Luke Littler ‘running out of time’ to complete historic darts clean sweep after shock tournament withdrawals

LUKE LITTLER is running out of opportunities if he wants to achieve one of the most remarkable feats in darts history by completing a clean sweep of every PDC major title in a single season.

The world No.1 has already enjoyed a sensational 2026 campaign, adding the World Championship, UK Open, World Masters, Premier League and World Cup of Darts crowns to his growing collection.

However, there is still plenty left to win. The World Matchplay, World Series Finals, World Grand Prix, European Championship, Grand Slam of Darts and Players Championship Finals remain on Littler’s hit list.

Yet his hopes of defending the Players Championship Finals title in Minehead are under serious threat after opting out of the opening 22 Players Championship events of the year.

The teenage superstar now has only 11 remaining floor tournaments in which to earn enough prize money to secure qualification for one of the sport’s biggest events.

Despite dominating the sport’s major stages, Littler has occasionally shown vulnerability on the ProTour circuit, where the shorter format and absence of a crowd can create opportunities for lower-ranked opponents.

The Warrington ace has won just four of the 29 Players Championship tournaments he has entered during his professional career.

Former professional Matt Edgar believes that reality could yet derail Littler’s bid for a historic clean sweep.

Speaking on the Love the Darts Podcast, Edgar said: “I’d love to see him complete the clean sweep, but the ProTour is a different challenge and you can get caught out.

“If you look at the players who have beaten Luke in ranking events this year, Niels Zonneveld is one of them. Nobody would have predicted that at the start of the season, and they probably wouldn’t predict it now.”

Edgar also pointed to Littler’s defeat to Beau Greaves in the semi-finals of the World Youth Championship as proof that even the very best can be vulnerable.

He said: “You can absolutely get caught out. We’ve seen it happen on the ProTour before and the Youth Championship is another perfect example.

“Every one of the 128 players in those events has earned their place. They’ve come through incredibly tough fields and they’re all capable of producing a huge performance.

“Sometimes it only takes 15 minutes of darts. A player can average over 100 and beat anyone in that format.

“The odds may favour the better player, but surprises happen regularly. The best player doesn’t always win.

“Anyone in the field can suddenly find their best game and beat you. People think it’s as simple as turning up and winning, especially when you’re seeded, but that’s not how darts works.

“He’s running out of time if he’s going to make it to Minehead.”