THE 2024 TOTO Dutch Darts Masters starts tonight, as home stars Michael van Gerwen and Vincent van der Voort lock horns, while reigning champion Dimitri Van den Bergh takes on Gerwyn Price.

But the talk is all about whether or not sensational rising star of the sport, 17-year-old Luke ‘The Nuke’ Littler, who spent his early childhood in Runcorn, can follow up his wonderful success in the year’s opening World Series of Darts event in Bahrain last week.

The second staging of this World Series of Darts event will take place at De Maaspoort in Den Bosch tonight and tomorrow as the 16-player field compete for the Toon Greebe Trophy, which was unveiled at Thursday’s launch event at Den Bosch Town Hall.

Tonight’s first round will pit the eight PDC superstars against the eight Benelux representatives, as defending champion Van den Bergh and Dutch icon Raymond van Barneveld also feature.

Here’s everything you need to know about the Dutch Masters and the 2024 World Series of Darts:

2024 TOTO Dutch Darts Masters, January 26-27, De Maaspoort, Den Bosch

Competing Players:

PDC Representatives:

Luke Humphries, England - World Champion & world number one

Michael van Gerwen, Netherlands - Three-time World Champion

Michael Smith, England - 2023 World Champion

Nathan Aspinall, England - 2023 World Matchplay Champion

Gerwyn Price, Wales - 2021 World Champion

Rob Cross, England - 2018 World Champion

Peter Wright, Scotland - 2020 & 2022 World Champion

Luke Littler, England - 2024 Bahrain Darts Masters Champion

Benelux Representatives:

Danny Noppert , Netherlands - 2022 UK Open Champion

Dirk van Duijvenbode, Netherlands - 2022 Dutch Darts Masters Runner-Up

Dimitri Van den Bergh, Belgium - 2022 Dutch Darts Masters Champion

Raymond van Barneveld, Netherlands - Five-time World Champion

Jermaine Wattimena, Netherlands - 2019 World Cup of Darts Semi-Finalist

Gian van Veen, Netherlands - 2023 Development Tour OOM Winner

Vincent van der Voort, Netherlands - 2007 UK Open Runner-Up

Kevin Doets, Netherlands - 2021 World Youth Championship Semi-Finalist

TOTO Dutch Darts Masters schedule:

Friday January 26, 1900-2300 local time, 1800-2200 GMT:

First Round x8:

Nathan Aspinall v Danny Noppert, 6.15pm

Peter Wright v Kevin Doets, 6.45pm

Gerwyn Price v Dimitri Van den Bergh, 7.15pm

Michael Smith v Gian van Veen, 7.45pm

Rob Cross v Raymond van Barneveld, 8.15pm

Luke Littler v Dirk van Duijvenbode, 8.45pm

Luke Humphries v Jermaine Wattimena, 9.15pm

Michael van Gerwen v Vincent van der Voort, 9.45pm

Saturday, January 26, 1900-2300 local time, 1800-2200 GMT:

Quarter-Finals, Semi-Finals, Final

What’s being said by the players ahead of the TOTO Dutch Darts Masters:

Top seed Luke Littler: “I had not picked a dart up since the World Championship final, so I wasn’t expecting anything in Bahrain. I was really happy to beat three great players in Nathan, Gezzy and Michael. It was amazing! I believe in my own ability and that is what gets me over the line each time. The standard is going to be good once again. It’s going to be tough, but it should be a great weekend, and it would be a massive bonus to win another title.”

Michael van Gerwen: “It’s probably one of the closest venues you can get to my house, so I’m really looking forward to it. It is always really special to play in front of your home crowd, and I’m feeling very confident. I think the way I performed in Bahrain was quite impressive. I was disappointed with the way I played in the final, but that’s how darts goes sometimes. You have to learn from it, but I’m feeling good and I think the crowd can help me a lot, although you still have to perform yourself!”

Dimitri Van den Bergh: “It’s just another day at the office. Me and Gezzy have played so often against each other. We’ve had so many great games, so I know what I need to do. I’m not afraid of anybody, because I know what I am capable of, and I would love to lift the Toon Greebe Trophy this weekend. It’s a new year, it’s a new Dimi, and I’m going to give it 100 per cent.”

Raymond van Barneveld: “I thought I played really well at the World Championship, but Luke [Littler] was like a formula one car against me! I was struggling for many years with my darts, with my flights, but hopefully, with this set-up, this is it now. There is no doubt in my head anymore, and I really believe I’m going to do good things this year.”

TOTO Dutch Darts Masters Format:

First Round - Best of 11 legs

Quarter-Finals - Best of 11 legs

Semi-Finals - Best of 13 legs

Final - Best of 15 legs

TOTO Dutch Darts Masters Prize Fund & (Ranking Points):

Winner £20,000 (12)

Runner-Up £10,000 (8)

Semi-Finalists £5,000 (5)

Quarter-Finalists £2,500 (3)

First Round Losers £1,250 (1

Total prize fund - £60,000         

2024 World Series of Darts Schedule:

Bahrain Darts Masters, January 18-19, Bahrain International Circuit

Dutch Darts Masters, January 26-27, Maaspoort Den Bosch

US Darts Masters, May 31- June 1, The Theater at Madison Square Garden

Nordic Darts Masters, June 7-8, Forum Copenhagen

Poland Darts Masters, June 14-15, PreZero Arena Gliwice

Australian Darts Masters, August 9-10, WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong

NZ Darts Masters, August 16-17, GLOBOX Arena, Hamilton

World Series of Darts Finals, September 13-15, AFAS Live, Amsterdam

2023 World Series of Darts Roll of Honour:

Bahrain Darts Masters - Michael Smith def Gerwyn Price 8-6

Nordic Darts Masters - Peter Wright def Gerwyn Price 11-5

US Darts Masters - Michael van Gerwen def Jeff Smith 8-0

Poland Darts Masters - Michael van Gerwen def Dimitri Van den Bergh 8-3

New Zealand Darts Masters - Rob Cross def Nathan Aspinall 8-7

New South Wales Darts Masters - Rob Cross def Damon Heta 8-1

World Series of Darts Finals - Michael van Gerwen def Nathan Aspinall 11-4

2024 World Series of Darts Roll of Honour:

Bahrain Darts Masters - Luke Littler def Michael van Gerwen 8-5

2024 World Series of Darts Order of Merit:

12pts Luke Littler

8 Michael van Gerwen

5 Michael Smith, Gerwyn Price

3 Luke Humphries, Nathan Aspinall, Rob Cross, Peter Wright

1 Tomoya Goto, Hasan Haji, Lourence Ilagan, Man Lok Leung, Haruki Muramatsu, Paolo Nebrida, Reynaldo Rivera, Abdulla Saeed

2024 Bahrain Darts Masters Results:

First Round:

Peter Wright 6-5 Haruki Muramatsu

Gerwyn Price 6-4 Reynaldo Rivera

Nathan Aspinall 6-5 Lourence Ilagan

Rob Cross 6-3 Tomoya Goto

Luke Littler 6-3 Man Lok Leung

Luke Humphries 6-0 Abdulla Saeed

Michael van Gerwen 6-0 Hasan Haji

Michael Smith 6-5 Paolo Nebrida

Quarter-Finals:

Gerwyn Price 6-4 Luke Humphries

Michael Smith 6-1 Peter Wright

Luke Littler 6-3 Nathan Aspinall - Luke Littler hits nine-dart finish in first leg

Michael van Gerwen 6-4 Rob Cross

Semi-Finals:

Luke Littler 7-3 Gerwyn Price

Michael van Gerwen 7-6 Michael Smith

Final:

Luke Littler 8-5 Michael van Gerwen