall | £45,000 | 25 |
| 48th | Luke Littler | £21,000 | 12 |
| 56th | Luke Humphries | £21,000 | 10 |
| Cutoff (64th) | Ryan Searle | £20,500 | 28 |
Littler’s 2025: Triumphs Tempered by Risks
Littler’s year is stellar—Triple Crown (£1.5M+), Grand Prix (£120,000), Youth Worlds semi loss to Beau Greaves (107.4 average)—but PCOM woes loom. His net worth (£2.5M+) from endorsements (Target Darts, boohooMAN) cushions the blow, but missing Minehead stings. “The Worlds is the goal—Minehead’s a bonus,” he told Sky Sports, but a deep run in PC32-34 is crucial.
Fans under #LittlerPCOM: “Shock exit—Nuke needs to grind! £600k too big to miss” (100k likes). Wayne Mardle urged: “Luke’s talent’s there—pick the events, but don’t skip too many.” As Littler faces Slevin-level upsets, the dilemma is real: Rest or risk? The Nuke’s empire hangs in the balance.
