Son of Darts Legend Accuses Opponent of 'Blatant Cheating' After 5-0 Defeat

The son of a professional darts player was not best pleased with his opponent following the second day of his European Q-School campaign.

Following the recent PDC World Darts Championship, won by Luke Littler, fans can’t get enough of the sport, with several looking forward to the Premier League after the eight players were announced on Monday (January 5).

However, very few will have watched today’s European Q-School action.

Q-School (Qualifying School) takes place at the start of the PDC tournament year, then at the end of the year, several players lose their Tour Card, which impacts their eligibility to take part in PDC’s professional events.

At Q-School – which is divided into a UK and EU cohort - players who are without a Tour Card can secure one, with most valid for two years.

In December 2025, the PDC confirmed that a record 925 players will take part in the 2026 Q-Schools in early January.

The UK Q-School is currently taking place in Milton Keynes, while the EU one is ongoing in Kalkar, Germany.

And one of the 925 participants was Simon Whitlock’s son, Mason Whitlock, who suffered a heavy last 128 defeat before taking to social media to voice his frustration on Tuesday (January 6).

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Mason, 22, lost 5-0 to Germany’s Robin Pietsch before he took to Instagram to slam his opponent and accuse him of cheating.

“I’ve never in my life dealt with more tactics and blatant cheating. Embarrassing tbh,” he wrote.

Mason has since deleted the post.

This comes just weeks after his father made a comeback at Alexandra Palace, having lost his Tour Card in 2024, before losing 3-2 against Connor Scutt in the first round.

👀 Mason Whitlock after losing 5-0 to Robin Pietsch in the last 128 at European Q-School.#Darts pic.twitter.com/pcDipFA5ff

— Oche180 (@Oche180) January 6, 2026

Mason has previously spoken of his desire to follow in his father’s footsteps and explained how he’d be pleased to achieve a “third” of what his dad has, with Simon reaching a career high of third in the world rankings during his lengthy career.

“If I can achieve a third of what he’s achieved in his career, I’d be happy with myself,” Mason said in March of 2025.

“I want to win a Development Tour, win a MODUS, and next year, I want to get my Tour Card. That’s my goal.”

He also spoke of his goal of reaching the Premier League as his father did in the past.

“Once I hone that consistency and start throwing those 90/95 plus averages every game, then I could see myself there in five years!” Mason added.

Simon has secured 18 PDC titles during his illustrious career.

The 2026 Premier League Darts will take place from Thursday, February 5 to Thursday, May 28. You can purchase hospitality tickets on Seat Unique or watch live on Sky Sports via NOW TV.