Think of the most electric thing you’ve experienced at a sporting event. A 90th-minute goal? Successful Hail Mary? Walk-off home run?
Wrong. It’s a nine-darter. You don’t need to know a thing about darts, the tournament being played, or the players involved to feel the pulse of the crowd grow and grow as every subsequent dart hits the mark for a perfect 501.
Luke “The Nuke” Littler, who made waves around the New Year as the 16-year-old-who-looks-like-your-34-year-old-colleague became the youngest player to reach the championship round of the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) World Darts Championship, is back at it again. On Friday, he recorded a perfect leg of 180, 180 and 141 in the quarterfinals as he became the youngest player to hit a televised nine-darter, according to SkySports.
LUKE LITTLER HITS A NINE-DARTER! 🚨
More history from the 16-year-old sensation!!! 🌟 pic.twitter.com/o23C5P6AqL
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) January 19, 2024
Littler went on to win the Bahrain Masters, taking down Michael van Gerwen in the championship round. It is his first senior PDC title, according to SkySports.
This was also, Littler said, the first time he threw darts since he fell in the championship round of the World Darts Championship. No practice in more than two weeks leading straight into a nine-darter and PDC championship is just the type of psycho behavior we’ve come to expect and love from The Nuke.
He made 180 look easy in the quarterfinals, but even the pros know mere millimeters changes the outlook. See his championship-winning leg:
LUKE LITTLER IS THE 2024 BAHRAIN DARTS MASTER 🏆
Simply breathtaking from the 16-year-old… 🙌
He hits a nine-darter, and beats Man Lok Leung, Nathan Aspinall, Gerwyn Price and MIchael van Gerwen to win his first PDC Senior title.
The first of how many…? pic.twitter.com/aCSSJ6sTnD
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) January 19, 2024
Congratulations to United fan @LukeTheNuke180 on winning his first senior @OfficialPDC title on debut 👏🎯#MUFC pic.twitter.com/jSMZoGbSiL
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) January 19, 2024
