Littler Completes Belgian Double with Flanders Darts Trophy Triumph

Darts Central
Aug 31
7 min read

Luke Littler completed the Belgian double on the European Tour this season, claiming his fourth career European Tour title and his second of the year in just three events.

‘The Nuke’ was sensational throughout the weekend, taking home the £30,000 top prize at the Antwerp Expo. Littler had skipped European Tour events in Germany this year, his last appearance there coming in April, but he has now triumphed in both Belgian events he entered. His remarkable run brings his tally to seven PDC titles this season, two clear of anyone else, as he continues his pursuit of Luke Humphries for the World No.1 spot.

Three days of action in Antwerp delivered shock results, standout performances, emerging stars, and, ultimately, Littler lifting the trophy once again.

Here’s how the final day unfolded…

Luke Littler clutching the Flanders Darts Trophy and complimentary biscuits on stage after victory (Photo by: PDC Europe)

Last 16 – Rock Sends Bunting Packing in Classy Affair

The Sunday afternoon session kicked off with a thriller as Luke Woodhouse edged Mensur Suljović 6-5, with both averaging just over 100.

Josh Rock then produced a superb 120 checkout to defeat Stephen Bunting 6-5, overcoming the Liverpudlian’s impressive 103.80 average and five maximums to reach the quarter-finals.

James Wade relied on his experience to beat Leon Weber 6-2 in a scrappy contest, while Gian van Veen put in a professional display to see off German No.1 Martin Schindler 6-3.

Daryl Gurney battled back from 4-5 down to defeat Polish No.1 Krystof Ratajski 6-5, reaching his second European Tour quarter-final of the season.

Home favourite Mario Vandenbogaerde relinquished a 4-2 lead as Danny Noppert ran out a 6-4 winner, with nerves visibly affecting Vandenbogaerde on his first run this deep into a European Tour event.

Damon Heta came through a tight 6-4 encounter against Ryan Joyce, before the final game of the session provided a crowd-pleaser. Luke Littler defeated Ryan Searle 6-3, averaging an outstanding 110.33 to overcome Searle’s 104.22 in a scintillating display.

Quarter-Finals – Gurney Stuns Noppert with Whitewash

Josh Rock edged Luke Woodhouse 6-4 in a high-quality contest, both averaging over 100, but Rock’s timing proved decisive.

James Wade overcame an off-form Gian van Veen 6-4, as the Dutchman struggled to find his rhythm, averaging just 84.

Daryl Gurney capitalised on a flat performance from Danny Noppert, producing a 6-0 whitewash. Gurney averaged 99.10, hitting four maximums with a 50% checkout rate, while Noppert managed just 82.97 with no maximums and three missed darts at double.

In the final quarter-final, Luke Littler edged Damon Heta 6-5 in a tense battle. Littler held his nerve in the deciding leg, finishing with a 79 checkout on the last dart as Heta was left waiting on double 20, securing his place in the semi-finals.

Semi-Finals – Rock Edges Past Wade While Littler Breezes into Final

Josh Rock 7-5 James Wade

Rock raced into a 2-0 lead, but Wade quickly pegged him back to 2-2. Both held throw consistently over the next six legs, taking the contest to 5-5, with averages just shy of 100.

Under pressure, Rock produced a brilliant 171 setup with three treble 19s, followed by a clinical 94 checkout, including two double 19s after a single 18, to move to 6-5. He then finished leg 12 with a stunning 13-dart break, sealing his spot in the final. Rock averaged 102.16 and hit five maximums in the match, continuing his strong run of improving his average in every game throughout the tournament.

Luke Littler 7-1 Daryl Gurney

Littler dominated from the start, racing into a 3-0 lead with a double break of throw. Gurney had just two darts at double during that spell, both in leg 3, and struggled to gain a foothold. Littler’s consistent scoring and timely finishing pushed his lead to 6-0.

Gurney finally held in leg 7 for 6-1 and narrowly missed the bullseye for a 170 checkout to pinch another leg, before Littler closed it out with a clinical 113 finish to seal a 7-1 rout. The win highlighted Littler’s precision and timing, earning him a place in the final.

🏆 The Final – Littler vs Rock: Young Stars Go Head-to-Head

This was only the second meeting between these two special talents. Their previous clash came just last month in the World Matchplay semi-finals, with Littler narrowly winning 17-14 in a Winter Gardens classic that featured one of the most perfect legs of all time.

Heading into the final, Josh Rock had been improving his averages every round and pinning more maximums than Littler. However, Littler held the higher overall average and a superior finishing rate of 56%, setting the stage for a thrilling final.

Pre-Final Tournament Stats

Finalist	Average	180s	Checkout %	Ton+ Checkouts	Matches Played
Littler	101.89	12	56%	3	4
Rock	99.35	16	48%	3	4

Match Recap

The final began in style, with both players holding throw over the first three legs as Josh Rock led 2-1. In the fourth leg, a scrappy affair saw multiple missed doubles from both players, allowing Rock to break in 19 darts. He then consolidated with a 13-dart hold to extend his lead to 4-1. Littler responded immediately, producing a clinical 12-dart hold to reduce the deficit to 4-2.

A timely maximum from Rock pressured Littler into missing double 5, allowing Rock to punish with a 42 checkout and restore his three-leg cushion at 5-2.

However, Littler steadied himself and produced a trademark surge. He won four consecutive legs in 15, 11, 17, and 13 darts, cupping his ears to the Belgian crowd as he surged into a 6-5 lead. Rock was unable to carve out a chance at double during this remarkable run.

Another twist in the final saw Rock manage to stem the tide with a 12-dart break, finishing an 85 checkout to level the contest at 6-6. Littler responded immediately, combining a maximum with a clinical 90 checkout in two darts to move ahead 7-6 with an 11-dart break.

In leg 14, Littler found himself on 16 to win. However, Rock landed a stunning 161 checkout on the bullseye to level at 7-7, sending the crowd into raptures as Littler let out a smile and offered a fistbump ahead of a deciding leg.

In the deciding leg, Rock, starting with two trebleless visits, left the door open. Littler capitalised, scoring 140, hitting a maximum, and then finishing 96 in two darts to find a sensational 11-dart break, sealing the title in emphatic style. Rock, ever gracious, shared a warm embrace with the 18-year-old champion at the conclusion of a thrilling finale in Antwerp.

Final Match Stats:

Finalist	Average	180s	Checkout %
Littler	107.40	9	33.33% (8/24)
Rock	100.05	6	46.67% (7/15)

Closing Thoughts:

🔥 Rock Continues to Impress

Josh Rock continues to establish himself among the sport’s elite. The reigning World Cup champion reached his first European Tour final of the season in Antwerp, having previously won his only ET title last year at the Dutch Darts Championship. He also claimed a Players Championship title this season and reached the semi-finals of the World Matchplay. If Rock maintains this form and breaks into the top 8 of the world rankings, he could well earn a spot in the 2026 Premier League.

⬇️ MvG and Wright Form Worries Continue

Michael van Gerwen and Peter Wright both exited early once again, raising questions over their current form. MvG averaged under 90 in a disappointing 6-3 defeat to Gian van Veen, while Wright recorded his lowest PDC career average in a 6-1 loss to Luke Woodhouse. Both will be keen to rediscover some of their magic as the big majors loom later in the season.

🥇 Littler Does It Again

Luke Littler completed the Belgian double after winning in Wieze earlier this year. Notably, he has won three of his four European Tour titles in Belgium. As he has skipped the German events due to a personal dislike of competing there, Littler produced exceptional performances in Antwerp this weekend and fought back magnificently in the final to claim his seventh PDC title of the season, two more than anyone else as he continues to chase Luke Humphries for the World No.1 spot.

🔜 Up Next: Prague

The European Tour returns next weekend with ET11: Czech Darts Open (September 5–7 at the PVA EXPO, Prague), promising more drama, high-profile shocks, and standout performances.

🎙️ Post-Final Reaction

Luke Littler to PDC.tv

“I think I started off okay, I wasn’t the quickest away, my cover shooting, my doubles, they all went well!

“When Josh [Rock] hit the 161 checkout, it wasn’t a good feeling, but then I knew all I had to do was break the throw and win the game.

“Ever since I started playing darts I have always loved a last-leg decider. I back myself with or without the darts but I knew I had to go out in eleven there.”

“The European tour stage, I love it. I love coming here [Belgium] and I’ve said for the past year now that we need a Premier League event here.

“They love me here, I love them, they wanted Josh to win for a bit in that game, but for myself I had to crawl back from 4-1 down, then I knew they'd get back on my side.

“This is it now. From now it’s back-to-back with tournaments, September and October are some of the craziest months of the calendar, I know how to deal with that and know what’s coming up.”

Josh Rock to PDC.tv

“That performance is why he [Littler] is going to be number one soon and that’s why he is the World Champion.

“I’m always really hard on myself, maybe I should of been better but I’m happy with my performance, when you go to last leg decider with the World Champion you have to try and give it your all, we move on.