In the dimly lit draw room at the Mattioli Arena in Leicester, where the faint echo of practice darts still lingers like a promise of chaos to come, the PDC World Grand Prix 2024 bracket was unveiled on a crisp September afternoon. The air was thick with anticipation, the kind that only darts can summon—equal parts pub banter and high-stakes drama. Defending champion Luke Humphries, the world No. 1 whose 2023 triumph here ignited a golden year of majors, drew a first-round gauntlet against the resurgent Stephen Bunting, the Masters kingpin and a two-time semi-finalist at this very event. Not to be outdone, teenage tornado Luke Littler, the Premier League conqueror making his double-in debut, landed a seismic opener against fourth seed Rob Cross, the 2018 world champion known for his ice-cold finishes. “It’s going to be fireworks from the off,” one insider quipped as the pairings flashed on screen, summing up a draw that lives up to the tournament’s reputation for instant classics. With the action set to ignite from October 7-13, this 27th edition of the BoyleSports-backed spectacle—darts’ quirkiest major, where every leg must start with a double—has already set pulses racing, pitting titans against underdogs in a format that rewards precision and punishes the slightest wobble.
The World Grand Prix isn’t just another stop on the PDC calendar; it’s a rite of passage, the only televised event demanding a double to commence every leg, turning the oche into a mental minefield. Held over seven electrifying days in Leicester’s East Midlands heartland, it draws the top 16 from the Order of Merit and 16 ProTour qualifiers into a 32-player fray, all chasing £500,000 in prize money and the coveted Eric Bristow Trophy. Humphries, who pocketed his maiden TV ranking title here last year with a stunning 5-2 final rout of Gerwyn Price—capped by a 138 checkout that still haunts highlight reels—knows the pressure all too well. “This was the one that changed everything for me,” he reflected post-draw, his voice carrying the weight of a man who’s since added the World Championship, Grand Slam, and more to his mantle. Now, he opens against Bunting, the Liverpudlian lefty whose 2024 Masters glory has him buzzing with form. Their rivalry is fresh and fierce: Bunting edged Humphries in a Premier League thriller earlier this year, but the world No. 1 holds a 4-2 edge overall. Bunting, no stranger to the Grand Prix’s double-in demands after those semi runs in 2014 and 2019, grinned at the matchup: “Luke’s the favorite, but I’ve got unfinished business here. Expect legs to go deep.” In the top quarter, Humphries and Bunting could pave the way for a potential quarter-final with Raymond van Barneveld, the five-time world champ facing German riser Ricardo Pietreczko, or Jonny Clayton against surprise package Ritchie Edhouse.
Meanwhile, in the bottom half, all eyes lock on Littler, the 17-year-old sensation whose 2024 haul—12 titles, four nine-darters, and a cool £1 million-plus in earnings—has rewritten darts’ script. This is his double-start baptism, one of five debutants including Pietreczko, Edhouse, Gian van Veen, and Cameron Menzies, and he’s thrown straight into the deep end against Cross. The Voltage, as Cross is dubbed for his electric energy, has been a model of resurgence, reaching the World Matchplay semis and boasting a 60% doubles conversion rate that could exploit any Littler rust. Their head-to-head is a blank slate, but Cross’s pedigree— that 2018 Alexandra Palace coronation—makes this a dream tie for neutrals. Littler, ever the unflappable prodigy, shrugged off the challenge with his trademark nonchalance: “Rob’s tough, but I’ve faced worse. Just need to hit those doubles early and keep the crowd on side.” Sky Bet has Littler as the outright favorite at 11/4, just ahead of Humphries at 3/1, with six-time champ Michael van Gerwen lurking at 9/2. Van Gerwen’s own opener is a banker: against Daryl Gurney, the 2017 winner he’s dismantled in five of six recent meetings, including a 3-0 whitewash in last year’s Players Championship Finals.
The draw’s delights don’t stop there; it’s a smorgasbord of subplots designed to keep fans glued to Sky Sports from the 7 p.m. curtain-raiser on Monday. Picture Michael Smith, the world No. 2 and 2023 Masters victor, clashing with darts’ elder statesman Gary Anderson in a battle of blistering trebles—the Scot’s nine-dart pedigree against Smith’s powerhouse scoring. “Me versus Gary? That’s proper darts,” Smith beamed, eyes twinkling at the prospect. Over in the third quarter, Nathan Aspinall faces Ryan Searle, while Josh Rock takes on Ryan Joyce—two explosive young guns who could light up the arena. Gerwyn Price, the 2022 winner and current world No. 5, opens against Danny Noppert, setting up a potential second-rounder with Peter Wright, the two-time champ who’s been vocal about his form dip but deadly when dialed in. Wright, facing James Wade in a matchup of grizzled vets, joked: “Jonny’s got the hair, I’ve got the snakeskin—may the best thrower win.” Dave Chisnall, a perennial semi-finalist, welcomes debutant Menzies, while Chris Dobey meets Joe Cullen in a Geordie grudge match. And don’t sleep on the qualifiers: Luke Woodhouse versus Dimitri Van den Bergh could steal the show, with the Belgian’s flair against the Englishman’s grit.
As the bracket settles, the odds paint a picture of parity: Humphries at 2/5 to navigate Bunting, Littler a 2/5 pick over Cross, and Van Gerwen a 1/3 lock against Gurney. Yet, history whispers caution—this event has felled favorites before, from Phil Taylor’s shock 2009 exit to Gary Anderson’s 2018 semi stunner. For Humphries, defending here means etching his name deeper into lore; for Littler, a deep run could cap a year of dominance. The double-in quirk amplifies everything: no safety net, just pure finishing under the lights. With five rookies crashing the party and seeds scattered like confetti, the Mattioli Arena braces for seven days of tension, triumphs, and the occasional walk-on tantrum. “The draw’s done its job—now it’s down to who wants it most,” PDC chief Barry Hearn mused, his eyes on the £250,000 winner’s cheque. As Leicester gears up, one truth rings clear: in darts’ double-top theater, the openers are just the spark. The inferno awaits.
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