LUKE LITTLER is a whisker away from becoming world No.1 for the first time.
The teen sensation battered Luke Humphries in Sunday’s World Grand Prix final to slash the buffer ‘Cool Hand’ enjoyed at the top of the PDC Order of Merit.
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Darts world rankings are determined by the amount of prize money a player has won in ranking tournaments over a rolling two-year period.
Littler was 16 years old and barely even on the radar two years ago.
He has racked up virtually all of his staggering £1,665,500 haul since bursting onto the scene at the 2024 World Darts Championship.
And that doesn’t even include the cash he’s banked at non-ranking events.
Humphries has been untouchable at the top of the standings for nigh on two years.
But the hiding he got from Littler in Leicester has cut the gap to just over £70,000.
Humphries will need a heroic effort to remain on top as he’s defending maximum winnings at the Grand Slam of Darts and the Players Championship Finals next month.
Josh Rock and Danny Noppert are two of the other big winners from the World Grand Prix.
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Rock, 24, is up from ninth to eighth in the world, having started the year 16th.
And Noppert has jumped from 13th to 10th after losing to Humphries in the semi-finals.
Damon Heta, Dave Chisnall and Peter Wright have all slipped further down the pecking order.
And there is more misery for 2023 world champion Michael Smith – who didn’t even qualify for the World Grand Prix – as he has dropped two places to 27th.
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