Grand Slam of Darts results: Luke Littler thrashes Martin Lukeman to go fifth in Order of Merit

Teenager Luke Littler kept up his incredible debut professional season by claiming victory at the Grand Slam of Darts, defeating qualifier Martin Lukeman with a commanding score of 16-3 in Wolverhampton.

The 17-year-old fell behind 2-0 after losing his throw in the second leg, but then went on an impressive streak, winning 15 consecutive legs to take a commanding 15-2 lead.

Lukeman disrupted the flow of the match and celebrated enthusiastically, as the audience erupted in cheers and songs for the world number 45. He had to triumph in four qualifying matches just to make it to the main event of the tournament.

Littler then disrupted Lukeman's throw in the 19th leg, securing the Eric Bristow trophy and claiming his first major ranking title.

During the warm-up, he was treated to a serenade, with the audience joining in to sing 'Walking in a Littler Wonderland.' However, the mood shifted when the crowd's cheers turned to boos after they discovered he had scored 140 instead of the expected 180 in his turn. He later issued an apology.

This victory propelled Littler up to fifth place in the PDC's Order of Merit, a significant jump from his ranking of 164 just a year ago.

Littler earns £150,000 for claiming the title, along with an additional £3,500 for securing victory in this category. This brings his total prize money to £558,500 as part of the Order of Merit, which is assessed over a span of two years.

He has earned £355,000 by winning both the Premier League of Darts and the World Series finals. However, since these competitions are invitation-only, their results don't impact the official rankings.

"I'm really happy to have won. I've been performing well throughout the week. It’s been a lengthy week, but all the effort has been worth it," Littler shared with Sky Sports.

"This was definitely a title I was hoping to take home. Although my past records aren't outstanding, my goal was to make a strong run in the competition. Winning it now makes it even more special and proves that I'm still a strong contender."

Littler is now only the third player, following in the footsteps of Phil Taylor and Michael van Gerwen, to achieve an average of over 100 in every game of a Grand Slam.

He concluded the match with an average score of 107.08, making it the third highest ever recorded in a Grand Slam final. He also delivered an impressive 12 scores of 180 and an additional 15 scores of 140.

Lukeman, the first qualifier ever to make it to a Grand Slam final and who entered the tournament as a 150-1 long shot, wasn't able to keep up with Littler's impressive scoring ability.

In the initial 13 legs of Littler's remarkable streak of 15 consecutive legs, Lukeman managed to have just one dart at a potential finish, which occurred while he was trying to complete a 142 checkout.

At the conclusion, the two shared a warm embrace. Lukeman, who took home £70,000 for his second-place finish, expressed high regard for Littler and acknowledged his contributions to the sport during his interview after the match.

"Littler is on another level. He's truly exceptional, isn't he?" Lukeman told Sky Sports.

"He has accomplished a lot for the PDC and the sport as a whole, attracting many new fans and securing valuable sponsorships."

Littler, just 10 months old when the inaugural Grand Slam event took place in 2007, took a moment to compose himself before lifting the trophy for the audience.

A broad grin appeared on his face as he acknowledged his family, celebrating his 10th trophy of 2024 with great joy.

Littler emerged victorious in every match during the tournament, but it wasn't without its challenges. He found himself behind 8-4 in the second round against Mike de Decker, the World Grand Prix champion, and also faced deficits of 11-7 and 13-9 in the semi-final against Scotland's Gary Anderson, which was a first-to-16 contest.

He was trailing 15-14 and just one leg away from being eliminated, but Littler managed to break Anderson's serve and then maintained his lead to clinch a spot in the finals.

Littler's debut season as a professional will wrap up with an appearance in the Players Championships final next weekend, which takes place from November 22 to 24.

He will participate in the World Championships starting on December 15, with the draw set for November 25.

Littler, who came in second during his first attempt last year, is now the bookmakers' top pick after securing a victory at the Grand Slam.

The last two champions of the Grand Slam, Michael Smith and Luke Humphries, have both gone on to claim victory in the World Championships.

On March 3rd, I played my first senior match at the 2023 UK Open, making it to the round of 64 and securing a ranking in the PDC.

November 26: Triumphed in the PDC World Youth Darts Championship final.

December 17: Kept the JDC World Darts Championship Title

On December 20, he made a successful debut at the senior World Championship, defeating Dutch player Christian Kist with an impressive average score of 106.12.

On January 3rd, he defeated former champions Raymond van Barneveld and Rob Cross as he advanced to the World Championship final. However, he ultimately lost to Luke Humphries with a score of 7-4 in the final match.

On January 19, during his first appearance in the World Series of Darts, he recorded his first-ever nine-dart finish on television while competing against Nathan Aspinall.

On January 19, he defeated Michael van Gerwen to claim victory at the Bahrain Darts Masters, marking his first title in the PDC senior ranks.

On February 12, he achieved a remarkable nine-dart finish against Michele Turetta and went on to defeat Ryan Searle, claiming victory in the PDC Players Championship final in his very first appearance.

On March 20, he claimed victory at the Belgian Darts Open, triumphing over Cross in the final match and throwing his third nine-darter of the year.

On April 18, I secured my first victory at the Premier League Darts event in Belfast, triumphing over Aspinall with a score of 6-4 in the final match. This success was followed by additional wins in Manchester, Liverpool, and Aberdeen.

On April 28, he secured victory at the Austrian Darts Open by defeating Joe Cullen in the championship match.

On May 16, we wrapped up the regular season of the 2024 Premier League, finishing with an impressive 40 points, which ties the record and places us at the top of the standings.

On May 23rd, he secured his first major PDC title by defeating Luke Humphries with a score of 11-7, claiming the Premier League Darts championship.

On June 15th, he claimed victory at the Poland Darts Masters, defeating Cross in the championship match.

On September 15, he claimed the World Series of Darts championship by defeating Michael Smith with a score of 11-4.

In October, I was eliminated in the first round of the Grand Prix by Cross, followed by an early departure in the European Championship.

On November 17, they claimed victory at the Grand Slam of Darts on their very first try, securing a spot among the top five players in the world.