Teenager Luke Littler continued his astonishing rise by successful the 2024 Premier League Darts title with an 11-7 victory over Luke Humphries on the O2 Area in London.
Littler, 17, was left in tears after successful six of the final eight legs to beat world champion Humphries within the closing, racing off the stage to hug his household.
“To all of the doubters, whats up! I’ve simply picked up this! You are not doubting me any extra,” {the teenager} mentioned to Sky Sports activities after changing into the eighth participant to win a Premier League title.
Within the first leg after the midway break, he hit his fourth nine-darter in 2024 to ship the 14,000 capability crowd into pandemonium. World primary Humphries may solely smile and applaud in response.
From there Littler raced into management, successful his first main PDC title in convincing vogue after going toe-to-toe early on.
“I am a significant winner, I can put myself in that hat now – I can not wait to go to New York subsequent week and after that I am going to need to have per week off in Orlando,” he added.
It was a repeat of January’s World Championship closing, which noticed two of darts’ brightest prospects cement themselves into stardom.
At Alexandra Palace it was Humphries who got here out on prime, however the Premier League closing and season has been all about Littler.
On runner-up Humphries, Littler added: “We’ll meet in lots of finals – and now it is 1-1 in finals!”
His win sees him pocket £275,000 in prize cash, on prime of the £40,000 earned earlier within the marketing campaign. The £315,000 complete greater than doubles his profession prize cash thus far.
In a better of 21 legs closing, each males exchanged early breaks and had been left tied at 5-5 when the mid-match break got here in.
Littler instantly returned with darts in hand, throwing 9 good darts to arrange the proper ending to a record-breaking Premier League marketing campaign.
A lot to his credit score, Humphries embraced Littler upon his return from that nine-darter, an indication of what may very well be the beginning of a protracted interval of dominance between darts’ two Lukes.
“Tonight he was a lot stronger than I used to be and he deserved to win,” mentioned Humphries.
“And in the event you take a look at the season as an entire, he deserved to be Premier League champion.
“In fact I am gutted to not win however you may’t win every thing. Six out of seven main finals for me now, I can solely construct on it.”
Littler picked up 40 factors within the 16-week group stage, levelling 2022 winner Jonny Clayton for the document for many factors acquired in a season.
{The teenager} reached the ultimate after a 10-5 victory over Michael Smith earlier within the night.
Humphries was victorious over Michael van Gerwen by the identical scoreline, ending the Dutchman’s hopes of successful a record-extending eighth league title.