Luke Littler snubs another darts tournament in blow to PDC bosses as he prepares to defend major title

Luke Littler will once again be missing from the European Tour this weekend as the reigning world champion prioritises preparations for his World Matchplay title defence.

The 19-year-old has opted to sit out the European Darts Open in Leverkusen, continuing his selective schedule on the continent despite his status as the sport’s biggest attraction.

His absence is another disappointment for PDC Europe, with the world No.1 choosing to skip the three-day event as he carefully manages an increasingly packed calendar.

The European Darts Open is the tenth of this year’s 15 European Tour events, yet Littler has featured in only two tournaments so far.

His first appearance proved successful as he claimed the Poland Darts Open title in February after defeating Gian van Veen in the final. However, his second outing ended in disappointment when Dutchman Niels Zonneveld knocked him out in the third round of the Belgian Darts Open in March.

Since then, Littler has also missed the European Darts Trophy, German Darts Grand Prix, European Darts Grand Prix, Austrian Darts Open, International Darts Open, Baltic Sea Darts Open and Slovak Darts Open.

Despite his limited appearances, the teenager remains comfortably placed to qualify for October’s European Championship in Dortmund — the only televised PDC major that has so far eluded him.

Although Littler partnered world No.2 Luke Humphries to World Cup of Darts glory in Frankfurt earlier this year, he has generally avoided travelling to Germany unless absolutely necessary.

That decision follows the hostile reception he received during appearances in Berlin, Munich and Frankfurt last year, where he was repeatedly booed by sections of the crowd.

The reigning world champion has also made no secret of his desire to reduce the amount of travelling he does, particularly with his commitments on the World Series of Darts circuit.

Speaking last month, Littler revealed he takes between 30 and 40 flights every year, highlighting the demands of his growing schedule.

After recently travelling to New Jersey, where he watched England defeat Panama 2-0 at the FIFA World Cup, his focus now turns to Blackpool.

Littler returns to the Winter Gardens next week looking to defend the World Matchplay crown he won 12 months ago when he lifted the prestigious Phil Taylor Trophy.

Victory would see him continue an extraordinary run in televised major events as he bids to add another title to his rapidly expanding collection.