The 32nd Players Championship of the year was a triumph for Luke Littler yesterday. The 18-year-old Englishman defeated the surprising Dutchman Dennie Olde Kalter 8-2 in the final in Wigan. For Littler, it was only his first title this year at the Players Championship.
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Littler - who needed a good performance to secure qualification for the Players Championship Finals - also posted the highest average of the day. 'The Nuke' did so in the final, in which he clocked off at 110.73 average.
The second highest average was also credited to Littler. In his 7-4 semifinal win against Stephen Bunting, he averaged 109.50.
The top three highest averages at Players Championship 32 is completed by Bunting. 'The Bullet' thus lost 7-4 to Littler in the semifinals and averaged 107.20 in that match.
The Players Championship is now at a two-week standstill and pulls up again on Wednesday, Oct. 29 and Thursday, Oct. 30, when the final two tournaments of the year are scheduled in Wigan.
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After those two tournaments, the Players Championship Order of Merit will conclude and the top 64 will qualify for the Players Championship Finals, which will take place Nov. 21-23 at Butlin's Minehead.
Littler, last year's losing finalist at this PDC major, has now climbed to 34th place on the Players Championship Order of Merit and can therefore sleep on both ears as far as participation in the Players Championship Finals is concerned.
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He contributes to DartsNews.com, where he covers professional darts through news, match reports, analysis, and live coverage across the PDC calendar and major tournaments.
A key part of his work is on-site reporting from leading events. Kieran has covered the PDC World Darts Championship in person, reporting daily from the venue and providing first-hand insight from the tournament. During his coverage, he has conducted interviews with leading players including Luke Littler, Luke Humphries, and Gerwyn Price.
He is also one of the leading voices of the English-language Dartsnews Podcast, contributing regular analysis and discussion on developments across the professional darts circuit.
In his reporting, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles when new, verified information becomes available.