961 days, 30 titles: Luke Littler keeps making history

Luke Littler has reached another remarkable milestone. The 19-year-old Englishman was crowned champion at the Czech Darts Open last weekend, sealing the 30th PDC title of his still early career. What makes it even more impressive: it has been just 961 days since Littler won his first PDC tournament.

Littler took his first major step towards the absolute world elite in January 2024 at the Bahrain Darts Masters. There, ‘The Nuke’ lifted his first PDC title, and since then the young Englishman’s trophy cabinet has filled at breakneck speed. Less than three years after that initial win, the tally now stands at thirty titles.

Victory in Prague was also his sixth on the European Tour. In the final, Littler saw off Luke Humphries, adding another significant trophy to his already imposing résumé. The world champion showed he is close to unbeatable not only at the biggest TV tournaments, but also across the European Tour.

Of his thirty PDC titles, no fewer than fifteen are majors. Littler has already been world champion twice and has also won both the World Matchplay and the Grand Slam of Darts twice. He has added two UK Open titles and two Premier League titles as well. In a short span, Littler has built a haul of major honours that many players do not approach across an entire career.

Alongside his fifteen majors, Littler has now claimed six Euro Tours, four Players Championships and five World Series events. His thirty titles underline how versatile the Englishman is. Whether it’s a big TV event, a European Tour stop or a Players Championship, Littler finds a way to win everywhere.

The transformation from teenager to established world-beater has been extraordinarily swift. When Littler won his first PDC title in January 2024, it quickly became clear the sport had an exceptional talent on its hands. He has since become the leading face of darts and continues to chase record after record.

Perhaps that last point is the most striking part of his current résumé. Littler amassed his thirty titles before celebrating his twentieth birthday. Where other top players need years to piece together a similar tally, ‘The Nuke’ required only 961 days.

The big question is no longer whether Littler can become one of the most successful darters of his generation. His results show he is already reaching that status. The remaining question is simply where the counter will finally halt.

At his current pace, thirty PDC titles looks more like a waypoint than a destination. And given his age and trajectory, the darts world likely hasn’t seen the last of Luke Littler for a long time to come.