World number one Luke Littler has asserted his right to select which darts tournaments he plays in, following a year of a reduced schedule. The 19-year-old has limited his appearances in minor events to manage his calendar, featuring in only two Players Championship floor events and three European Tour tournaments, while opting out of recent World Series events in New Zealand and Australia.
Littler's decision comes despite a recent warning from darts supremo Barry Hearn about top stars missing tournaments. Littler maintains that his position at the top of the rankings, with a significant gap to world number two, allows him to take a step back and not chase every event, providing crucial days off for himself and his family.
Currently, Littler is participating in the Players Championships with the goal of achieving a clean sweep of major titles, having already secured the first six. To achieve all ten, he needs to qualify for November's Players Championship Finals. His pursuit of this goal will depend on his performance in the World Series of Darts Finals in Amsterdam this week. If he fails to win in Amsterdam and can no longer secure every major title this year, he is unlikely to attempt to qualify for Minehead.
Littler emphasised the importance of focusing on one tournament at a time, stating, "I can’t be looking forward any more than what’s next, which is the World Series in Amsterdam." He added that if he wins the World Series, he will then compete in the Pro Tours in Den Bosch to try and qualify for Minehead.