Amateur darts player tipped to beat Luke Littler for Netflix prize
Phil Taylor believes an amateur darts player could possess the capability to defeat Luke Littler, having helped judge thousands of contenders at regional heats for a new Netflix show.
The 16-time world champion joined a judging panel tasked with selecting up to 20 potential challengers to Beat Luke Littler in London on Saturday.
Taylor sat alongside Sky Sports pundit Laura Turner and PDC supremo Barry Hearn to decide whether applicants who cleared two initial stages could overcome Littler in a single leg of 501, with a £501,000 jackpot on the line.
Hosted by Gary Lineker, the live show will be streamed on Netflix on October 30, with a second qualification heat taking place in Manchester next Saturday.
Taylor suggested that the pool of amateur talent might produce a ‘Rocky Balboa’ moment for someone to claim life-changing money.
He told the Press Association: “The event is great to be honest, it gives people the opportunity to change their lives.
“It’s a Rocky Balboa kind of fairytale really. It will boost the profile of darts even further.
“The standard of the applicants is so far really good, there has been a lot of really talented players coming through.
“Any player who can throw a 12-leg dart has a great chance but it’s also about bottle as well as ability, so we will see.
“The amateur would need to have their best day and pray that Luke has a poor leg to be fair.”
Having dominated darts for nearly two decades prior to his 2018 retirement, Taylor was emphatic that he could still defeat the 19-year-old.
“A simple answer. Yes!” he said.
Thousands of amateur players aged 12 and over tested their skills in a rigorous three-stage qualification process at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park on Saturday.
They had to complete a 501 checkout in 24 darts or fewer before entering the reality television phase, where successful players were interviewed by the show’s production team.
The final stage required them to impress the PDC judging panel led by Taylor, who assessed their skills to decide if applicants had the ability to realistically challenge Littler. Those who succeed will reach the live show at the end of October for a chance to win a life-changing prize.
