Littler: I've surprised myself with Development Tour success

PDC Winmau World Youth Championship

Teenage superstar Luke Littler admits he has surpassed his own expectations, after sealing World Championship qualification and a PDC Tour Card following his sensational 2023 season.

Van Veen & Littler to contest 2023 Winmau World Youth Championship final

PDC Winmau World Youth Championship

Gian van Veen and Luke Littler will contest the 2023 PDC Winmau World Youth Championship final in Minehead later this year, after coming through a star-studded 96-player field in Milton Keynes on Sunday.

2023 PDC Winmau World Youth Championship field confirmed

PDC Winmau World Youth Championship

The 96-player field for the 2023 PDC Winmau World Youth Championship has been confirmed following the conclusion of this year's Development Tour season on Saturday.

Van Veen tops Development Tour Order of Merit as 2023 season concludes

Winmau Development Tour

Gian van Veen and Luke Littler claimed a title apiece as the 2023 Winmau Development Tour season drew to a close in Milton Keynes on Saturday.

Rodriguez & Bialecki share titles; Littler seals Ally Pally spot

Winmau Development Tour

Rusty-Jake Rodriguez and Sebastian Bialecki returned to winning ways on the Winmau Development Tour on Friday, as teenage sensation Luke Littler secured his PDC Tour Card for 2024-25.

Rock relishing Winmau World Youth Championship title defence

PDC Winmau World Youth Championship

Reigning champion Josh Rock believes this year’s Winmau World Youth Championship field could be the strongest ever, as he prepares to begin his title defence on Sunday.

Rock headlines confirmed qualifiers for 2023 World Youth Championship

PDC Winmau World Youth Championship

The field of international qualifiers & pre-qualified Tour Card Holders for the 2023 PDC Winmau World Youth Championship have been confirmed.

Nine-dart Littler stuns Van Veen to claim Event 20 title

Winmau Development Tour

Teenage sensation Luke Littler landed a nine-dart finish on his way to winning a fourth Winmau Development Tour title of 2023 in Leicester on Sunday.

Nijman and Rafferty celebrate Development Tour wins in Leicester

Winmau Development Tour

Wessel Nijman secured his third Winmau Development Tour title of 2023 in Leicester on Saturday, as Nathan Rafferty returned to winning ways at the Morningside Arena.

Littler and Van Veen continue Development Tour domination in Leicester

Winmau Development Tour

Luke Littler and Gian van Veen continued their monopoly of the 2023 Winmau Development Tour by sharing titles on an extraordinary day of action in Leicester on Friday.

Germany's Fabian Schmutzler has secured his spot at the 2021/22 William Hill World Darts Championship as he clinched a second PDC Unicorn European Development Tour title in succession as the tour came to a close on Sunday.

With Rusty-Jake Rodriguez having already qualified for the World Championship through the ProTour Order of Merit, the second-placed player on the European Development Tour Order of Merit would secure an Alexandra Palace place.

Schmutzler's success in Event 11, followed by another strong run in Event 12 meant that he moved onto £6,000 in prize money and well ahead of his rivals for qualification in his first weekend competing on the Development Tour circuit.

It was a double German success on the day at the H+ Hotel in Niedernhausen, with Nico Kurz also securing victory in the final event.

Sixteen-year-old Schmutzler, who secured his first title with Event Ten on Saturday, was back in the winner's circle once again, moving him into a commanding position in the European Development Tour order of Merit heading into the final event. 

He kicked things off in Event 11 with a 4-0 win over Norway's Henrik Ettrup, and quickly followed this with a 4-1 win over Jeroen Mioch and 4-2 triumph against Kevin Doets. 

Two whitewash victories were to follow against Justin Paul and Gijsbert Van Malsen to reach the last four. 

His toughest test came in the semi-finals, but Schmutzler edged through to the final with a 5-3 win over Czech Republic's Tomas Houdek.

Standing in the way of back-to-back titles for Schmutzler was the more experienced Adam Gawlas, but again the German proved too strong as he ran out a 5-2 winner to win European Development Tour 11.

Crucially for Schmutzler, he also put on a bright showing in Event 12, reaching the semi-finals to further boost his earnings and put him out of reach from the chasing pack for the spot at Alexandra Palace. 

The youngster secured his World Championship spot in just six events, having only become old enough to compete in October when he turned 16. 

However, it was 24-year-old Kurz who secured the title in the final event of the year, beating compatriot Dominik Gruellich 5-1 in the final. 

The victory means that Kurz squeezed himself into tenth in the European Development Tour Order of Merit, and crucially into a qualifying spot for the 2021 PDC Unicorn World Youth Championship. 

He started his run to the title with a 4-2 win over Geert Nentjes, before beating Leon Remde by the same scoreline. 

A 4-0 whitewash of Daan Bastiaansen followed, before two 4-3 victories over Egor Tvorogov and Mark Tabak to reach the quarter-finals. 

There he edged out compatriot Kevin Luhr 5-2 and followed this by seeing off Maikel Verberk by the same scoreline to reach the final, where he beat Gruellich to secure the title. 

Kurz joins Rodriguez, Schmutzler, Nentjes, Niels Zonneveld, Sebastian Bialecki, Jurjen van der Velde, Niko Springer, Doets and Mike van Duivenbode in securing qualification for November's PDC Unicorn World Youth Championship.

Drawboard