Luke the Nuke extended his lead at the top of the Premier League with another outstanding display including a 6-4 win over Michael van Gerwen in a high-class final with a stunning nine-darter
Goldflinger Luke Littler was one in a bullion again after landing his third nine-darter of 2025.
And as Luke the Nuke won his third night of the BetMGM Premier League with another stupendous performance in Cardiff, he became the third player to win a £30,000 set of solid gold 18-carat darts. Luke Humphries and Rob Cross hit perfect legs in Brighton two weeks ago – before both went on to lose their matches.
But the 18-year-old sensation surged six points clear at the top of the table with a 6-4 win over Michael van Gerwen in a high-class repeat of their PDC World Championship final at Alexandra Palace in January. In the final alone, Littler averaged 112.50, hit 10 maximums and threw a nine-darter. This kid is not just special – he’s from another planet.
Littler was booed on to the stage before his quarter-final win against Nathan Aspinall, but by the time he nailed 141 – treble 20, treble 17, double 15 – to join the cast of nine-dart wonders, the Welsh fans were eating out of the palm of his hand. He grinned: “That’s what happens when you win!” And after hitting 22 maximum 180s in his three games against Aspinall, Cross and Van Gerwen, Littler added: “I’ve been playing very well – but I must admit I’ve not picked up a dart since last Thursday.
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“You have got to have rests every now and then, so I just took a week out to chill, but I’m enjoying my performances at the moment.” Littler had to do a double-take, to make sure his double 15 had landed the right side of the wire, before launching into a manic, fist-pumping celebration.
He said: “You could see from the look on my face that I wasn’t sure that it was in. But it’s good to be standing here with another trophy and with 21 points on the board already. I just want to get to the O2 (play-off finals) as quick as possible and I’ve put myself in a really good position.
“Sometimes you average 30 or 40 per cent on the doubles and it’a not straightforward, but tonight they went in – and there’s still plenty more to come.” BetMGM have commissioned a bespoke solid gold set of arrows from jewellers Humphrey and Hawkins for each nine-darter in the tournament, and so far their bill is running at £90,000.
Earlier, Cross prodded a ‘big fish’ 170 finish in the deciding leg to knock out chip shop owner Gerwyn Price in front of his home Welsh crowd.