LUKE LITTLER could still miss out on the Players Championship finals after a shock exit in Wigan.
The teen sensation lost 6-4 to Ritchie Edhouse in the Players Championship 31 first round at the Robin Park Leisure Centre.
It means Littler, 18, is still at least £2,000 short of qualifying for the major title event at Minehead at the end of November.
That task could also become more difficult if other players around him pick up victories.
However, there are three Players Championship qualifiers to go so The Nuke still has plenty of time to secure his spot – and with his quality that is likely.
But three more early exits could see a bizarre situation where the World Champion could miss a major.
Even more curiously, Littler may well also be the World No1 by the time that tournament arrives.
The Players Championship finals – the last major before the Worlds – could well be missing the current World Champion and World No1, which is almost unheard of.
After beating Luke Humphries on Sunday night in the Grand Prix final, Littler admitted he wanted practice in the World Youth Championship in preparation for the Players Championship events in Wigan.
He said: “I think it’s good for myself to keep on my toes. It’s a bit of practice tomorrow and then onto Tuesday and Wednesday when I need to start bucking my ideas up for the ProTours.
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“Money is money at the end of the day. I may as well carry my good form on now and hopefully by Wednesday I can qualify for Minehead and not do to the last two ProTours.”
His first round exit came a day after he lost to Beau Greaves in a World Youth Championship semi-final classic.
A win would have given Littler a chance to play two finals in one night for a £132,000 jackpot – with the youth champs final the same day as the major final in Minehead.
Littler is not the only big name at risk of missing out with Michael van Gerwen also on the brink.
Another opening round loss for the three-time world champion means he must make tomorrow’s final at the very least or he will miss the Players Championship Finals for the first time ever.
It is understood Van Gerwen will miss the last two Players Championship events due to a pre-booked holiday.
Stars receive £15,000 for winning a Players Championship, with prize money dropping down to £1,000 for a second round exit.
Players who are knocked out in the first round or miss the event get nothing.
