Luke Littler won the World Grand Prix on Sunday evening, beating Luke Humphries in the final, but the teenager will be forced to give up a large portion of his prize money
Darts whizzkid Luke Littler is set to lose nearly half of his £120,000 prize money after clinching the World Grand Prix title.
The teen sensation added another feather to his cap on Sunday evening, outclassing former world champion Luke Humphries. The young prodigy’s victory was nothing short of impressive. Littler trounced Humphries in a 6-1 triumph, edging closer to the world number one spot. The Grand Prix win marks Littler’s seventh major televised victory, with just over £70,000 separating him and Humphries in the rankings.
OLBG analysts have worked out that Littler will have to hand over £54,000 to HMRC from his £120,000 winnings, leaving the youngster with a cool £66,000.
Despite his defeat to Littler, Humphries remains at the pinnacle of the PDC rankings. ‘Cool Hand’ has raked in an eye-watering £1.73m over the past two years – the basis for the Werner Rankings ladder.
Behind Littler and Humphries in the rankings are Michael van Gerwen, Stephen Bunting and James Wade, although none have yet reached the £1m mark.
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The precise gap between Humphries and Littler stands at exactly £70,750. Littler will be aiming to close this by Christmas, with the World Darts Championship looming.
“This is my time and I’ve just got to keep going,” Littler declared after his victory. “Obviously, until I get that world number one spot, I will never call myself the best in the world.
“Whoever’s number one, they’re the best. But knowing I’m only £70,000 in prize money behind Luke and then he’s got to defend all of his prize money from the Grand Prix, the Players Championships and the World Championship.
“I don’t want to think about it too much, but I could be world number one before that World Championship. I’ve just got to keep chucking away and put as much pressure as I can on Luke.”
In a surprising twist, following his triumph at the World Grand Prix, Littler announced that he would be participating in the World Youth Championship. The competition kicks off on Monday in Wigan, a stone’s throw away from where the 18-year-old resides.
Chatting with Sky Sports, Littler shared: “I’ll go to the World Youth tomorrow and just have a bit of fun, see everyone. I don’t think anyone is going to be my friend tomorrow, but it’s only 20 minutes up the road, so I’ll try my best!”
The World Youth Championship commences with a group stage format, before transitioning into a knock-out format from the last 64 stage. The grand finale is set for November 23 in Minehead.
In 2023, Littler emerged victorious in the competition, bagging a cool £10,000 after defeating Gian ven Veen. The contest is open to players aged between 16 and 23, with no restrictions based on rankings or achievements in the PDC circuit – making Littler eligible to compete.
The young star will be brimming with confidence as he enters the competition, having recently triumphed over one of his fiercest rivals in the sport. Humphries and Littler have faced off 24 times so far, with Humphries often gaining the upper hand on the grandest stages.
Out of their 24 encounters, Littler has claimed victory 14 times, while Humphries has secured three wins in the last five major finals between these two darting giants.
