16-year-old Archie Self beats Andy Baetens 4-2 to win MODUS Champions Week after record nine-darter

English 16-year-old Archie Self has won the MODUS Super Series Champions Week title, beating former WDF world champion Andy Baetens 4-2 in Saturday's final in Portsmouth to take the £25,000 top prize. Earlier in the week, Self also became the youngest player to hit a nine-dart finish on British television, taking a record from Luke Littler. He is now preparing for his debut at the PDC World Championship, which starts at Alexandra Palace on 11 December.

A nine-darter to start the week

Self's week began with a perfect leg. In the opening leg of his Champions Week group match against Danny Ayres, which he won 4-1, he threw a nine-dart finish. Dutch outlet DartsKing and Dartsnews reported that this made him the youngest player to hit a nine-darter on television. The record had belonged to Littler, who threw one at 16 at the Bahrain Darts Masters in January 2024, against Nathan Aspinall.

Self then won 13 of his 15 group matches, according to Dartsnews, and qualified for Finals Night on Saturday 31 October.

Finals Night: a defeat, then revenge

Finals Night used two four-player groups, followed by semi-finals and a final. In his group, Self beat David Davies 4-3 but lost 4-3 to Baetens. Both still went through to the semi-finals.

Self then produced his best darts of the night, averaging 107.92 in a 4-2 semi-final win over Scott Robertson. In the other semi-final, Baetens beat defending champion Derek Coulson 4-3.

The final was a rematch with Baetens and a lower-scoring affair. Self averaged 84.51 to Baetens' 80.24, according to Dartfreakz. The Belgian struggled on the doubles, hitting only two of 20 attempts. Self led 3-1, Baetens pulled a leg back, and Self finished the match with a 16-dart leg.

Ally Pally next

Self will make his World Championship debut at the 2027 event, which runs from 11 December 2026 to 3 January 2027 at Alexandra Palace and has a £5 million prize fund. He earned his place through the PDC Challenge Tour Order of Merit, where he finished fifth. Challenge Tour places can pass down the list when players above have already qualified another way.

He will turn 17 before his Ally Pally debut, and he has played only four Pro Tour events so far. Self was also honest about the standard of his darts in the final. Speaking to Dartsnews, he said: "It was rubbish, personally, for me."

Baetens still chasing a place

For Baetens, the defeat was a painful one. Dutch and German darts media quoted him asking why it hurt so much afterwards. The Belgian still has a chance to reach Alexandra Palace through a qualifying event later this month.

For Self, the title brings £25,000 and some momentum six weeks before his Alexandra Palace debut.

Key takeaways

• Archie Self, 16, beat Andy Baetens 4-2 on 31 October to win MODUS Super Series Champions Week and £25,000.
• Earlier in the week, he became the youngest player to hit a televised nine-darter, taking the record from Luke Littler.
• He averaged 107.92 in his semi-final win over Scott Robertson.
• Self makes his PDC World Championship debut at Alexandra Palace, where the event starts on 11 December.

FAQ

Who is Archie Self? He is a 16-year-old English darts player who won the MODUS Super Series Champions Week title in Portsmouth on 31 October 2026. He has also qualified for the 2027 PDC World Darts Championship.

What record did Archie Self take from Luke Littler? Self became the youngest player to hit a nine-dart finish on British television. He threw it against Danny Ayres during MODUS Champions Week. Littler had set the previous mark at 16 at the Bahrain Darts Masters in January 2024.

When does the 2027 PDC World Darts Championship start? It starts on 11 December 2026 at Alexandra Palace in London and ends on 3 January 2027. The total prize fund is £5 million, with £1 million for the winner.

Sources: Dartsnews, Darts World, Dartfreakz, DartsKing, Wikipedia