The oche at the Citywest Hotel in Dublin pulsed with electric tension on a crisp October evening, the kind of atmosphere where legends are forged and underdogs dare to dream. The 2025 Boyle Sports World Grand Prix, darts’ premier double-in showcase, had already delivered its share of nail-biters, but nothing could have prepared the sellout crowd for the jaw-dropping sorcery that unfolded in the first round. Gerwyn Price, the brooding Welsh powerhouse and 2021 world champion, wasn’t just playing—he was rewriting the script of impossibility. In a match against Ryan Searle that teetered on the edge of chaos, Price unleashed a double-start nine-dart finish, a feat so vanishingly rare it has eluded even the supernova of modern darts, 18-year-old sensation Luke Littler. As the final dart thudded into the double-16, sealing perfection in just nine throws, the arena erupted in a roar that shook the rafters, a testament to the raw, unfiltered magic that keeps this sport’s heartbeat thundering.
For the uninitiated, the World Grand Prix demands a brutal twist on the classic nine-darter: every leg begins with a double to “check in,” adding an extra layer of precision to the already Herculean task of hitting nine perfect darts in sequence. Standard nine-darters—those blistering 501 clearances starting from anywhere—pop up a handful of times a year on the PDC circuit, with Littler himself nailing four in 2024 alone during his meteoric rise. But the double-start variant? It’s the unicorn of darts, a statistical ghost that has haunted pros for decades. Only a select few have ever tamed it: John Lowe etched his name in eternity with the first back in 1984, followed by sporadic miracles from the likes of Phil Taylor, Raymond van Barneveld, and Brendan Dolan. Price’s strike marked just the 13th in the tournament’s history since its 1998 inception, and the first since Michael Rosenau’s in 2022. “It’s the hardest shot in darts, bar none,” Price would later growl in the press room, his voice gravelly with the weight of the moment. “You need everything to align—nerves of steel, a bit of luck, and the board to forgive your sins. I didn’t think it’d ever happen for me.”
Price’s opponent, Searle, a fellow Welshman with a reputation for fiery rallies, had clawed his way to a commanding 3-0 lead in the opening set, his arrows slicing through the air like precision-guided missiles. The Iceman—Price’s moniker, earned for his glacial composure under fire—fought back ferociously, but the match slipped into a grueling decider. Trailing 1-0 in the final set, Price stepped to the line for his second visit, the score at 60 remaining. What followed was poetry in flight: a double-20 to check in, followed by two more trebles 20 for a trio of 180s, then a surgical T19, T20, and bullseye to erase the 501 in a blistering 26-dart leg. The crowd, a sea of chanting fans decked in St. David’s flags, lost their collective minds. “I blacked out for a second there,” Price admitted with a rare grin, towel draped over his shoulders like a victor’s cape. “When that last dart went in, it was like the world stopped. I’ve chased this for 20 years—feels unreal.” His 2-1 victory propelled him into the last 16, setting up a tantalizing clash with Northern Ireland’s Josh Rock, but the nine-darter overshadowed everything, replayed endlessly on big screens and social feeds.
Across the stage, the Littler effect loomed large. The teenage prodigy from Warrington, now the reigning PDC World Champion after dethroning Michael van Gerwen in January’s Ally Pally epic, has redefined darts for a new generation. At 18, “The Nuke” boasts a trophy cabinet that would make veterans envious: the 2024 Premier League, Grand Slam of Darts, and World Series Finals, plus 2025 triumphs at the UK Open and World Matchplay. His scoring prowess is legendary—847 maximums in a single season, a record that still stands—and he’s the youngest ever to claim a world title, pocketing £500,000 in the process. Yet, for all his fireworks, the double-start nine-darter remains the one summit unscalped. Littler, who once quipped he “didn’t like” the format’s added hurdle during a Next Gen event, has come agonizingly close. In last year’s World Grand Prix, he flirted with history against Gary Anderson, hitting two 180s early but stumbling on the checkout. “It’s brutal,” Littler confessed post-match this week, after dismantling Gian van Veen 2-0 with a scorching 105.58 average—his third-highest in a single match ever. “You start with that double, and one miss snowballs. Respect to Pricey; that’s god-level stuff. I’ll get one someday, but tonight? He’s the king.”
The irony wasn’t lost on anyone: while Littler, the sport’s golden boy with 1.3 million Instagram followers and endorsements from cereal brands to train lines, chases majors like the £120,000 top prize here, it’s the 40-year-old Price—a father of four battling burnout and a six-match skid against Andrew Gilding—who stole the spotlight. Price, ranked world No. 5, has long been darts’ brooding anti-hero, his 2021 World Championship glory soured by walkouts and mental health struggles. “I’ve had dark days, no lie,” he reflected, eyes distant. “But moments like this? They remind you why you grind. For the kids watching, for the roar—it hits different.” His feat drew effusive praise from peers; van Gerwen texted congratulations, calling it “pure class,” while Humphries, Littler’s 2024 final foe, joked on X: “GP just dropped a cheat code. Littler’s homework now.”
This World Grand Prix, with its £450,000 prize pot and best-of-five-sets format, has always been a pressure cooker, favoring the unflappable over the flashy. Dirk van Duijvenbode stunned van Gerwen 2-0 in another upset, while Jonny Clayton snapped a losing streak against Gilding. Woodhouse’s last-leg heroics against Damon Heta—back-to-back 180s after missing seven at a starting double—added to the drama, extending Heta’s winless streak to five. As Thursday’s quarterfinals loom, with Littler facing defending champ Mike De Decker in a mouthwatering rematch, Price’s arrow has shifted the narrative. In a sport exploding under Littler’s influence—viewership up 200% since his 2023 Ally Pally run, junior academies doubling—such rarities ground the glamour in grit.
Price’s nine-darter isn’t just a stat; it’s a spark. For Littler, eyeing his seventh major, it’s motivation wrapped in envy. “He’s got the X-factor now,” The Nuke said, nodding toward Price’s corner. “But watch this space.” As the Dublin lights dim and arrows fly anew, one thing’s certain: in darts’ grand theater, even phenoms learn from the old guard. Price, with his impossible shot, just schooled them all—proving that at the oche, legends aren’t born; they’re double’d in.
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