‘Luke Littler has benefitted from Leighton Bennett’s rise – they’re each gifted’
Junior Darts Corporation chairman and founder Steve Brown has praised Luke Littler and Leighton Bennett after the primary ProfessionalTour occasion of the season.
Littler and Bennett had been two of the standout stars in Wigan on Monday. Both gamers hit nine-darters, whereas teen sensation Littler carried on his very good begin to 2024 by successful your entire occasion on his debut.
While Littler’s rise has been sudden and quick, Bennett has been on the radar of darts aficionados for a while. He first emerged as a expertise as a 13-year-old schoolboy when he beat darts legend Phil Taylor.
READ MORE: Luke Littler wins one other PDC title on debut as 17-year-old carries on sensational kind
Despite persevering with to impress since, Bennett, now 18, has taken just a little bit longer than Littler to succeed in the highest. He received his Tour Card for the primary time in January and wasted no time in exhibiting what he is about within the first Players Championship occasion.
Bennett got here by means of the primary two rounds in Wigan, throwing a nine-darter in his second spherical match towards Lukas Wenig. Not to be outdone, Littler adopted that up with one in every of his personal not lengthy after towards Michele Turetta.
Will we see Littler and Bennett in a PDC last collectively at some point? Let us know within the feedback part beneath
Littler, after all, went on to win the entire thing. Bennett noticed his run come to an finish within the last-32, the place he misplaced out 6-5 in a detailed match towards Cameron Menzies, who later got here up quick towards Luke the Nuke.
Nevertheless, it was a formidable exhibiting from Bennett, who, together with Littler, got here by means of the Junior Darts Corporation (JDC) ranks earlier than making it within the PDC. Brown, who based the JDC, has watched each males develop as darts gamers and is worked up to see the pair of them go from strength-to-strength within the skilled ranks.
(Image: TAYLOR LANNING)
Premier League Darts Preview 2024
Kebab-loving Luke Littler took the World Championships by storm. Now the teenager sensation is taking his abilities across the UK and Europe as he faces the massive boys within the Premier League.
Venues will probably be packed out to see the brand new darting icon tackle the largest names within the sport – Luke Humphries, Michael van Gerwin, Michael Smith, Rob Cross, Gerwyn Price, Peter Wright and Nathan Aspinall over the subsequent few months.
Our particular Premier League preview charts Littler’s astronomic rise, turns the highlight on his rivals for the coveted title, contains an unique column from James Wade, interviews with legends of the sport, present Premier League gamers and PDC chairman Eddie Hearn – and it tells you every part you should know in regards to the match.
“Luke has benefited from Leighton’s rise – and, in some ways, he’s probably also benefited from seeing some of the tougher times and dips in form Leighton has had,” Brown stated after the primary Players Championship occasion.
“Everyone runs their own race and Leighton’s ability has never been in doubt. I’m just so happy for him that he’s got his card and he’s got the next two years to show everyone what we all know he can do.”
There’s plenty of respect between the two young Englishmen. But there’s also an edge to their rivalry, as Bennett explained after beating Littler in the final of Event 11 of the JDC Advanced Tour last May.
(Image: JDC)
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Bennett stated on the time: “To play against him and beat him with what he’s doing and everything at the moment, don’t get me wrong, top respect to him and stuff, but we’ve got a big rivalry, we both don’t like each other, so it’s nice to beat him in the final.”
Brown continued: “They’re each so gifted, and it’s a bit like magnets with these two – they’re drawn to one another however they repel one another as nicely!
“They played each other a fair bit on the JDC circuit and Luke had the better of Leighton, but they had some cracking matches and produced some great darts. It’s very exciting to see how they will develop over the coming years.”
