Luke Littler Reveals What He ‘Hates’ About Darts Amid Calls for Rule Change
Littler will play Josh Rock in the quarter-finals of the Grand Slam
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Topics: Luke Littler, Darts
James Taylor
Topics: Luke Littler, Darts
Luke Littler has revealed he 'hates' some darts tournaments, with the PDC ranking system now under review following a major change to the World Championship.
The winner of the upcoming World Championship will receive a huge £1 million - twice the amount Littler earned for claiming the title this year.
However, the jump in prize money could have a significant impact on the sport's rankings.
Currently, the PDC Order of Merit is based on prize money earned over a two-year rolling period, but such a huge payout from one tournament could distort the system.
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Although PDPA president Alan Warriner-Little has confirmed the ranking system is under review, Littler does not believe it poses a problem.
After a convincing victory over Wessel Nijman in the last 16 of the Grand Slam of Darts, the teenager spoke to the press.
"It’s been the same for so many years — there’s no point changing it,” he said.
“Whoever wins the Worlds will be number one for a long time.
"Even on the Pro Tour, new tour card holders get five grand for a run; they’d be happy with that. So probably stick with the prize money.”
Pro Tour events are the non-televised tournaments organised by the PDC, allowing players to earn ranking points and prize money.
They are crucial for players to secure spots in major tournaments, such as the ongoing Grand Slam in Wolverhampton.
However, Littler admitted he doesn't like those events.
He said: “Everyone knows I hate the Pro Tours, all you hear is squeaky chairs and people chatting.
"I love the stage, I love producing it, especially when I’m playing like that.”
In September, Warrinter-Little revealed they have already discussed the impact of the increased prize fund for the World Championships.
He explained they are now exploring ways to 'make it fairer'.
Although Littler does not see the current ranking system as an issue, ITV pundit Chris Mason has argued that the World Championship could become too influential.
He said: “The PDC, Paddy Power and Sky Sports have all created this opportunity for literally life-changing money.
“But it’s going to skew the rankings.
"You could win that tournament, pretty much not play in anything else, someone else could win pretty much all of the big TV majors and still not be world number one."
Prize money has been used to determine the Order of Merit since 2007.
Before that, the PDC operated a points-based system, in which scores were awarded dependent on the prestige of the tournament.