Introduction: The Thrill of the Nine-Dart Finish
Imagine the tension, the anticipation, the sheer thrill of watching a darts player line up for that final throw. The crowd holds its breath, the player steadies their hand, and then…Bullseye! They’ve done it – a nine-dart finish! This is the highest checkout in darts, and achieving it on TV is the stuff of legends. So, let’s take a trip down memory lane and explore the history of nine-dart finishes on TV.
The First Nine-Dart Finish on TV
Our journey begins in 1984, with a man named John Lowe. Lowe was the first player to achieve a nine-dart finish on television during the MFI World Matchplay. This historic moment was broadcast on ITV, and Lowe pocketed a cool £102,000 for his efforts – a record at the time!
The Long Wait for the Second
After Lowe’s groundbreaking achievement, darts fans had to wait a whopping 14 years for the next televised nine-dart finish. This time, it was the turn of Paul Lim during the 1990 BDO World Championship. Lim’s perfect game was the first (and so far, the only) nine-darter in the history of the BDO World Championship.
The Nine-Dart Boom
Fast forward to the 21st century, and nine-dart finishes on TV have become a more common sight. The PDC World Championship has seen a total of nine perfect games, with the first achieved by Raymond van Barneveld in 2009. Since then, the likes of Adrian Lewis, Michael van Gerwen, and Gary Anderson have all joined the nine-dart club.
The Double Nine-Dart Phenomenon
Just when you thought a nine-dart finish couldn’t get any more exciting, along comes Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor. In the 2010 Premier League Darts final, Taylor achieved the unthinkable – two nine-dart finishes in a single match! This feat had never been seen before on TV, and it cemented Taylor’s status as one of the greatest darts players of all time.
The Women’s Nine-Dart Club
While the men have been hogging the nine-dart limelight, let’s not forget about the women. In 2020, Fallon Sherrock became the first woman to achieve a nine-dart finish on TV during the MODUS Icons of Darts Live League. Sherrock’s achievement was a landmark moment for women’s darts, proving that the ladies can match the men dart for dart!
The Future of Nine-Dart Finishes
So, what does the future hold for nine-dart finishes on TV? With the standard of darts constantly improving, it’s likely that we’ll see more and more perfect games in the coming years. Who knows, we might even see the first ever nine-dart finish at the Olympics if darts is included in the program. One thing’s for sure – the nine-dart finish will continue to be the pinnacle of achievement in the sport of darts, and we can’t wait to see who’s next to join the club!
