Luke Littler WINS the Bahrain Masters by beating three-time world champion Michael van Gerwen in the final after already hitting a perfect nine-dart finish earlier in the day
- Luke Littler has won the Bahrain Masters to take his first professional men’s title
- The 16-year-old rising star defeated Michael van Gerwen in the grand final on Friday
- Littler claimed £20,000 in prize money just two days before his birthday
Luke Littler has won the Bahrain Masters after beating three-time world champion Michael van Gerwen in the Middle East to claim his first PDC title.
The 16-year-old caps off his World Series debut with a debut title in the men’s professional division and continues his rise after an earlier astonishing run to the final of the world championship.
Littler showed no signs of a World Cup hangover after his previous defeat to Luke Humphries in early January when he played in Bahrain to win the two-day competition.
His battle against Van Gerwen ended with Littler claiming an 8-5 win over the 18 year older Dutchman.
In a back-and-forth match, both competitors held their throws before Littler finally broke Van Gerwen’s resolve to take a 5-3 lead.
Luke Littler has won the Bahrain Masters after beating three-time world champion Michael van Gerwen
16-year-old Littler celebrated winning the tournament just two days before his birthday
Van Gerwen fought back to level the match before being defeated 8–5 by Littler
However, Van Gerwen responded immediately with a break of his own before leveling the match at 5-5 as he threatened to stage a stunning comeback.
The Warrington-born youngster showed no hesitation again as he went on to win the next three legs in dominant fashion and seal the Bahrain Masters title after beating Gerwyn Price in the semi-final.
Littler claims the top prize sum of £20,000, while Van Gerwen takes home £10,000 after coming second to the teenage sensation.
Victory’s Littler took home a gold palm tree trophy with which he posed for photos with tournament organizers after his performance.
Littler claimed his first men’s title less than a month after his PDC World Championship defeat
The British star also claims crucial Order of Merit points to count towards his World Series total, with the eight players with the most points at the end of the tour competing in the World Series Finals in Amsterdam later this year.
Littler celebrated emphatically by punching the air after securing his first senior men’s title, less than a month after his defeat in the Ally Pally World Championship.
His overall victory capped an incredible day for Littler, having previously hit a perfect nine-darter in his quarter-final against Nathan Aspinall.
The feat also saw Littler improve on Van Gerwen’s previously held record by becoming the youngest player ever to hit a nine-darter on television and becoming only the second person ever to do so in the World Series, after Phil Taylor.