Luke Littler PDC Tour ban takes effect today after incredible Michael van Gerwen win
Darts star Luke Littler won't be allowed to defend his title at the PDC Development Tour this weekend.
The 17-year-old reigning champions' recent successes mean he's not eligible for the event, which is open to players aged 16–23 and leads up to the PDC World Youth Championship, a title Littler bagged last year.
The series kicked off on Friday and was the launchpad for Littler's pro career. His win at the 2023 World Youth Championship got him a spot in the World Darts Championship, where he surprised everyone by making it to the final at Ally Pally.
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Littler's victory at the Bahrain Masters, where he beat Michael van Gerwen with a nine-darter in the final, is one of many top results that put him 30th in the PDC Order of Merit rankings. But because the Development Tour doesn't let players ranked in the top 32 enter, the 17-year-old can't compete in the series that led him to the World Darts Championship. However, he can still enter the World Youth Championship at the end of the season.
But Littler isn't bothered about missing out on the Development Tour. He's got his sights set on his Premier League campaign. The teen and his rivals are off to Exeter on Thursday, where he'll be aiming to win his first Premier League tournament.
The world's third-ranked player, Michael Smith, recently suggested that Luke Littler could possibly surpass Phil Taylor's record of 16 world titles and 85 tournament victories. Responding to these remarks, Littler said: "I don't think anyone's beating that record. It's just crazy to think of me being bigger than Phil.
"I just love playing in
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