2026 PDC World Youth Championship Preview: What Do the Q4QS Numbers Tell Us?

 

The PDC World Youth Championship takes place today, and on paper there is one name that inevitably dominates the conversation.

Luke Littler.

But rather than simply looking at reputation or the Development Tour Order of Merit, I have put the World Youth Championship field through the Q4QS database.

And it throws up a few interesting names.

The database covers darts from a wide range of levels, from the PDC and Development Tour through to ADC, WDF, Vault and other competitive events. That gives us an opportunity to look beyond prize money and ask a slightly different question:

Who is actually playing well coming into this tournament?

There is an important caveat. Not every player has played the same number or standard of events, and international qualifiers in particular may have much less Q4QS data behind them. Q4QS ranking should therefore be treated as another piece of evidence rather than a prediction of the finishing order.

But there are some fascinating numbers.

Littler is in a different statistical world

It isn't exactly a shock to discover Luke Littler at the top of the World Youth field.

Littler is No.2 in the overall Q4QS rankings, with a Q4QS average of 100.32.

His recent record in the database includes winning the World Matchplay with an event average of 111.04, and victories over Gerwyn Price, Dirk van Duijvenbode, Josh Rock and Nathan Aspinall.

Even when playing against the very best players in the world, his numbers are extraordinary.

If Littler plays anywhere near that level in Wigan, everybody else has a problem.

But youth darts – particularly short-format group and knockout matches – doesn't always follow the script.

And there are players here capable of making things uncomfortable.

Sebastian Bialecki looks the clearest challenger

If I were looking for the player whose Q4QS numbers most obviously say "challenger", it would be Sebastian Bialecki.

Bialecki is an astonishing sixth in the entire Q4QS ranking, not sixth among the World Youth field.

His Q4QS average is 93.13, and he recently won Players Championship 26 with a 94.55 tournament average.

That run included wins over Gian van Veen and Damon Heta before beating Mario Vandenbogaerde in the final.

Bialecki also finished comfortably top of the 2026 Development Tour Order of Merit.

Littler remains the player to beat, but Bialecki's numbers deserve considerable respect.

Owen Bates might be coming at exactly the right time

Another player who jumps off the Q4QS list is Owen Bates.

He is 18th overall in Q4QS, averaging 89.66, and has won nine of his last ten recorded matches.

More importantly, his most recent Development Tour event produced a run all the way to the final.

Bates averaged 90.79 across Development Tour 23, including a 96.76 average in beating Jamai van den Herik.

He eventually ran into Henry Coates in the final.

Which brings us neatly to perhaps the hottest player arriving in Wigan.

Henry Coates – don't ignore the timing

Regular readers will know Henry Coates has featured quite a bit on Q4QS recently.

There is a reason.

Coates comes into this tournament 10-0 across his last ten matches in the database after winning Development Tour 23.

He went 9-0 during that tournament and beat Bates 5-1 in the final with a 97.41 average.

His overall Q4QS ranking is 42, which already puts him in some very good company.

There are players with bigger reputations in this field.

There may not be many arriving with better momentum.

Archie Self is my first Q4QS wild card

This is where things start getting particularly interesting.

Archie Self sits only ninth on the final Development Tour Order of Merit, and 126th in Q4QS.

Neither number immediately screams tournament winner.

Look closer.

Self won Development Tour 22 with a 91.79 tournament average.

Then he reached the quarter-finals of Development Tour 23 averaging 94.32.

His recent wins include Nathan Potter with a 98.92 average and Dominik Gruellich with 97.83.

And Q4QS has him at 10 wins from his last ten recorded matches.

That's precisely the sort of player I wanted this exercise to uncover.

Archie Self is firmly on my watch list.

Sam Jackson is another

Sam Jackson is even further down the overall Q4QS rankings at 143.

Again, look underneath that number.

Jackson reached the Development Tour 22 final with a 93.63 tournament average.

During that run he beat Dylan Slevin averaging 98.35 and Owen Bates in the semi-final.

He has also subsequently reached a Challenge Tour semi-final.

His Q4QS recent record?

9-1.

Jackson is exactly the sort of player who could be overlooked in a field containing Tour Card holders and much more familiar names.

I wouldn't overlook him.

Tyler Thorpe could be hiding in plain sight

Here's another.

Tyler Thorpe is only 182nd in Q4QS, but his Q4QS average of 87.88 is considerably more interesting than that ranking might initially suggest.

He reached the Development Tour 23 semi-final, winning seven matches before eventually losing to Coates.

Immediately before that he had reached the quarter-finals of DT21 and Last 32 of DT22.

Thorpe's recent Q4QS record is 9-1.

Again, perhaps not one of the first five names most people would select.

But definitely one I'd rather avoid in the draw.

Don't forget Kaya Baysal

Kaya Baysal is another whose numbers have been moving in the right direction.

He's 95th in Q4QS, with a recent record of 9-1.

His database history includes winning the Welsh Open/Masters/Classic event with an 89.64 tournament average, while his latest Development Tour results include successive quarter-finals.

He averaged 92.67 at DT22 and 89.47 at DT23.

Baysal has also demonstrated the ability to produce considerably more, including a 96.48 tournament average in his DT21 appearance.

Another dangerous player.

Dominik Gruellich has a ceiling worth watching

Dominik Gruellich is 74th in Q4QS and 9-1 across his latest ten matches.

The German has already shown that his top level can move into serious numbers.

At Development Tour 22 he reached the quarter-finals averaging 93.32, with individual wins recorded at 98.31 and 98.15.

That's significant in short-format darts.

If that Gruellich turns up, he can hurt people.

And then there is Nathan Potter

Potter is 55th in Q4QS, another extremely high position considering the thousands of players in the wider database.

He reached the DT22 semi-final averaging 88.68 and produced a 99.62 average against Kaya Baysal.

His recent Q4QS record is 8-2.

Another player who probably deserves more attention than he'll receive in many previews.

A few more Q4QS names to watch

There are several others I wouldn't want to dismiss.

Charlie Manby is 49th in Q4QS with a 90.79 Q4QS average and an 8-2 recent record.

Cam Crabtree is 46th, with recent victories over established PDC players Stefan Bellmont and Krzysztof Ratajski.

James Beeton is 54th and 8-2.

Dylan Slevin is 84th, also 8-2, and reached the DT22 semi-final.

Jamai van den Herik is 110th but comes in at 9-1, having reached the semi-finals of both DT21 and DT23.

And Lenny Schlueter deserves a mention. He's 175th in Q4QS, but won DT20 and recently averaged 89.94 on his way to the Last 32 of DT23.

Those aren't predictions that all of them will go deep.

They're warning signs.

The Q4QS five to watch

Leaving Littler and Bialecki aside, if I had to select five players from the numbers who particularly interest me, I'd go with:

Owen Bates – Q4QS No.18 and 9-1 recently.

Henry Coates – Q4QS No.42, DT23 champion and 10-0.

Archie Self – DT22 champion, huge recent numbers and 10-0.

Sam Jackson – DT22 finalist with a 93.63 event average and 9-1.

Tyler Thorpe – DT23 semi-finalist and 9-1.

And if I'm allowed a sixth, Kaya Baysal gets it.

That isn't necessarily my predicted top six. It's the group whose current numbers make me particularly interested to see what happens today.

That's why I built Q4QS

This tournament is actually a very good example of what I want Q4QS to do.

We all know Luke Littler.

Most darts followers know Sebastian Bialecki, Keane Barry and many of the leading Development Tour players.

But a ranking based purely on prize money doesn't always tell us who is playing best right now.

Archie Self at 10-0.

Sam Jackson at 9-1.

Tyler Thorpe at 9-1.

Henry Coates coming directly from a Development Tour title.

Those are the little clues I'm interested in.

Perhaps Littler steamrollers everybody and makes all of this irrelevant.

But somewhere among 128 young players there will almost certainly be someone who goes much further than most people expect.

Hopefully Q4QS has just given us a few clues as to who it might be.

Q4QS Weekly Spotlight: Three Players Who Caught My Eye This Week (week ending 16rh August 2026)

 

Another seven days of grassroots darts has produced plenty of candidates for the Q4QS Weekly Spotlight, but this week's final three all caught my eye for very different reasons.

For Pete Hughes, it was the sheer volume of success. Four tournament victories in five days made him almost impossible to leave out. Ricky King combined three titles with some exceptional scoring, including averages north of 100. And Owen Bates saved one of the week's biggest individual performances for Saturday, coming through a large field to win the Ilfracombe Summer Open.

As always, this isn't designed simply to reproduce the week's results or pick the three highest averages. I'm looking for the players whose performances and stories genuinely stood out to me over the previous seven days.

Pete Hughes

Player Profile

There isn't much Pete Hughes hasn't experienced on the grassroots circuit, and the sheer scale of his 2026 record illustrates just how regularly he competes.

Across 818 recorded matches, Hughes has won 698, giving him an outstanding 85.3% win rate from 124 events. Even more impressively, those appearances have already produced 51 tournament victories, alongside 11 runner-up finishes and 26 semi-finals.

His overall match average sits at 78.50, while his scoring ceiling is considerably higher. His best recorded performance is a remarkable 118.66, and his top five also contain averages of 115.62, 112.73 and 111.33.

Hughes has also consistently proved capable of beating strong opposition. His database includes five recorded victories over Joe Quiney, including a 6–0 win while averaging 92.02 and another 3–0 success with a 93.94.

This Week

Even by Hughes' standards, this was some week.

It began on Monday at The Bengeworth in Evesham, where Hughes collected the title after seven victories, beating Matt Metrovich in the final. His run included two 93.94 averages.

Twenty-four hours later he did it again.

At Bretforton Sports Club, Hughes won eight matches to take another Vault 18 title and stepped the scoring up considerably. He produced 103.66, 100.78 and 98.48 during the event before defeating Dave Honey 3–0 in the final.

Thursday brought title number three at Cue Corner in Worcester. Hughes recorded seven wins, including a 91.09 average, before beating Antony Butler 3–0 in the final.

And on Friday, it was back to Bengeworth.

Victories over George Nurdin and Mitchell Leeming took him into another final, where he edged Richard Coombes 3–2 to complete an extraordinary fourth tournament victory of the week.

Four titles in five days is a remarkable return, and made Hughes one of the simplest Weekly Spotlight selections I've had to make so far.

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Ricky King

Player Profile

Ricky King's database sample isn't as large as Hughes', but what he's done with it is remarkable.

King has won 65 of 72 recorded matches, an exceptional 90.3% win rate, and has already converted nine of his 12 recorded tournament appearances into victories. He also enters the end of this week with a perfect 10–0 record across his last ten matches.

His overall average is 81.35, but again the headline numbers show a much higher ceiling. King has a best recorded average of 111.33, while his five best include 107.36, 104.75, 103.66 and 96.97.

He has also demonstrated that ability away from the local Vault circuit. At the Isle of Man Festival he defeated players including Pat Scurfield, Connor Bowler and Graham Jenkins, with the Bowler victory coming alongside a 104.75 average.

This Week

King's week began with victory at Swanage RBL.

He produced 103.66 against David Elm, added a 93.94 against Jordan Cluskey and then averaged 90.18 in a 3–0 final victory over Alfie Reeves.

Then came Thursday at The Kings Arms in Wallisdown, where King went even bigger.

A 107.36 average against William Young was the standout number of another title-winning run. King won eight matches during the event before defeating Tom Crocker 3–0 in the final.

Twenty-four hours later he completed the hat-trick at Sturminster Football Club.

King defeated Christopher Roberts with a 93.94 average, averaged 93.52 against Jordan Cluskey in the semi-final and then beat Callum Harrison 3–0 to take another title.

That's three titles across the week, accompanied by 107.36, 103.66, 93.94 and 93.52 performances.

For a player already winning more than 90% of his recorded matches, this was another emphatic demonstration of just how difficult Ricky King is proving to beat.

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Owen Bates

Player Profile

Owen Bates is a very different selection from the other two.

He is already competing regularly within the professional system, with his 2026 record including Players Championship, Development Tour, European Tour qualifier and other PDC appearances.

Across 185 recorded matches, Bates has won 124, giving him a 67% win rate against what is often considerably stronger opposition than the typical grassroots field. His overall match average is an excellent 87.79, rising to a Q4QS average of 88.96.

His best recorded average is 104.50 against Stephen Burton at Players Championship 5, while he has also produced 104.01 on the Development Tour and averages above 101 against Bradley Brooks and Madars Razma.

The level of his opposition is perhaps even more revealing. Bates has beaten William O'Connor, Cameron Menzies, Adam Gawlas and Beau Greaves, while his losses include matches against Chris Dobey and Kevin Doets.

This Week

Unlike Hughes and King, Bates didn't need a collection of tournament victories to catch my eye.

He needed one very good Saturday.

The Ilfracombe Summer Open contained 127 recorded matches, and Bates came through 11 matches to lift the title.

His knockout run became increasingly impressive as the tournament progressed.

Bates averaged 99.62 to beat Clint Parkhouse, 96.97 in a 4–0 quarter-final victory over Mathew Hern and 97.62 while defeating Andy Steed 4–1 in the semi-final. He then completed the job with a 5–2 victory over Nigel Gullon.

The result also extended Bates' current recorded form to ten consecutive victories.

It's a slightly different Weekly Spotlight story, but that's exactly why I've included him. A big field, 11 victories, three averages between 96 and 100 in the decisive stages and a tournament title made the Ilfracombe run one of the standout individual performances anywhere in this week's results.

Yesterday's Darts Results South and South West – Saturday 15 August 2026

 

Saturday produced one of the busiest and strongest grassroots days of the week, with 32 tournaments added to the Q4QS database, ranging from major open competitions and local round robins to junior events, ADC Vaults and the PDC Challenge Tour.

The Q4QS graphic highlights Owen Bates after an excellent victory in Ilfracombe, but there was plenty more happening across the South and South West – including an impressive win for Chris Allen at Hangar 61 in Bristol, a strong junior event in Salisbury and another title for Ellie Harwood.

Bates takes the Ilfracombe Summer Open

One of the headline performances came from Owen Bates, who put together an excellent run to win the Ilfracombe Summer Open.

It was a substantial competition, with 127 matches recorded, and Bates came through with 11 victories before beating Nigel Gullon 5–2 in the final.

His scoring was impressive throughout. Bates produced the tournament's three highest recorded averages – 99.62, 97.62 and 96.97 – with the 99.62 coming against Clint Parkhouse.

Parkhouse himself hit 90.43, while Andy Steed recorded 88.41 during a run which saw him collect nine victories.

A very convincing tournament win from Bates.

Chris Allen comes through a strong Hangar 61 field

One result that didn't make the featured six on the graphic but certainly deserves attention was Chris Allen's victory at Hangar 61 in Bristol.

The Open Round Robin generated 93 recorded matches, with Allen eventually defeating Luke Harding 5–3 in the final.

Allen won nine matches across the competition and also produced the best average of the event, an excellent 94.82.

Harding had a strong tournament himself, recording eight victories and averages including 84.06 and 83.50, while Shoey Ayres also hit 83.50.

That's exactly what makes some of these local opens worth following. A big field and plenty of competitive darts can make winning one a serious night's work, and Allen came through it impressively.

Mason Beaven wins Salisbury Junior Super Series

There was plenty to like about the Salisbury Junior Super Series 3, where Mason Beaven emerged victorious.

Beaven won nine matches and defeated Riley Milligan 5–3 in the final, while also producing the tournament's highest recorded average of 86.65.

There was strong scoring elsewhere too, particularly from Reggie Woollard, who twice averaged 83.50 and recorded seven victories. Zachary Petty and finalist Milligan also collected seven wins apiece.

Another encouraging example of the standard coming through the junior game in the region.

Ellie Harwood wins again

Ellie Harwood also deserves another mention after winning Saturday's Open PR Round Robin.

Harwood recorded nine victories and beat Ryan Greenslade 3–1 in the final.

Greenslade actually produced the highest averages of the tournament, including a 79.11 and 76.42, but it was Harwood who came through the field and took the title.

That's another tournament victory to add to a very promising spell.

Huge numbers around the country

There were some enormous individual performances on Saturday.

The biggest came from Riley James, who produced a remarkable 111.33 average at the Surrey Youth Open.

Challenge Tour 18 also generated some serious numbers, with Steve Lennon hitting 107.79 and 102.77, Daniel Klose recording 103.05 and 100.79, and eventual champion Archie Self producing a 101.55.

Self ultimately beat Klose 5–4 in the Challenge Tour 18 final, completing a seven-win run to the title.

Timothy Jones fires in 107.36

Away from the Challenge Tour, one of Saturday's best performances came at The 9 Darter in Port Talbot.

Timothy Jones won all eight of his recorded matches and completed the job with a 3–0 victory over Steve Miller in the final.

Even more impressive was his 107.36 average in that final. Jones also recorded 96.97, 86.91 and 85.89 during the tournament.

That makes his performance one of the strongest Vault displays in Saturday's results.

Astbury dominant at Dawley

Daniel Astbury produced another extremely strong Vault performance at The Church Wicketts in Dawley.

Astbury won eight matches, defeated Callum Lester 3–0 in the final and averaged a superb 104.86 in the decider.

That wasn't an isolated performance either. He twice hit 96.97 and also recorded a 92.02 during his title run.

Plenty happening in the junior game

Saturday was a particularly busy day for youth darts.

Alongside Mason Beaven's Salisbury victory, Charlie Lowin won the JDC VOLTS event at Bostin Darts, producing a 91.09 along the way. George Folly won at Bushey, George Jones took the Glanyrafon Arms event and Michael Solloway was victorious at The Bullseye Bar in Lichfield.

And at the Surrey Youth Open, while Riley James produced that spectacular 111.33, it was James Butler who eventually came through the huge event to take the title.

Another packed Saturday

There was plenty more beyond the headline performances.

Paul Hogan won at Burghfield with a 98.02 in the final, Dai Lewis took the Bordon Vault, Eddie Price won at Shrewsbury and Aaron Beeney was successful at Nambucca.

Stephen Cake also won a rearranged Vault at The Top Club, with both Cake and Creed Jenkins recording 100.20 averages.

But from a Q4QS/South West perspective, Owen Bates' Ilfracombe victory and Chris Allen's success at Hangar 61 are probably the two performances I'd put right at the heart of Saturday's roundup.

Bates combined a tournament victory with consistently excellent scoring, while Allen negotiated a sizeable, competitive Hangar 61 event and produced a 94.82 along the way.

Another very strong Saturday of grassroots darts.