Luke Littler has admitted to feeling disappointed despite claiming the inaugural Saudi Arabia Darts Masters title and £30,000 prize money—all because of an eye-watering bonus that went unclaimed in Riyadh.
The 18-year-old world champion dominated the tournament at the Global Theater on Tuesday, defeating Michael van Gerwen 8-5 in the final to secure his fifth World Series title. But even a commanding performance averaging 104.84 couldn’t erase the frustration of missing out on one of the biggest prizes in darts history.
The £150,000 That Got Away
Saudi organisers had introduced a groundbreaking bonus structure dubbed the “Riyadh Season Bullseye” that had every player dreaming of perfection. The deal was simple but tantalizing: hit a nine-darter and collect £75,000 ($100,000). Then, with a single bonus dart, hit the bullseye to double the prize to a staggering £150,000 ($200,000).
It would have been the biggest nine-darter prize pot in PDC history.
Yet throughout the entire two-day event featuring the world’s best players, nobody managed to achieve the perfect leg. And that’s what left Littler—along with every other competitor—feeling “gutted” despite their successes.
“Obviously it’s on everyone’s minds, all the players, they know what’s up for grabs,” Littler explained after his victory. “If you hit the first treble and then miss, you are gutted.”
The teenager expressed hope that the feat might be accomplished in future editions of the tournament. “But hopefully we can come back here next year and someone will hit a nine-darter,” he added.
So Close, Yet So Far
The frustration was particularly acute for Littler, who knows exactly what hitting a nine-darter on the World Series stage feels like. Just a week earlier in Bahrain, he’d achieved perfection with a nine-dart finish in his quarter-final against Nathan Aspinall—the youngest player ever to hit a televised nine-darter.
That Bahrain nine-darter came with a standard bonus and helped propel him to the title. In Saudi Arabia, with more than double the usual prize money at stake, the pressure was palpable.
“All the players know what’s up for grabs so if you get the first treble and then miss, you are gutted,” Littler reiterated, capturing the collective disappointment that hung over the tournament despite the high quality of play.
Every match, every leg, every visit to the oche carried the weight of that unclaimed £150,000. Players would start strongly, hearts racing at the possibility, only to see the dream evaporate with a single missed treble or a wayward second dart.
A Dominant Display Nonetheless
Despite the nine-darter disappointment, Littler’s performance throughout the tournament was nothing short of exceptional. His path to glory demonstrated exactly why he’s the reigning two-time world champion and the most feared player in darts.
In the final against Van Gerwen, Littler exploded out of the blocks with a devastating opening salvo. He raced to a 4-0 lead, highlighted by a sensational 132 checkout on the bullseye in just the second leg—a finish that brought the Riyadh crowd to their feet.
The Dutchman, still smarting from his 7-1 demolition at the hands of Littler in the World Championship semi-final just weeks earlier, refused to go quietly. Van Gerwen clawed his way back with a 121 combination to make it 4-3, threatening to turn the match on its head.
But Littler, showing the maturity and composure that belies his 18 years, responded immediately with a clinical 115 finish after Van Gerwen had missed three darts at double to level. That crucial moment shifted momentum decisively back to “The Nuke.”
The pendulum continued to swing in the latter stages, but Littler retained control before sealing victory in style with a superb 11-dart leg to clinch the title 8-5.
The Road to Riyadh Glory
Littler’s journey to the Saudi title showcased his remarkable ability to produce his best darts under pressure, particularly when facing adversity.
His quarter-final against Gian van Veen—a rematch of the World Championship final he’d dominated just weeks earlier—provided a stern test. Van Veen burst out of the blocks to lead 3-0 and 4-3, threatening an upset. But Littler produced one of the most breathtaking late surges in recent memory, rattling off three consecutive legs in 11, 12, and 12 darts to wrap up a 6-4 victory with a staggering 111.58 average.
The final leg saw him land a match-winning 124 checkout on the bullseye, further demonstrating his mastery of the most pressurized finish in darts.
The semi-final brought redemption against Gerwyn Price. The Welshman had handed Littler his first defeat in 22 matches just days earlier in Bahrain, ending a dominant winning streak. This time, Littler exacted revenge with a 7-5 comeback victory after trailing 4-2 at the break.
Birthday Celebrations in Dubai
With the Saudi title secured—if not the nine-darter jackpot—Littler revealed plans to celebrate his 19th birthday in style before returning to competitive action.
“Obviously, I’m celebrating my birthday tomorrow,” he said, turning 19 on Wednesday, January 22. “I’m going over to Dubai with my family and girlfriend to have three days off.”
The short Dubai break with girlfriend Faith Millar and his family offers a brief respite before the darts calendar intensifies. Littler will soon return to action for the Premier League, which begins on February 5, where he’ll be one of the headline acts.
The three-day trip is a modest celebration for someone who has just added another £30,000 to his rapidly growing bank balance—though it pales in comparison to what could have been with that elusive nine-darter.
Van Gerwen’s Gracious Assessment
For Michael van Gerwen, the defeat marked another frustrating chapter in his recent rivalry with Littler. The three-time world champion has now lost his last four encounters with the teenager, including the World Championship semi-final demolition.
Despite the disappointing result, Van Gerwen remained philosophical about the final. “Being 4-0 down at the beginning of the game didn’t really help me but I always keep fighting,” the Dutchman said, acknowledging Littler’s explosive start while maintaining his competitive spirit.
Van Gerwen had reached the final by defeating Nathan Aspinall 7-5 in the semi-finals, fighting back from 4-2 down at the break to win five consecutive legs and book his place in the championship match.
The £150,000 Question
The unclaimed nine-darter bonus has left the darts world pondering what might have been. With eight of the world’s top players competing across 15 matches, the fact that nobody managed to achieve perfection speaks to both the difficulty of the feat and perhaps the added pressure of the massive prize at stake.
Nine-darters are rare enough under normal circumstances. In 2024, there were just 72 nine-dart finishes recorded across all PDC events combined. The added pressure of a record-breaking £150,000 prize—more than five times the tournament winner’s purse—inevitably weighs on every dart thrown.
Some darts experts have suggested that the sheer size of the bonus might actually make it harder to achieve, with players potentially overthinking their approach or feeling extra pressure as they progress through a potential nine-dart leg.
Others argue that the bonus simply highlights how difficult the perfect leg truly is, regardless of what’s at stake. After all, these are the best players in the world, and none of them managed it across two days of high-level competition.
A Record-Breaking Deal in the Background
Littler’s Saudi success comes just days after he announced a historic 10-year deal with Target Darts reportedly worth up to £20 million. The agreement, signed following his second consecutive World Championship triumph, is believed to be the biggest sponsorship deal in darts history.
The £30,000 Saudi prize money—while substantial—is pocket change compared to the Target contract that will see Littler-branded products and merchandise flood the market over the next decade.
Yet even someone earning millions per year can feel disappointed at missing out on £150,000, especially when it’s tied to achieving something as special and rare as a nine-dart finish.
The Bigger Picture
Despite his admitted frustration over the unclaimed bonus, Littler remains on an extraordinary trajectory. His Saudi victory marked his fifth World Series title and continues a phenomenal run of form that has seen him establish himself as the dominant force in world darts.
“I’m very happy to win this title,” Littler said. “It didn’t work out last week in Bahrain, but I’m really happy to come out to Saudi Arabia for the first time and become the first winner. Michael came back well after the break, but I started to find my form again and I’m really glad to win.”
The Warrington teenager has now won 23 PDC titles in total, including 10 majors—a remarkable haul for someone who only turned 19 on Wednesday.
What’s Next?
The darts calendar shows no signs of slowing down for Littler. After his Dubai birthday break, attention will quickly turn to the Winmau World Masters at Arena MK from January 29 to February 1, followed by the start of the Premier League season on February 5.
The Premier League will see Littler compete alongside Michael van Gerwen, Gian van Veen, Luke Humphries, and other top stars across 17 weeks of competition, with every match broadcast live on Sky Sports.
But before all that, Littler will no doubt spend at least some of his Dubai birthday celebrations thinking about what might have been in Saudi Arabia. Not the title—he won that convincingly. Not the £30,000—that’s safely in the bank. But the £150,000 nine-darter bonus that tantalizingly eluded him and every other player in Riyadh.
“Hopefully we can come back here next year and someone will hit a nine-darter,” he said.
And if that someone is Luke Littler, the birthday present in 2027 will be significantly more lucrative than a three-day trip to Dubai.
A Final Word on the Nine-Darter Dream
The “Riyadh Season Bullseye” promotion may not have paid out in its inaugural year, but it has certainly captured the imagination of the darts world. The concept of doubling your money with a single bonus dart at the bullseye adds an extra layer of drama and tension to an already nerve-wracking achievement.
Saudi Arabia’s entry into the darts calendar brings with it significant financial investment and ambitious prize structures. The £150,000 nine-darter bonus represents the kind of thinking that could transform the sport—creating moments of potential sporting history tied to life-changing sums of money.
For now, though, the £150,000 remains unclaimed. Luke Littler has £30,000, a shiny new trophy, and a 19th birthday to celebrate in Dubai.
But you can bet he’ll be thinking about that nine-darter.
And so will every other player when the Saudi Arabia Darts Masters returns in 2027.
Tournament Results – Saudi Arabia Darts Masters 2026:
Final: Luke Littler 8-5 Michael van Gerwen
Semi-Finals:
- Luke Littler 7-5 Gerwyn Price
- Michael van Gerwen 7-5 Nathan Aspinall
Quarter-Finals:
- Luke Littler 6-4 Gian van Veen
- Gerwyn Price 6-5 Luke Humphries
- Michael van Gerwen 6-4 Stephen Bunting
- Nathan Aspinall 6-4 Man Lok Leung
Prize Money:
- Winner: £30,000 (Luke Littler)
- Runner-Up: £15,000 (Michael van Gerwen)
- Semi-Finalists: £7,500 each
- Quarter-Finalists: £5,000 each
- Unclaimed Nine-Darter Bonus: £150,000
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