Archie Self secured his first major senior darts title in Portsmouth on Halloween, finishing the week of his life by claiming the Series 15 championship of the MODUS Super Series with a 4-2 win over Andy Baetens on Saturday night. The sixteen-year-old from Berkshire expressed shock upon seeing his name listed among bookmakers' favorites for the upcoming PDC World Darts Championship next month.
This victory followed a historic nine-darter during the group stage last Wednesday, making him the youngest player to throw a perfect leg live on British television. That feat surpassed the record set by Luke Littler in January 2024, which The Nuke achieved in Bahrain shortly before turning 17. Self, a former world junior champion, gained worldwide attention for that leg and received praise on social media from former England and Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney.
Following results on the Pro Tour, particularly the performances of rival Tommy Morris, Self learned the next day that he has nearly secured qualification for Ally Pally. His place in the 128-player draw is expected to be confirmed this week following the conclusion of the 34-day Player Championship Series. Self, known as The Archer, celebrated his MODUS victory by tossing his darts to the floor while family and friends cheered loudly. Meanwhile, 37-year-old Belgian opponent Andy Baetens appeared devastated, burying his head in his hands at his table.
Reflecting on his win, the left-hander from Thatcham stated, "I was so nervous all the way through. Everything seemed to be going high. I changed the way I was throwing towards the stem and it worked. But this week has helped my confidence. I watched the Pro Tour on Thursday and what a boy Tommy Morris is, that's all I am saying. My team are special to me. Every single one of them. Okay, I got a bit annoyed with them towards the end of that final. I didn't want them shouting at me as I was going for my throw. I did a couple of gestures to calm them down but that's darts unfortunately. This is my biggest achievement, 100%. I was world junior champion at Lakeside. But that was a youth career. This is the first big men's tournament I have won. I was told I'm 21st favourite (for the Worlds) the other day. I said: 'How?' I have only played four Pro Tours and that is it. I'm looking forward to Ally Pally and hopefully I can take this form to that."
