Why I denied ‘golden ticket’ after 17-year-old Luke Littler open up on…👇👇

Luke Littler denied ‘golden ticket’ after 17-year-old suffers shock European Championships defeat

Luke Littler will have to wait a bit longer to gain a ‘golden ticket’ of being inside the world’s top 16 after his surprise loss to Andrew Gilding on Saturday.

The teenager has taken the world of darts by storm over the past 12 months after emerging as the sport’s next big superstar at Alexandra Palace last year.

He’s backed that up with some sensational victories on his debut year on the PDC Tour, including the prestigious Premier League title.

But that victory meant nothing to his ranking spot on the PDC Order of Merit as the event doesn’t contribute to his overall points.

That has cost Littler slightly in his first year as he’s had to rely on his performances on the Pro Tour to qualify for some big events as he’s been unable to crack the world’s top 16.

Former darts star Matthew Edgar explained three years ago on his YouTube channel that being in the top 16 on the PDC Order of Merit is the ultimate prize for many players.

“There’s a lot of implications that come from not being in the top 16,” he said.

“It’s a golden ticket being in that top 16