Darts Prodigy Beat Phil Taylor When He Was Just 13 But is Now Banned by PDC

A darts prodigy who defeated Phil Taylor when he was just 13 is banned from appearing in any PDC event until 2032.

We are almost three weeks into this year's World Darts Championship and the ultimate darts prodigy, Luke Littler, remains on course to defend his title after some extraordinary performances in the opening rounds.

In fact, Littler has yet to drop a single set across games against Darius Labanauskas, David Davies and Mensur Suljovic, with his tournament average across all 16 of his games at the Worlds coming in at a staggering 101.71.

The teenager continues to show why he is widely regarded as one of the all-time great talents, though things might have looked different had another former prodigy lived up to a prediction made by 16-time world champion Phil Taylor.

Leighton Bennett, who remains the youngest winner of the BDO World Youth Championship after lifting the title at 13, was tipped to achieve great things in the sport.

Leighton Bennett pictured at the BDO Darts Championships in 2020. Image credit: Getty

Back in March 2019, Taylor said Bennett could become the youngest-ever world champion. "It all depends on him and his dedication," he added.

A few hours after that interview with YouTube channel Live Darts TV and Taylor recorded a 10-7 win over Bennett during a special SAP exhibition at the Tower of London.

“For his age, he’s probably the best player I’ve ever seen," said Taylor after the match. "If anyone is going to challenge Eric’s record, it’s this lad."

Later that year, Taylor was beaten by a 13-year-old Bennett at the SAP Darts Slam in Frankfurt, with the schoolboy recording a 4-1 win.

Speaking after the match, Bennett said: "I feel like a kid on Christmas morning, I never believed this was possible. I had a great match with Phil at the Tower of London a couple of months ago, but he was too good."

He added: "It's a brilliant win, but now I just have to forget about it very quickly. I know I leapt up in the air again after the final dart, but I need to keep my feet on the ground."

Bennett, who was known by the nickname 'Boom Boom', would go on to compete at the 2020 BDO World Championship, becoming the youngest-ever competitor in the tournament's history.

Unlike the prolific Littler, who made an immediate impact on the professional scene, it would be another four years until Bennett was a full-time member of the PDC.

But in 2024, everything came crashing down when the teenager was suspended from the PDC after suspicious betting patterns were reported in four of his matches at the MODUS Super Series in September 2023.

Bennett was banned from competing in any event sanctioned by the Darts Regulation Authority (DRA) while the investigation into the matches were ongoing.

He would be handed an eight-year ban from darts by the DRA, who found him guilty of 10 charges that included match fixing.

A DRA statement read: "Bennett was found guilty of 10 charges for fixing the four matches, provided inside information on the matches, of failing to assist an investigation and for signing a contract with an unregistered agent.

Leighton Bennett was handed an eight-year ban for match-fixing in 2024. Image credit: Getty

"For proven breaches of DRA rules relating to eight allegations in connection with the fixing of results of four matches, one related to failing to assist an investigation, and one for signing a contract with an unregistered agent, Bennett is suspended from playing in or being involved in any way in any DRA regulated events for a total period of eight years and ordered to pay £8,100.23 costs, such suspension to end at 23:59 on August 11, 2032."

Bennett's ban is the joint-second-longest ever received by a darts player, with Billy Warriner being handed a 10-year ban after admitting to 19 of 21 charges, including match-fixing, brought against him as part of the same hearing.